Chestnuts roasted on an open fire, in the oven, in the microwave, or steamed or boiled. Warm fresh chestnuts are soft, fleshy, sensuous, creamy, and sweet. They are best served nekkid with a glass of port or a mug of hot glögg and, on the bearskin rug, in front of the fireplace, with Nat King Cole in the background. For a sinful treat, dip them in melted butter and sprinkle a little salt on them.
Frico. If you love the crispy bits of cheese that stick to the griddle when you make grilled cheese sandwiches even better than the sandwiches, frico will become your favorite munchie.
3 Pimento Cheese Spreads. Pimento Cheese has many nicknames: PC, Carolina Caviar, Atlanta Paté, and Menta Cheese. In the South, particularly the Carolinas and Georgia, you cannot have a church social, family picnic, card game, wedding, or any social gathering without Pimento Cheese sandwiches. Traditionally it is spread on white bread and that's all. But it is also great on toast points, sliced French bread, and even garlic bread. Make grilled cheese sammies with it all by itself or add lettuce, tomato, and/or fresh basil. Use it to stuff cherry tomatoes as a snack, or a whole tomato as an appetizer. Stuff celery with it. Dip carrots into it. Add it to grits, omelets, or scrambled eggs. Slather it on top of chili dogs or on burgers instead of sliced cheese (oh my!).
Home-made Boursin Cheese Spread. If you haven't tasted Boursin (TM), you're missing something. It is a spreadable cow's milk cream cheese flavored with garlic, black pepper, and herbs. It's great as a spread on a crusty baguette or on crackers or stuffed into jalapeño poppers. It is also wonderful as a sauce dolloped on a hot steak, asparagus, or in with mashed potatoes. It is fairly easy to make something similar to real Boursin at home for a fraction of the cost.
One-Eyed jalapeño Poppers. These are great appetizers. While restaurant jalapeño poppers are usually breaded and fried, the grilled version are much more flavorful. And you can remove most of the heat to accomodate wimps if you wish.
Grilled Pizzas. Grilled pizza comes closer to brick oven pizza like you get in Rome or Naples than anything you can do indoors and it beats the snot out of the stuff that arrives steamed and soggy in the cardboard box. Here's one of my faves.
Caramelized Onion Pizza. Grilled pizza comes closer to brick oven pizza like you get in Rome or Naples than anything you can do indoors and it beats the snot out of the stuff that arrives steamed and soggy in the cardboard box. This simple recipe works great with caramelized onions.
Sweet Sour Pickle Chips. This quick and simple recipe makes sweet and sour pickle slices for sandwiches perfect for mounding on hamburgers, deli sandwiches, pulled pork sandwiches, or even straight as a side or snack. You don't need to Pasteurize or heat treat these pickles, and you don't need much time.
Classic Kosher Dill Pickles. Just like they serve at the kosher delis, you can make them in your fridge, and they're ready in 48 hours. No fermenting. I use the recipe for leftover green tomatoes, and I can use the brine over and over.
...more to come (to be notified when new recipes and other articles come online, be sure to subscribe to my free, spam free, email newsletter).
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GrillGrates are the best new product I have tested in years and the best thing to happen to beef since salt and pepper. The base superheats, eliminates hot spots, smokes, and blocks flareups. This is the concept behind the expensive new infrared grills. Click here for more about GrillGrates.
The Smokenator:
A Necessity For Weber Kettles
If you have a Weber Kettle, you need the amazing Smokenator and Hovergrill. The Smokenator turns your grill into a first class smoker, and the Hovergrill can add capacity or be used to create steakhouse steaks. Click here to read more.
ThermoWorks Pocket Thermometer - No More Guessing
A good thermometer is why I never serve overcooked or undercooked food. No more guesswork. This one has a very thin tip with a tiny thermocouple so it gives an accurate reading in just six seconds. I cannot recommend it more highly. It will improve your cooking overnight. And it is inexpensive. Click here for more about thermometers.
This link takes you to Amazon.com and tags anything you buy with my affiliate code so I get a small referral fee. It works on anything from grills to diapers and it has zero impact on the price you pay. Low prices, fast delivery (often free), good refund policies, and often there is no sales tax, are the best reasons to buy from Amazon.com, but clicking on that link before you shop helps me devote more time and money to you. Thanks!
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