Would you eat baby food?

I would, because I just did. And I'm not talking about the super healthy homemade stuff I used to churn out. I'm talking about Gerber, in a jar, baby food. Before you call 911 on me, THIS IS NOT ABOUT A DIET. Here's the story...



On vacation we ate at a restaurant called Savannah Chop House. It was sick and wrong in a good way. Guinness Braised Short Ribs, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes, little shots of Lobster Bisque, etc, etc. And then dessert. Carrot cake so moist you almost felt like sleeping on a bed of it. The chef came over to our table and I asked him what sort of crack he put in the cake and HE said, "2 jars of carrot baby food." And I said, "come again??" And he said, "2 jars of carrot baby food." It is a Paula Dean recipe, and it actually calls for, yes, 2 jars of carrot baby food.



I found the recipe online, here. She named it after a real life baby, go figure.



So, would you or wouldn't you?? If you were a chef, would you have offered up that information? Don't get me wrong, I kept eating and the cake was delicious.



(Also, don't get me wrong, I wanted to throw up a teeny tiny bit at the same time.)

Grilled Salmon with Dill Butter

Remember how I'm best friends with famous chefs? No, I'm not talking about Gwyneth and yes, I know she's not a chef. But if she hears me call her one maybe she'll like me more. (Scary Siri.) I'm talking about my other best friend, Adam Perry Lang. Made a meal from his cookbook this weekend and it was fantastic. You must try it. The best news is, it's completely versatile. Try it with sea bass or flounder. Try it in the oven instead of on the grill. You'll love it, and then you'll love me and everyone in the world will become best friends.

Here's what you do. Take a cedar plank and soak it for awhile, then lightly brush it with vegetable oil. Place your fish filets, skin side down, on the plank. Season with salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes.


Take a half a stick of softened butter and put it in a bowl with one clove of minced garlic, the juice and zest of half a lemon, one tablespoon of chopped dill, and a teaspoon of grated shallot or white onion. Stir.


Once incorporated, spread on the fish.


Heat your grill to medium, place plank on grill and cover. Grill for 7 minutes.


Remove cover. Sprinkle with paprika and some olive oil, to keep it moist. Grill for another 5-7 minutes uncovered, until fish is flaky and cooked.


Serve with lemon wedges.

Scrabble Cooking

Lookie here! My two great loves got together and made a baby. Precious.

Perfect Potstickers

At least according to Alton Brown. I don't know if I'd call them perfect, they were missing some heat like wasabi or Sriracha. But they were tasty and very simple to make. Just don't underestimate how long they need to cook. NOT long. I overcooked the pork slightly. Sigh, not perfect.

Soft Pretzels

Remember when I asked y'all what I should bake this summer? Well, you had great ideas, and I listened to almost none of them. (But I will try croissants someday soon, I promise you.) Instead I went with soft pretzels. A childhood favorite of mine, especially the smoky, salty kind that you find at any street corner in New York (I don't care if the venders pee in the water, I love them). They were fun to make and didn't take all day like bagels do. However, I was rushing to get them to an event and let the baking soda boil for too long in the water. The result gave the bagels a baking soda-y after taste. Balls. You should never rush through baking, dammit.

I found the recipe here. I think you have to join the site in order to view it though. I know, balls. It would be nice though, to get money for your web site. WAIT. STOP READING. Send me some money first. Alright, now you can continue.

dough...


punched dough...


forming...


formed...


boiling...


sprinkled with salt...


baked, proud mama...

Sirious Sips with Brother Dylan: The Old Fashioned Cocktail

I hope everyone got to try the Eastside Cocktail that I made last week. Gin is one of my favorite spirits to make cocktails with because it's a complex spirit; depending on what you mix it with, different subtleties appear. But before I make more cocktails with gin, I want to talk about my other favorite spirit, and that is Rye.



Everybody say it with me… RRRYYYEEE!



I recently went to Rye House after work, and had one of the best Sazeracs I've ever tasted. But I'm not gonna make that for you today. That was mean, wasn't it? I'm sorry. To be honest, I actually had that AFTER I took all the pictures for this blog. So, maybe I'll go back, dissect the ingredients, and make it for you next week. At least, what I'm making for you today is similar to a Sazerac; it's my version of the Old Fashioned Cocktail.



The Old Fashioned Cocktail

Printable Recipe



1 Sugar Cube or 1 Spoonful of Sugar

2 dashes of Angostura or Fee Brother's Old Fashioned Bitters

1 Large Orange Peel

2.5 Oz. Rye Whiskey





First, put a sugar cube in a rocks glass with 2 dashes of Angostura Bitters.





Now, if you don't have or you can't get sugar cubes then just use a spoonful of sugar. I have La Perruche pure cane rough cut sugar cubes by Béghin Say, and I got them at Zabar's (which is an awesome specialty foods market in Manhattan).



Muddle the sugar and bitters together until it creates a rough paste.





Cut a large orange peel and make sure to get rid of as much of the bitter white pith as you can.







Once you've got the orange peel, squeeze and twist it over the glass until you see all the delicious oils glistening; add the peel in and muddle away some more.







Next, add your 2.5 ounces of Rye and then add your ice. Stir it (I use a chopstick because I don't have a long bar spoon).







And now, my weekly cocktail snob remark. Ice! I like to use bigger than normal ice cubes. Sister Hannah gave me some rubber ice cube trays that make big, perfect cube ice cubes and they work great (I'm sure you can find them at any sort of housewares store). The bigger the ice cube, the slower they will melt. The slower your ice melts in your cocktail, the less diluted your cocktail will be.



Enjoy!

