Cherry Tomato, Goat Cheese, and Cucumber Salad
I really dig this salad - a nice, fresh salad that seems like the perfect summer treat, even when you eat it in winter. It's easy to prepare, pretty to look at, and completely delicious. Works perfectly as a side, although if you wanted to stretch it for a light meal, you could easily do so.
Curry Chicken Salad
Sometimes when I’m cooking for myself, I’m faced with the dilemma of what to do with an extra chicken breast or two. Occasionally, instead of doing the old freeze-and-forget, I whip up some chicken salad. I recently made some curry chicken salad, turning boring leftovers into a few tasty lunches. It’s like magic!
Pumpkin Pie With Cinnamon Crunch
I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Chris, pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving food. Only some kind of crazy person would want to eat pumpkin pie during a month that wasn't November." Well I'm here to say that if non-Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is wrong, I don't want to be right. And also, the internet lasts forever, so you can always come back here when November rolls around.
I haven't always been a big pumpkin pie fan, but this one really strikes my fancy. With a graham cracker crust and a tasty, crunchy topping, this recipe turns what I generally think of as a dessert with a boring texture into an action packed treat.
Garlic Shrimp With Tomatoes and Basil
Oh man. I like a lot of the things that I cook, and I proudly report that on this here website. But this one might take the cake thus far - these shrimp are fantastic. Basil and red pepper flakes add the spice, tomatoes add some juicy pop, and the shrimp completely shine.
Not too get too poetic, but is there anything more beautiful than a shrimp slowly turning pink as it cooks? A raw, slimy, gray shrimp is gross and unappetizing. A couple minutes in a stovetop pan transforms it into one of the tastiest things in the world. It's completely magical.
This dish is delicious as a side, but you could put it over rice or orzo to make it into a full meal. It's easy and quick, and completely awesome.
Chocolate Infused Vodka
I'm not a huge vodka guy. I've never really liked the taste that much, and I would much rather have a G&T or a beer than a vodka drink any day of the week. With the exception of a bloody mary, I'll steer clear of vodka, thankyouverymuch. At least, until I met chocolate vodka. Get this: chocolate vodka is vodka that tastes mostly like chocolate. Talk about making lemonade out of lemons. Or, in this case, making chocolate vodka out of vodka.
The process is delicate, although not difficult. You'll need a double-boiler or some sort of jury-rigged double boiler to pull it off (a pyrex bowl in a big pot of water works). Since we're dealing with alcohol and open flames here, be careful.
Coffee Rubbed Steak
I've written before about how a good steak can be a remarkably inexpensive meal, given the right preparation. Recently, I stumbled upon a secret ingredient that really kicke my steak up to the next level. That ingredient, as intrepid title-readers may have already learned, is coffee.
If you're anything like the guy who asked me in the supermarket how I was going to prepare my steak (weird), you are probably wondering if I've misspoken. That is a ridiculous thing to wonder, given the fact that I am taking the time to type this out. I wrote coffee and I meant coffee. Coffee Rubbed Steak is delicious.
Beer and Foaming in NYC: Alternatives to the Common Double IPA
When riding the subway home from work, I descend at 33rd St. and walk all the way to the far end of the platform, because there are always more open seats at that end of the train and when I disembark I'm in the part of my local station that puts me the fewest footsteps from home. This night begins like any other. I step onto a mostly empty subway car and sit down. I seat myself on a bench of 6 seats, as diagrammed below:
Legend
C = me
$ = empty seat
E, F, and G = random passenger
#### = A new friend, whom I shall call Ignatius (Ha ha! '#', get it? No? Read on, friend!)
[$ $ C $ $ $]
A few more people board the train, and it departs:
[E F C $ $ G]
As the train is pulling out of the station, the door connecting my car to the one trailing it is hurled open with a loud crash, and Ignatius delicately stuffs himself through it.