Summer BBQ's & Grilling

It would be sacrilege to pass through summer without making it to at least one BBQ. Of course any long weekend is excuse enough to throw one. Grilling meat over an open flame has always been a pastime dating back to our primal ancestors, Mr. Caveman. After urging my dad to fire up his behemoth shiny stainless steel gas grill, which has sorely been underused over the past few years, just take a look at these perfectly seared chicken wings - the texture of the skin is exquiste, crispy, rich in tone, and doneness, complete with the requiste grill marks. The interior flesh, most importantly, cooked through, succulent, moist, and abundantly bursting with flavors of a garlicky soy marinade.
Not to be outdone, these Bone-In Rib Eye Steaks were amazingly tender, with a signature pinkness in the middle, done medium rare, left to continue to cook in it's own copious jus. This is the ultimate steak for grilling - juicy, and well-marbled. Remember, fat is your friend when it comes to great grilling!

Appetizing Appetizers

Always a crowd pleaser at any brunch or dinner party, you cannot go wrong with Spicy Crabcakes and a Chipotle Mayo dip. Here, it was garnished with oven roasted asparagus as a first dish. Crispy yet delicate panko encrusted, double sided, pan-seared, lump crab meat melded with minced jalepenos offering a nice hot kick to tingle the tongue and senses. Anyone up for seconds?

Just out of the oven

You simply can't beat a hot, fresh Cholocate Chunk Walnut Banana Loaf direct from the oven. As an added bonus, your house will maintain an aroma worth salivating over for the next few hours. Baked to perfection, the natural unmistakable sweetness emanates from the over ripened mashed fruit as you slice into the semi-moist steaming center. The chunks and nuts dispersed throughout and atop offer a beautiful, substantive, chewier texture to balance it out.

The familiar and the unfamiliar

The joys of experimentation in the kitchen (when things turn out well!) Taking something common and recognizable and fusing it with ingredients underused in everyday cooking and voila!, we have a savory Dill and Fava Bean Risotto. This starchy dish has a nice buttery texture, and its nutty, grassy aromatic flavors meld into the creaminess and richness of the risotto, impregnated with a chicken stock made from scratch, adds depth and multiple layers of taste. We simply top it off with a shot of parmigiano-reggiano on top. Bon appetit!

Hot, fresh baked goods

Ahhh, the anticipation of delicious, sugary sweetness rising in the oven. This night, there is a homemade Strawberry cake. Hot, steamy, irresistible. Plump on the outside, velvety goodness on the inside.

Ain't nothing like homemade cooking

Dining in...Success on my first try at Grilled Skirt Steak w/Chimichurri Sauce and Sauteed Brandy Mushrooms


Perfectly seared, done medium-rare, mouth-wateringly juicy and as tender as it looks. This definitely holds it's own against any Argentinian steak house versions I've had.