Smoked Salt & Pepper

We had a crawfish boil the other weekend. It was my first time doing one solo (no family help), and it was a success. Good times with good friends, good food and beer, and good weather. We had corn, potatoes, and crawfish/crayfish boiled in some lemony, Louisiana seasoned water. I topped a few off with my butter-garlic dipping sauce.  Next time I'll have to do some sausage, too.  I tried to keep it simple since this was our first one, but we were definately hurting for some sausage.  I think our German friend would've enjoyed some sausage, too, since he didn't really care for the prehistoric looking creepy crawlies. Beautiful pics taken by our friend, Marcus. Thank goodness we were able to keep them alive through all the purges. MMMMMM Laissez-les bons temps roulez Reid hard at work The most handsome dog

Every time we go to any Vietnamese restaurant, I already know what Reid will order; Bun Cha Gio and a Cafe Sau Da.  I don't think he'd even look at a menu if it wasn't to look for what order number it is.  Yea, he orders by number at any Asian restaurant even when I try to encourage him to practice his Vietnamese.  So since bun cha gio thit nuong, or Vietnamese BBQ Pork with Eggrolls, is his fav, I decided to give it a try.  Usually, if my mom is making this dish at home, to save some time she will purchase ready-made thit nuong and cha gio from the countless of delicious shops in Houston's chinatown. Since I don't really have that luxury in Austin, I decided to try and make the thit nuong myself.  Traditionally, the pork is charbroiled over a grill, and sometimes has lemongrass in it.  Traditionally northerner's thit nuong has to have lots of lemongrass.  Since I don't think my backyard grill even works, I decided to try this recipe I adapte...

This is one of Reid's new favorites, which is awesome because it is quick, easy, and I usually have most the ingredients on hand. Plus, it's protein packed and makes yummy left over lunches. Last time I brought it for lunch one of the other vets asked for the recipe, and I knew I had to stop procrastinating about posting it. I call it "chili" because Reid argues real chili doesn't have anything but meat (more on that later...if I can ever convince him to publish his family's competition winning chili recipe). Anyway, because of that, we call it turkey and quinoa stew or turkey and quinoa fiesta at home. It takes about 25 minutes to make, so it's a great weeknight meal. Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground turkey 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed 15 oz can diced tomatoes 14 oz can chicken broth 1 cup quinoa, rinsed 2 tsp each: chili powder, ground cumin, oregano (or you could use one of those taco seasoning packe...

Reid and I have not eaten at chick-fil-a in over a year and I was really starting to miss it. Reid suggested we stop supporting their business once they officially came out as anti-gay. He is much stronger than me, and I found myself craving that delicious chicken and those crispy waffle fries I decided to try this recipe I found on Pinterest and man, oh, man! It delivered! Tastes so good and so much like the real thing! Now I just need the time to make home made waffle fries (I used frozen). Chick-fil-A Bites with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce Serves 2 Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats Directions: 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt & pepper 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup pickle juice 1 egg 1-1/4 cups flour 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup peanut oil, divided (or canola or vegetable oil) Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce: 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard 1 Tablespoon Dijon mus...

I'll admit it, I've never actually roasted a whole chicken before. In fact, I was a little intimidated of the thought of it. And it's not like there was ever a need for it. Since I just cook for me and Reid, a whole chicken is usually excessive and seemed like a waste of my time and effort. Plus, it's so easy and cheap to buy rotisserie chicken if I need some cooked chicken in a pinch. But Sanderson Farms had whole roasting chickens on sale and I figured it was time to get in a little poultry roasting practice before I have to tackle a turkey. Since I cooked this on a weeknight after work, there was no way I would've gotten it on the table on time without a few shortcuts. I read about this spatchcock (or butterflying) butchering technique in Martha Stewart Living a few months ago and it cuts roasting time in half. It's pretty awesome. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't tried it for myself. I watched this video by Jaques Pippin to help me through i...

This recipe is courtesy of my cousin, Chi Khanh, aka the other Christine Cao. Its been made by my aunt, who said even her picky kiddo loved it, and my sister, who's hubby scarfed it down. I've made it once so far and it was good, although my local HEB was a little lacking in beef short rib selection. I hope to try it with some Korean style short ribs from the Korean grocery store next time. As my cousin said, "Super easy, so tasty! Even the kids like it, score!". Thanks for the great recipe, Chi Khanh! Beef Kalgobi: 4 lbs boneless short ribs sliced thin (1/8 inch ) or 5 lbs flanken style short ribs (korean style cut) Sauce 1 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 cup minus 2 TB light brown sugar 4 Tb sesame oil 4 Tb rice wine vinegar 4 Tb grated ginger 1 whole head garlic grated 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can omit if you dont have) Garnish 1 bunch green onions chopped 2 Tbs sesame seeds toasted Put meat in a dutch oven, barely cover (don't drown the meat...

I found this recipe randomly on Pinterest and decided to give it a try for our New Years party. Suffice it to say, it was a hit and disappeared within minutes! The ingredients are easy to have on hand, especially if you have a basil plant. It takes a max of 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake. Easy shmeasy and tres yummy. I like to make my meatballs a little smaller then the picture I took (trial and error; Ping Pong sized are the best) and they are great on their own as an appetizer or with spaghetti and sauce. Best Ever Baked Meatballs 1lb hamburger 2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup panko or bread crumbs (I use panko) 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon salt freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup minced fresh basil Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into ping pong ball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed and meatballs are cooked throu...