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Pecan-smoked Salmon on the Halfshell

Not to be confused with traditional smoked salmon. This is more like BBQ. Necessity being the mother of invention, it’s only fitting that this mother of invention happened on Mother’s Day. We had a lot of moms over and we needed to love on them. I know my wife (an amazing mother to our 6 year old), and I know my mom (both of whom were in attendance), and they love seafood – especially salmon. But with 12 adults total, pan-searing or grilling individual fillets would be way too much work (not to mention maddening as dishes would be plated 2 at-a-time over...
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Habits of Highly-Effective “Deal W...

Preface: This is just the beginning of an ongoing series of habits. Highly-effective habits, if you will, that any “Deal With This” kitchen should strive to embrace. Habits are what make these techniques and skills become more automatic. When that happens, you’re thinking about what new food awesomeness might be possible, instead of thinking, crap – I’m bored, stuck and not feeling good about eating another frozen pizza (oh sure – those Totino’s cheap party pizzas can get addicting for a buck a pop… but so can gas station...
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Savory Rice-“oh-toe” with Pi...

Not to be confused with risotto. This uses more standard rice grains (personally I use jasmine rice – almost always). Don’t get me wrong – risotto rocks! It’s just that I may not want something so heavy, so often. Or I may not have time to mind the stove for a good half hour. This rice is somewhere in between the standard white rice and risotto. It’s also another one of those “techniques” that will hopefully spark some creativity and resourcefulness when you find yourself bored with your side dish selection. Make a ton of this...
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Supper Chronicles: 001 | My wife says bé...

So some of you may know that I have recently been released from a 13-day  stay in the hospital, due to not one but two surgeries in my belly region. And 11 of those days I had the pleasure of chowing down on absolutely nothing save the IV fluid being pumped directly into my blood system. Yes – torture for a food-obsessed creature, I know. My only tasting pleasure came from swishing water and spitting it back out (that’s right – 11 days getting the pleasure of merely tasting cold water). Well, enough of that. The ol’ digestive tract made a full...
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You Can Always Béchamel It!

Just a couple evenings ago I was enjoying a long-awaited IPA (first beer after 2 weeks in the hospital and a week of recovery… long story…) with a good friend of mine and he said he was stuck on a food problem a week prior and sheepishly admitted that he was selfishly bummed that he couldn’t call me for some quick inspiration. He just wanted to do something with asparagus that would kick the meal up beyond the expected. His dilemma was pretty simple – and typical of what many of us run into quite frequently. Taking something beyond the expected....
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Grilled Corn Pudding

This is one of the recipes I get asked for the most. If you’re barbecuing (and by that, I mean low and slow smoking – not grilling), this side dish is a must. This one is decadent. You might actually forget about dessert. I was actually inspired but the creamed corn at Rudy’s BBQ. As I tasted the “cream” part by itself, I realized they basically made a vanilla custard and just threw corn in the mix. My version gets a little more complex by grilling the corn and adding some herbs to the party. Get the freshest corn you can find. Not only will...
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Rosemary Risotto with Manchego, Dried Ch...

Alright friends – this is the very first post on my very first blog! I thought we would kick off “Deal With This” with a recipe I worte for a Pakistani Magazine called Andaaz. Enjoy! A comfort food with roots in Italy, Risotto also has many derivatives in other cultures (couscous and paella come to mind). Definitely not for the Atkins proponents, this dish serves up a starchy creamy medley of flavors and textures that can easily be enjoyed by itself. But if you choose to add meat to the plate, I recommend a simple grilled preparation (anything lamb or...