The Loco Omelet?

After mentioning the idea of adding a little popcorn to an omelet, my wife gave me a look that said I had indeed crossed that culinary line. Still, I moved ahead with my crazy idea and the end result was good. While I still prefer the Monster Omelet recipe, this is worth a try.

The first suggestion, though, is to add about a teaspoon of chili pepper to the eggs before whisking eighty-times with the cut pieces of butter. After following the previous omelet recipe tips from my blog, get ready to "mix-it-up" when it comes to the fillings. Here's what I recommend.

blend of grated cheeses

sour cream

tablespoon or two of hot roasted peppers

cilantro

diced green onions

popcorn?!

Don't add the popcorn until just before the omelet is folded over in the pan. I actually chopped the popcorn slightly, and I didn't use more than half a cup. It adds an interesting flavor and texture dimension to the ordinary omelet. One could say that it infuses a nutty flavor into the omelet--nice once in a while, but probably not every week! Enjoy with a good cup of coffee, or, if you're brave, sprinkle it with some popcorn (the omelet--not the coffee).

Texas Style Barbecue Ribs

Back on September 25th, I told the frightening tale of a visit to awful rib joint. Today, I make good on my promise to share how it's really done! The one regret for today's culinary excursion is that I selected boneless "country" ribs that were on special at Fred Meyer. While they were very good, they weren't quite as flavorful as traditional spareribs.

It's not complicated to make great ribs, but it does take some time. The first step to this recipe is to boil the ribs in a pot of water for about half an hour. Then, take the steaming ribs out and lay inside a sheet or two of aluminum foil. Smother the ribs with good barbecue sauce--like KC Masterpiece. Wrap the ribs within aluminum foil, sealing in the moisture. Next, place this aluminum envelope of wonderful rib goodness on top of (previously lit) charcoal grill. If you have wood chips soaking in water, don't forget to add them for more aromatic smoke flavor.

It's not usually necessary to turn the aluminum foil package over, but you may need to adjust its location on the grill to ensure even heat distribution. After about forty-five minutes, take the meat out and place directly on the grill. Keep on the direct heat until its nicely browned.

That is pretty much the long and short of great rib preparation. It takes a while, but the end result is tender, moist, and flavorful ribs. Serve with salad and rolls--and plenty of napkins!

Best Coffee Cake Recipe Ever!

I prepared this for a family breakfast this morning, and we were all quite impressed. While not the simplest recipe, the family consensus is that this is probably the best coffee cake we've ever tasted. It's not only moist and delicious, but the aroma filling the house while it was baking was like Christmas and Thanksgiving all rolled into one. If you take a look first at the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for her Sour Cream Coffee Cake, then I'll explain the adjustments I used successfully today.

First, we didn't have any sour cream handy, so instead I replaced about half its volume with Greek yogurt. I also added about two tablespoons of "sourdough sponge," which works well in place of sour cream in many baking recipes. The instructions call for blending the sugar and butter for quite a while, but I only did it for two or three minutes--mostly by hand.

The only regrets... We were completely out of vanilla this morning, and I forgot to use the pecans we had in the freezer for the streusel. This might be a recipe to prepare the night before, if you want to actually eat it before you have to leave the house. In our case, it didn't work for breakfast, but it made for a lovely brunch.

A Quick Review of Trader Joe's Harvest Grains Israeli Style Couscous

We recently had a chance to visit Trader Joe's in Corvalis, which is about half an hour south of us. (We're looking forward to getting our own Trader Joe's in south Salem early next year.) One of the items we decided to give a try was the Harvest Grains Israeli Couscous. The packaging describes it as a "savory blend of Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa." Unfortunately, my cooking technique was a little more along the lines of tabouli. Depending on the family member you might choose to question, my cooking was splendid success or, according to my son, it was time to go to Olive Garden again.

First, I prepared the whole package of couscous in two cans of chicken broth, and added shrimp, red pepper, and (some of the last) colorful tomatoes from our garden. We also added a about 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil, as well as fresh and chopped basil and mint. If I were making it again, I'd probably not add the tomatoes. I think I'd also use this as a side and not as a main course.

While it was an interesting creation, it definitely was not a family favorite. Using it as a side and leaving out the tomatoes, though, would probably give this wider family appeal. In short, give it a try next time you're looking for something new!

I also wanted to make a mention of a second Trader Joe's product we had a chance to try. This was a clear balsamic vinegar. What an interesting product--and all around cool idea! I had never even heard of clear balsamic vinegar before, but we all found this product to taste just like regular balsamic vinegar. There seemed to me to be a slightly different "texture" than traditional balsamic vinegar, and it may have been less smooth on the tongue. That said, this might also have been an entirely subjective impression.

