George Carlin

One of the things I enjoy about my job at the moment is cooking for performers who come through our little town. This past Monday, George Carlin was up to bat. For me this was a big deal. He's kind of a hero of mine, or something along those lines. Lucky for me, I got to feed him the delisciously delectible:

1 fruit platter - melons, pineapple, oranges & whole strawberries

1 Vegetable Platter (no sauce or dip) - Radishes, Carrots, Celery & Green Peppers

And for the big finale,

4 Chicken Breasts (not greasy) sliced and served Cold

Living it up after all these years I tell you. No wonder he's really not that funny anymore. He probably should have stayed on the drugs.

Now Back

If there was anyone out there wondering where I was, have no fear because I have returned. During my absence my entire life has done an about face. I've given up the editing job and taken a job as VP-Operations for a small restaurant group, where I can use my mind and still do my catering thing on the side. It seems to be working out well.

My real plan was never to go back into the restaurant thing full time again, but the only way I could pay my bills editing was to cater every other day of the week. I was working seven days a week way too much. Pretty much made life miserable. My home has always been the kitchen and beyond that the restaurant industry. Now I put to work what I know and pay the bills at the same time.

Hot Sauce With a Taste For Barbecue

I love Barbecue. I mean the Slow-Smoked, Pulled-Apart, Tender Pork Variety that doesn't have more than a whiff of sauce on it until they meet together on the bun kind. And I want a decent bun too. I'm not for the whole dripping and falling apart cheap ones that turn into goo and leave sauce running down your shirt. The bun is a part of the experience. In all cooking, I feel that Superior Ingredients create a Superior Product.

What I do find is that I want my Barbecue Sauce to have a zing to it rather than having to add Tabasco to the mix for a little spice up. Here's a recipe that does the trick for me.

In a Saucepan Combine:

12 Fresh Cayenne Peppers, Chopped
2T Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Tomato Juice
2T Unsulphered Molasses
1T Lemon Juice
1 Vidalia Onion, Diced & Caramelized
1 Sweet Red Pepper, Diced
1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar
4 Cubes Sugar
1/2T Ground Black Pepper
1T Prepared Horseradish
10 Cloves Fresh Garlic, Chopped
Salt to Taste

Bring to a boil, then cut back the heat and let it all simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree in a food processor or blender. Run it all through a strainer or just use as is.

Another Post About Tomatoes

I can't help but put up another post about fresh tomatoes. They are the food of summer as far as I'm concerned. Recently, I started joining Maksim on snacking tours of the garden. They usually involve a little nibble of Rosemary, Oregano, Basil & dill, but the primary focus is the end of the garden sprawling with various Tomatoes. I have to admit that I have no clue what varieties they are with the exception of the Romas. Everything else is a mystery and overall I'm not sure that one is more favored than another.

And that brings me a point I have been tossing around in my head for a while... What really makes a difference in produce is that the vegetables are allowed to ripen on the vine and are picked and consumed in rapid succession. The great produce I buy comes from the local farmers markets and not the grocery store. I know that seems like a basic assumption, but many people think that making the effort to get up on a Saturday and go buy a big basket full of local produce is too much of a hassle when the Food Lion up the road has it out 24/7/365. Take the time. Do it right. Support your local Farmers.

Summer Tomato Salad

This is heaven for the summertime and continues with my trend of putting up recipes involving both Tomatoes & Basil. What can I say? I guess I'm an addict. This isn't a really technical recipe and measuring really is pointless here. This salad is a get back to basics exercise that takes virtually no time and leaves you thanking yourself for the effort.

First up grab a couple of nice, fresh garden tomatoes and cut them into wedges. Place them in a mixing bowl and toss in a handful of Chopped Basil, a Few Leaves of Fresh Oregano. Two or Three Tablespoons of Minced Vidalia Onion and a Dab of Minced Garlic. Gently spritz the whole thing with Champagne Vinegar & a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Mix it all together with a loving touch. Adjust Salt & Pepper to taste.

Now serve it over some Crisp, Fresh Greens. Get Crazy and Toss in a Little Fresh Mozzarella. Life is good. Summer is tasty!