Pea Pesto Crostini

Good morning this is the best thing in the world. Sorry, I have to skip our regular chit chat and just get to it. Make this. It is so fresh and flavorful with the perfect balance of texture. I even turned a pea hater into a pea lover. Click here for the recipe: simple and very few ingredients. I didn't have cherry tomatoes but I'm sure they would look real purrrty on top, especially at Christmas time. I also added a few basil leaves to brighten it up and give it that familiar pesto flavor.

All I had was a blender that sucked, so it didn't exactly puree the stuff but I actually liked the texture that a few whole peas added.

blender that sucked...


pea pesto...


crostini...


I ate 72% of what was on this plate...

Cake for 3

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are celebrating three birthdays at once? Most likely you have, if you gave birth to triplets. Or possibly you have SO MANY FRIENDS that almost every day, three of them are having a birthday. Well, whatever the reason, instead of making three separate cakes, how about make one cake for 3?



3 different colors...





...3 different areas to decorate. Fun. Kids love to loudly declare what section they would like to eat. My son: "I want bue, I want bue, I want bue, I want bue, I want bue..." I HEARD YOU.

Come again fruit candy bar???

A friend of mine sent me this via Pinterest. HELLO BEAUTIFUL. I must make this. How, how, how do you think it was done?! Leave a comment, and learn me.

You Got Mail?

I may or may not be experiencing some email issues, so if you've sent me anything lately, please resend. Also, waiting to hear from my giveaway winner BitterSweet. Are you out there?? If I don't hear from ya soon I'll have to pick a new winner. Thanks peeps.



siri (at) siriouslydelicious (dot) com



(image of mad lady with dinosaur computer)

Deep Sea Fishing: It's What Isn't For Dinner

I went deep sea fishing last week with Carson's Dad, and like a moronic idiot I forgot my camera. So I tried to turn my lame, blurry blackberry photos into classic, antique-y shots. Thanks iPhoto. Truth is, I didn't have much time to take pictures because I was SO BUSY FISHING! It was a blast, I caught around 10 fish and was beyond thrilled at the thought of bringing home fresh seafood for dinner. Except. I had to throw them ALL back. Yeah, apparently there are fish called "keepers" and none of mine were that, they were all too small. Then how come my arm is still sore?? Oh yeah, because I'm out of shape and my arms are noodles.



Our fine vessel...





I used to think pelicans were neat birds and all but NOT ANYMORE. The stupid things went after all of my bait and I can't tell you how many times my hook got stuck in their gigantic mouths. Luckily, the deckhands (did I just make that up?) were able to free them each time so don't get all PETA on me. (But I'm pretty sure when there aren't tourists on the boat those guys throw rocks at their heads.)





The best part of the day... the Galley down below where you could order breakfast. Fried egg, ooey gooey melted American cheese and crisp bacon sandwiched between toasty garlic bread. Unreal.





HAD I caught any "keepers" this dude would have scaled, butchered and cleaned the fish for me to take home. So sad. I entertained the idea of stealing someone's "keeper," throwing myself overboard and swimming ashore. But then I remembered sharks.





Anyway, it was a great time and I would do it again in a heartbeat. But I would bring some rocks for the pelicans. WHAT?!

Summer Squash and Potato Gratin

I attempted to make this healthy side dish once before, but if you'll remember, I burnt it to a crisp and decided to fry food instead. My life in a nutshell. I go for a bike ride, then come home and eat a bag of marshmallows. Balance.



Pish posh. I tried making it again last night and didn't burn anything. Do you want to know why? Because after I put the cheese on, I only cooked it for another 15 minutes, not 45 like the recipe calls for. And, and, AND... my son LOVED it. My son loved vegetables!!!! Crispy vegetables with cheese on top... but I'm not going to let that burst my bubble of joy. Try it, you AND your kids will love it.

Southern Fried Chicken

I saw The Help over the weekend and I literally lost my mind in the movie theater. I don't know where the term, "basket case" comes from, but that's what I was. A case of wet, sobbing baskets... gulping for breaths in between snotty spasms of tears. (I hope you're picturing that.) Anyway, the movie left me with a sense of sadness, hope and a STRONG craving for fried chicken. Luckily, here I am on vacation with Carson's mom, a true Southerner from Lilesville, North Carolina.

For some reason, I have known her for 5 years and have never tasted her fried chicken. In the next five years, I plan on having it 1,825 times. 1,826 if we're expecting a leap year soon. I just did that math, I really did.

There she is. And there I am. Her taste tester.


Carson supplied the chef jacket, and wear it well she did. Because we weren't just treated to fried chicken, no, we were fed a proper Southern meal, all prepared by Miss Pattie. Let's start with the chicken, and the basics...

Whole milk. She lets her thighs, legs and breasts rest in milk for awhile...


A heaping pile of flour, sprinkled generously with salt and pepper. She even took a bite of the flour, just like her grandmother once did, to make sure it was well seasoned.


Eggs. None of that egg white baloney.


Finally, the most important part. CRISCO. Just go see The Help, and you will want to lick it off your fingers.


Pattie takes her chicken that's been sitting in milk and follows this order: egg, flour, egg, flour. EXTRA CRISPY.


Aaaaaaand into the hot Crisco it goes...


Starting to crisp...


Getting even crispier...


Ohmygod yum. I ate 3 pieces. I wasn't supposed to tell you that.


As I mentioned, it was a PROPER Southern meal. Which means Country Gravy...


...and Mashed Potatoes...


...Lima Beans in Butter and Herbs...


...and a Southern Salad...


I lost my mind after this meal. Like a pig rolling around in dirt. A happy pig, nonetheless, not the wet, basket case kind. Thanks PDC!!!