Using this vinegar, I noticed that it was a little difficult to tell how much was on one's food. When one is dipping bread in traditional dark balsamic vinegar and olive oil, for instance, one can easily see how much is on the bread. It's harder to tell with the clear balsamic vinegar. It's kind of a guessing game to ensure that you're using the right amount. For this reason, I think I prefer the traditional dark balsamic vinegar. However, I can definitely see some situations--e.g. salads--where the clear could be a perfect fit.

Do Oregonians Understand Barbecue?

So, the question raised by tonight's little visit to Adam's Ribs Smokehouse in downtown Salem (across from Willamette University), is...er...do Oregonians understand ribs at all? Pork ribs should be moist and melt in your mouth delicious. Except for a visit to a Tony Romas which has since unfortunately closed in Salem, I can't recall ever eating really great barbecue in Oregon--unless we make it.

Okay...maybe Buster's Texas Style Barbecue in Portland gets the concept--but apparently no one else! (When Buster's tried to open a restaurant in Salem, they could never seem to duplicate the Portland quality, and they finally closed. I think they must have kept the meat sitting around too long...waiting.)

Tonight's meal, for instance, was so bad that you couldn't even separate the ribs without a knife and a lot of effort. They were hard and dry, resembling door stops more than a barbecue dinner. The barbecued chicken, likewise, was hard and relatively dry and tasteless. Even our table was filthy.

Two thumbs down for Adam's Ribs of Salem, Oregon. Sometime before too long, we'll share how real Texan ribs are prepared. My wife happens to make the best around!

Do you want to try REAL barbecue? Stop by Spring Creek Barbecue in Texas. Now, that's barbecue...

Jambalaya and the Fixin's--& Chocolate?

Here's something new for my fellow northern readers to try: jambalaya. This southern recipe was found on Cooks.com, and it's simply named Joe's Jambalaya . This is basically a hearty stew made of sausage and seafood. It can contain multiple kinds of seafood, but we just used shrimp. (When I had this in a Cajun restaurant, I think it contained some critters I could probably have done without eating.) It really hits the spot on cool northwestern days. Have ample supplies of hot sauce handy!

The main change we made was to add okra and use jasmine rice. While the jasmine rice is great, it does require more liquid. We served this jambalaya with a side of fresh corn bread.

By the way, here's a great dessert treat: Sipping Dreams Drinking Chocolate . We tried this product from Whole Foods for the first time this evening. It is perhaps the best hot chocolate I've had in years, very rich with strong cocoa flavor and hints of vanilla. Keep in mind that one bar of the chocolate only makes a cup of the drink when added to milk--so buy enough for everyone!

Oregon Coast Clam Chowder

If there's one dish I enjoy, it's a good bowl of clam chowder. We've sampled clam chowder in fine restaurants from Victoria to Monteray, and I really can honestly say that our recipe is hard to beat. That said, my recipe owes a debt of gratitude to my own family. In fact, perhaps I should call it Eastern Washington Clam Chowder? No, I guess not.

Besides never scalding the milk, the central thing to keep in mind for this recipe is to keep experimenting and perfecting it. That's one aspect I enjoy--that each batch is slightly different than before. I usually add a one or two of a rotating list of seafood together with the clams: shrimp, crab, scallops, smoked salmon, etc. (Freshly caught seafood is particularly good, but make sure you have selected the right kind of clams if you've dug them yourself. Sadly...the Ericksons are not the best clam diggers.)

I also recommend making it correctly the first couple times before trying to concoct a healthy version. After all, this isn't a side dish, it's the meal. We almost never use real cream, for instance, but it does greatly improve the texture and flavor.

Ingredients

almost five pounds of cut and peeled potatoes

4-6 small cans of clams or 1 of the large can

half a stick of butter

2 diced onions

about a quart of whipping creme

1-2 cups of 1% or 2%

*have available instant mashed potatoes

Seasoning (to taste)

salt

cracked pepper

dried parsley

basil (fresh preferred)

oregano

Be creative!

At the same time your boiling the potatoes, begin to saute the cut onions in a skillet with some butter. Once the potatoes are sufficiently tender, remove from the heat. Cook the onions until they begin to become translucent. If the potatoes are too big, cut to smaller pieces. (You can cut them within the pot and save time.) Carefully, pour out a little more than half of the potato water. Add sautéed onions to potatoes, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Don't add the milk or whipping creme yet!

Once everything has come to a gentle boil, add the milk and whipping creme last. Keep stirring and lower the heat. This prevents the milk from scalding. If the consistency is not right, slowly stir in instant mashed potatoes. Keep in mind, however, that using too much can really ruin the chowder--especially for the next night.

Everyone (except me) in my household likes ice cold peas dropped on top of the chowder to help cool it down at serving time. I still believe that this is a great affront to the chowder gods. Consequently, you will not see peas in my chowder--unless, of course, my wife Kimberly has prepared it. :)

Suggested toppings: crumbled pepper bacon or oyster crackers.

Variations: try cooking the potatoes in half water / half homemade chicken broth.