tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059575330181428962012-02-16T09:08:31.556-05:00Gourmet food for folks who don't want to spend all night in the kitchen. Easy, good recipes. Wine pairings. Victories and defeats.Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-5745561344301833442011-08-20T16:29:00.001-04:002011-08-20T16:29:12.698-04:00

OK, simplicity itself. Homemade thin-crust pizza is simply wonderful. Go to Kroger (or other supermarket of your choice). Get a packet of dry pizza dough. This will cost you about six bits. Get a pizza crisping pan. This is one of those round pizza pans with all the holes in it. $15 will get you one that will last forever. Follow the instructions on making the pizza dough. Let it rise.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-86483641083991531582011-08-08T11:45:00.000-04:002011-08-08T11:45:01.013-04:00

As the heat continues to blister us here around the neighborhood, light & fresh meals are the order of the day. If you’ve followed us here, you know that I love to do foil pack meals on the grill. Only problem – when it’s seven skadillion degrees out and the air feels like reclining on a damp sponge, even grilling can be a chore. We took it easy. The Sweet Partner in Crime put together this

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-56695227577349371472011-07-31T15:05:00.001-04:002011-07-31T15:05:11.814-04:00

Tuna salad’s a summery dish, no? This was originally a Martha Stewart recipe for a sandwich filling, but we changed a few things up, made it a lot healthier (and tastier, in my opinion!) and turned it into a meal. You could use it for sandwiches, but I think just serving it with good bread on the side is more workable: 1 lb. fresh tuna steaks 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 c. sherry 1

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-83463081832767373072011-07-25T08:44:00.000-04:002011-07-25T08:44:00.191-04:00

Another way I’ve been using basil lately is simply to substitute it for other herbs. In recipes like this one, the zing of the basil works well with the yummy roasted & earthy flavors. This started as an Epicurious recipe: 1 1/2 pound eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 bunch chopped scallions 1 tablespoon

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-22426808271406040322011-07-23T11:39:00.001-04:002011-07-23T11:43:37.110-04:00

Zzzz....zzzzz....zzzsnorg....huh? Where were we? Ah, yes. Weekend. Sleeping in. Taking it easy. A bit too late for breakfast, so we’ll slide right into a throw-together brunch. With more basil, of course. Take a couple of good Everything bagels, split them, and toast them. (You can use other types of bagels if you wish.) On top of each bagel half, put a few slices of thin-sliced deli Angus

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-73922234408215274772011-07-18T09:28:00.001-04:002011-07-18T10:06:28.491-04:00

A recent trip to Lexington to spend some quality dude time with my friend The Chad yielded a deliciously unexpected result. The Chad and his lovely wife participate in a Community Sponsored Agriculture program. If you’re unfamiliar, a CSA is a program in which you buy a “share” of the output of a local farm. Each week or two, members pick up a variety of fresh veggies. Like the proverbial Gump

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-54664965698681669822011-07-16T12:01:00.001-04:002011-07-18T11:08:00.273-04:00

Hello all... Yes, yes, it’s been next to forever since I’ve updated The Man Who Cooks. Lots of life events, transitions, and just plain laziness stood in the way. I thought about letting this little domain lapse into the ether, but thanks to a flash of inspiration around Vine Headquarters, I thought I’d get back in the ring and take another swing. What’s the inspiration? A big-ass patch of

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-65516652350378674642011-02-05T14:42:00.001-05:002011-02-05T14:43:15.300-05:00

Technorati Tags: food,recipes,wine Sick of winter? Yeah, me too. Soup and stew season, for sure. The cold also lends itself to cravings for heavy, meaty food – and I was in the mood to make something a little healthier. This pair of vegetarian dishes were absolutely splendid side by side. The cauliflower recipe originally called for golden raisins, but I thought the cranberries gave a much

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-60227392583108435062011-01-17T13:23:00.001-05:002011-01-17T13:26:14.147-05:00

So, something to do with your newly smashed up coconut? Well, you might consider something along these lines: SHRIMP MASALA 4-5 cloves garlic 1 2” piece of ginger, chopped 1/3 c. of your just drained coconut milk 2 bags frozen large shrimp, thawed, peeled, deveined 1 (16 oz) bag frozen sliced okra, thawed vegetable oil shallot, chopped 1 serrano pepper, chopped 1

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-1507917300410456132011-01-16T19:59:00.001-05:002011-01-17T15:59:04.616-05:00

Ever seen a coconut at the store and thought, “You know, it’s just too much trouble. I have no idea how to even get into one of those things. How do you open a coconut?” Well, never fear. Got you covered. We received a coconut as a gift as the result of a recent Caribbean-themed dinner party and decided to make use of it, so here’s how we were able to get into this brown, furry potential weapon

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-80565660295996592232010-09-19T22:07:00.001-04:002010-09-19T22:07:27.902-04:00

So, it’s the end of the season. You’ve still got tomatoes, peppers, and boatloads of basil. You’re tired of making salsa. You’ve got enough pesto. What to do? As little as possible. That’s what: 1/2 c. salt 1/3 c. sugar 2 cloves minced garlic 2 c. water boneless, skinless chicken breasts a tomato or two, diced a green pepper or two, diced pine nuts basil

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-7246429183121692312010-08-29T20:30:00.001-04:002010-08-29T20:33:09.586-04:00

  So I got accused by my friend Denise of dogging it with the recipes over the last few weeks. I’ll plead guilty. Been a lot going on around here. Also, many of the recipes I’ve been doing lately have been something to the effect of: “throw meat of some type on grill; serve next to fresh vegetables and maybe something starchy.” Not a lot of source material there. But since it is fresh

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-54722479332416347892010-08-04T22:36:00.001-04:002010-08-04T22:36:23.740-04:00

