Archive for the ‘Beef’ Category

Hot Tamale

Posted by Candace on Thursday, May 6th, 2010

I’ll always remember my first tamale, and the dicey looking man I bought it from. I was living in Houston when this questionable looking man shows up at the back door of the fine dining restaurant I worked at with a cooler of hot tamales. The entire kitchen staff (including the snooty executive chef) happily bought tamales from the tamale man. Now, call me weird, but I have a serious problem buying food from random people who pull up in a truck. You will never see me on the side of the road purchasing food.  I just don’t do that.  However, I love food and I was intrigued.  So I figured if the snooty Belgian Executive Chef bought one, it must be good, right?  So I was brave and bought one.  Luckily, I didn’t end up in the emergency room with food poisoning, instead I developed my love for the tamale.

I used a spicy pulled beef filling, but tamales are also delicious with chicken or even veggie filling.  Just make sure you have plenty of time, as the preparation is quite time consuming.
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Hot & Spicy!

Posted by Candace on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

Can you believe it is 2010?  When I was a kid, I thought we’d have flying cars and be wearing silver colored suits by 2010. I suppose we do have iPhones and cool things like that, although I’d like a flying car! We rang in the New Year with some new friends at their lovely home. These people knew how to throw a party!  The food was to die for and they had more alcohol than should have been legal.  But that’s not a bad thing.  One of the hosts, Bodo (from Germany) made an amazing goulash soup that I’ve been thinking about since.  Now that we are smack dab in a week long cold spell, I felt the need for something hot and spicy… and I also decided to make some soup too. HA! I keeeel me.

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Braised Beef Short Ribs

Posted by Candace on Thursday, January 8th, 2009

Another cool blast came through South Florida and I used the opportunity to make braised beef short ribs.  I often order short ribs when I see it on the menu at a good Italian Restaurant, but rarely make them at home.  I love that you can take such a tough inexpensive cut of meat and turn it into such a delicacy.

The smell in the house while these are cooking drove us and the dogs crazy.  I’m going to contact Yankee Candle and see if they will consider adding “Braised Beef Short Ribs” to their collection of scents.  While I’m at it, I think I’ll pitch a new bacon scent.  If Burger King is going to make a meat scented men’s cologne (Flame) then us GOOD food lovers need to band together and demand a more upscale meat fragrance.  Right?

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Disclaimer: Its a Stinker

Posted by Candace on Monday, June 16th, 2008

What’s not to love about a grilled piece of meat smothered in chimichurri? Well, the after effects, that’s what! This recipe is phenomenally good, but whooooo… you suffer from a severe case of “stinker” afterwards. It is important, nay IMPERATIVE your significant other eat as much chimichurri as you do. Otherwise… separate bedrooms tonight. One good thing… no worries about pesky vampires for at least a full day after ingestion.

OK, now that I’ve fully disclosed the side effects, I can say this is really really good. Its so fresh and tangy… just yummy. I served it with oven roasted sweet potatoes and a tomato salad. My uber-fancy sweet potato fry holder… an egg cup. I knew I would find another use for those things!
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Steak au Poivre

Posted by Candace on Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

I took some Filet Mignon out of the freezer yesterday, and was just planning on doing the usual… Which is having Stephan grill them and serve with mashed potatoes. I do this quite often… its easy, quick, and I have someone else to cook the meat. Then I started to feel fancy, and thought what makes a steak fancy? Why fancy-pants multi-colored peppercorns, of course! I just so happened to have some gorgeous peppercorns my mother in law gave me at Christmas. So I detoured at the last minute and decided upon Steak au Poivre. If you don’t like pepper, this is NOT the dish for you. However, if you love the flavor of freshly cracked peppercorns… which I do, this is it!

I served it with mashed potatoes and oven roasted brussel sprouts. Those of you who are wary of the brussel sprout, have clearly not had them oven roasted before. They are beautifully crisp on the outside and tender and sweet inside. Who woulda thought? There is, however, an unfortunate side effect to roasting brussel sprouts. That would be a VERY stinky house. I suggest you light many scented candles before starting the roasting process!
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