(cross-posted at The Naked Vine) “I don’t think this is the second floor.” The Sweet Partner in Crime and I were wandering the halls of a Cincinnati State classroom building, looking for The Summit – the restaurant that’s the centerpiece of the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State where we were going to meet our friends Mike and Shelley. Music and the laughter of students having some

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-27996748928311396092010-07-25T11:35:00.001-04:002010-07-25T14:35:47.381-04:00

(Well, it's as close as I could come. "Ask the Dust" is nowhere to be found...) Since I may have managed to properly queasify most of the members of the audience who don’t much care for the dismemberment of furry woodland creatures, here’s something that’s a little less farm-to-table, although I guess it wouldn’t have to be for the most part. Cauliflower is one of those vegetables I had to

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-46705827044039859572010-07-18T23:14:00.001-04:002010-07-25T13:55:00.708-04:00

I’ll start this with a disclaimer. If you think that the following picture is absolutely the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen, skip this entry… Seriously. Consider yourself warned. This is also not a quick recipe. But it’s too interesting not to share. Anyway, I work with some very interesting folks. One of these people is Kelli. She and her husband decided somewhere along the way

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-56194147048620482462010-07-05T20:28:00.001-04:002010-07-25T13:52:35.212-04:00

  OK, folks – this is going to be easy and quick, because that’s what we needed here. Rapid, healthy, fiber-filled calories for our enjoyment. It’s the end of the holiday weekend and we’re feeling a little bit uninspired. But tapas popped to mind, since it’s one of our favorite things. For those of you unfamiliar with tapas, it’s the Spanish’s greatest contribution of culinary common sense.

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-38806354860465522182010-06-27T20:19:00.001-04:002010-07-25T13:59:32.830-04:00

“Man, it's hot. It's like Africa hot. Tarzan couldn't take this kind of hot.” – Eugene Morris Jerome, Biloxi Blues I don’t know about you, but the heat just takes it out of me. This weekend, heat indices were up around 100, and the last thing I felt like doing was spending a lot of time in the kitchen over a hot stuff, much less standing in front of my usual flaming implement of

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-2185085524053959792010-06-21T21:24:00.001-04:002010-07-25T14:02:44.711-04:00

The Sweet Partner in Crime loves her some eggplant parmesan. I’m reasonably sure that it’s her favorite thing I make, especially on celebratory occasions. One such occasion – the SPinC’s birthday -- we celebrated last weekend. For dinner, my tried and true entrée took center stage. Now this one’s a little more involved than some of the other recipes – so you should probably keep this in your

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-86895382922105193392010-06-16T22:36:00.001-04:002010-07-25T14:03:56.133-04:00

Carbs are your friend. They’re especially friendly when you’re doing a new fitness routine. After a conversation with a colleague of hers, the Sweet Partner in Crime decided that she wanted to try doing P90X – a home workout routine that many of you have probably have heard of at some point. Of course, I couldn’t let her go through that alone… So we’ve started in on this fairly torturous

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-45066762432728959242010-06-08T21:01:00.001-04:002010-07-25T14:06:44.888-04:00

Here…something very quick and impossibly tasty. Corn’s coming into season, so the fresh stuff is easy to lay your hands on. Also, this recipe is fish-related, and you might as well enjoy the critters while it’s possible. Thanks, BP & Haliburton… Anyway… 2 bell peppers of different colors, diced 2 cups corn kernels (cut off about 4 ears fresh) 2 tbsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. dried

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-69763007557804181312010-05-31T20:01:00.001-04:002010-05-31T20:01:52.387-04:00

I love me some eggplant. I have a hard time pinpointing exactly when I fell in love with those tasty purple critters, but I’ll use just about any excuse to cook with them now. One my the recipes that the Sweet Partner in Crime requests for special occasions is my Eggplant Parmesan, which I make from scratch. Yummy. Today, though, we’ve got a more Middle Eastern take. This recipe takes a little

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-12817918179849088912010-05-25T22:24:00.004-04:002010-07-25T14:07:48.156-04:00

Cleaning out the pantry -- an iffy prospect. I never know what I’ll stumble across while I reach for the back wall. It can be sort of exciting in a way. It’s a culinary archeological dig. I’ll run into spices that I bought not realizing that I still had a supply (“What? Another bottle of fennel seed? More red curry paste?”), food-related gifts (“Dehydrated bean soup? Who gave me

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-7387948472545965662010-05-16T18:23:00.001-04:002010-07-25T14:09:45.169-04:00

Ever tried to make dinner when you’re…shall we say…not completely there? I mean, who’d be silly enough to work around in the kitchen after that third happy hour martini or after a Lazy Sunday Afternoon with no mind to worry.* Certainly not me, of course. For the sake of argument, though, let’s imagine that we’re faced with this situation. Pop quiz, hotshot…what do you do? The best way to deal

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-62300279946523178572010-05-10T22:14:00.004-04:002010-07-25T14:10:36.651-04:00

If there's a particular recipe site you like, get on the mailing list. Seriously – do it. Make a folder and route the mail there so you can go over it at your leisure. Chances are, you’ll delete about 95% of what you get – but every once in awhile, something comes over the transom that’s worth keeping. I’ve made no secret of my admiration for Giuliano Hazan. I think his cookbooks are

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-105957533018142896.post-82095482544787783892010-05-03T23:03:00.002-04:002010-07-25T14:11:38.367-04:00

I mention “victories and defeats” in the Man Who Cooks intro. I should have probably used a weaker word than “defeat,” since when something starts to go awry, I need to be able to call an audible. I was planning to do a “cobble together stuff from around the pantry” sort of entry. I’d had a curry jones for a little while, and I thought tonight I’d get my fix. This is a curry I put together

Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11196146440395316085noreply@blogger.com0