Al Dente

4th of July Recipes, Day 5: Salmon Burgers with Dill Tartar Sauce

Happy 4th of July, readers! In the event that you are inside scouring the Web for grilling recipes, instead of outside enjoying sunshine and watermelon, we've got one last day of recipes in our 4th of July series. For our final recipe, it seemed good to end on something savory and satisfying. Though I'm still thinking of making the beef and andouille burgers I recommended a couple weeks ago, I have to admit that I find a salmon burger hard to resist. And I don't think it's just because I live in Northwest! They're simple to prepare, are generally at least moderately healthy, and have a way of filling you up without leaving you totally stuffed. Which is great, because you'll have lots of room left for s'mores, which is really what grilling is all about, right?

This recipe comes from the July 2001 issue of Bon Appétit.

Salmon Burgers with Dill Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:
10 ounces skinless salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup purchased tartar sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 sesame-seed rolls, split
Red onion slices
4 Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Place salmon fillets, 3 tablespoons tartar sauce, 1 tablespoon dill, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Blend using on/off turns until coarsely ground. Form into two 1/2-inch-thick patties. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
2. Prepare barbecue to medium-high heat.
3. Whisk 1/2 cup tartar sauce, 1 tablespoon dill, and lemon peel in medium bowl to blend.
4. Grill rolls until toasted. Transfer to two plates and spread bottom halves generously with sauce. Grill patties until fish is cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Place burgers atop sauce on rolls. Top each with onion slices, two lettuce leaves, and top half of roll. Serve, with extra sauce on the side.

Makes 2 burgers.

--KitchenMaus

4th of July Recipes, Day 4: Cornbread

Corn is native to North America so it's no wonder the tasty treat is a favorite across the nation. Whether you're jonesin' for Jonnycakes in New England, or hankering for a Hushpuppy in the South, any variation of cornbread is a welcome addition to the table. This simple recipe comes from Jane Linton, and fits the bill for any 4th of July party--it's tasty, easy to make, and everyone will want some.

Ingredients:
2 cups of self-rising cornmeal
2 eggs beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tablespoons bacon drippings, shortening, or vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch skillet with about 2 tablespoons of shortening or oil (use bacon drippings if available). Place pan in oven to heat.
2. Combine cornmeal, eggs, buttermilk, and bacon drippings. Mix well. Pour into hot skillet. Batter will sizzle. (If you sprinkle a little cornmeal in the hot pan before adding the batter, it will brown and add a crispier texture.)
3. Bake at 450 degrees F for 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.

--AndreaLeigh

Almost Edible Photo: Banana Split Cupcake

From flickr. And get this--it's vegan. VeganYumYum has a recipe for it.

--Spanno

Happy Hour Drink Recipe: Watermelon Lemonade

With the 4th of July just days away and the sun beating down in most locales, my thoughts keep turning to watermelon. And whether you need a midweek refresher or another use for watermelon on the 4th, this drink is sure to quench your summer thirst.

This recipe comes from the July 2000 issue of Bon Appétit. It can be prepared 6 hours ahead and refrigerated. Add ice before serving.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:
7 cups 2-inch pieces peeled seeded watermelon (from about 4 pounds)
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons grenadine
1 cup gin
3 cups ice cubes
Optional garnish: lemon twists or watermelon wedges

Directions:
1. Purée watermelon pieces in a food processor. Strain watermelon purée into large pitcher, pressing on solids in strainer to extract as much juice as possible. Discard any solids in strainer.
2. Add simple syrup, lemon juice, and grenadine to pitcher; stir to blend. Stir in gin.
3. Stir 3 cups of ice cubes into watermelon lemonade. Pour into tall glasses. Garnish with lemon twists or watermelon wedges, if desired.

Serves 6.

--KitchenMaus

4th of July Recipes, Day 3: Cafe Panache's Grilled Watermelon Salad

I love watermelon. Almost as much as I love sweet potatoes. And, when it comes to the backyard feast this weekend, I'm in charge of bringing the melon.

Although I can eat this sweet, fleshy melon on its own, I also like to put watermelon in salads. I've tried and loved Todd English's fennel, watermelon salad. This year, I'll be making grilled watermelon salad à la Cafe Panache. And, how much more fitting of a recipe do you need for one of the biggest grilling weekends of the year?

Ingredients:

2 large slices seedless watermelon, about 1-1/2 inches thick (cut from the center)
1 medium red onion, cut into very thin strips (julienne)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-1/2 cups pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 to 16 ounces baby or tender spinach, stemmed, washed and dried
1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves, for garnish
1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, for garnish

Directions:

1. Prepare the grill. If using a gas grill, heat it to medium. If using a charcoal grill, start the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly under the cooking area for direct heat. Oil the grate.

2. Grill the watermelon slices for 2 minutes, then turn over and grill for 2 minutes, until slightly caramelized on both sides. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until slightly chilled.

3. Meanwhile, combine the onion, feta cheese and olives in a medium mixing bowl.

4. Cut the chilled watermelon into 1 1/2-inch cubes (discarding the rind), then add to the bowl, tossing lightly to combine.

5. Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a small bowl; add the salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the bowl, tossing to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours to marinate.

6. To serve, divide the spinach among individual plates. Spoon the watermelon mixture over the spinach, reserving some of the vinaigrette to drizzle on the plate. Sprinkle basil and mint to taste on each salad and serve immediately.

Serves 4. This recipe is courtesy of The Washington Post.
--Sous-Chef on the Run

PS. If you love watermelon too, try out Bon Appétit's Watermelon-Cucumber Margarita, featured by KitchenMaus back in May. Delicious!

4th of July Recipes, Day 2: Martha Washington’s Rum Punch

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than with a liquid salute to the first first lady. It’s especially nice because I found this recipe in the Little Black Book of  Cocktails, by LUPEC Boston. If you don’t know, LUPEC stands for Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails--as it says in this lovely little book, they are “a classic cocktail society dedicated to breeding, raising, and releasing nearly extinct drinks into the world.” I think this is a mission all the founding fathers and mothers (who were fond of their punches, let me assure you) would be proud of. If you have a cocktail-loving bone in your body (or like reading about cocktails, or just like reading entertaining posts written by witty folks, or like a shaken combination of all of the above), you owe it to yourself to make an Independence Day resolution to start reading the LUPEC Boston blog (at http://lupecboston.blogspot.com/) and to picking up the Little Black Book (you’ll find information on how to pick it up on the blog). As a bonus, the proceeds from the book sale go to charity.

Ingredients:
3 lemons, quartered
1 orange, quartered
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 cinnamon sticks, broken
6 cloves
4 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice
4 ounces simple syrup
12 ounces boiling water
Light rum
Orange Curaçao

Directions:
1. In a sturdy container, mash together lemons, orange, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Add the juices and syrup.

2. Pour the boiling water in the container. Let it cool, and then strain out the solids. Heat the juice mixture to a boil, and then simmer for 10 minutes. Let it cool completely, and refrigerate (overnight is good, but in a pinch, I’ll bet you could use it sooner).

3. In a punch bowl, combine 3 parts of the juice mixture with 1 part light rum and 1/2 part orange curaçao.

4. Serve over ice in punch cups or other revolutionary glassware. Top each glass with a bit more grated nutmeg and cinnamon.

--A.J. Rathbun

4th of July Recipes, Day 1: Bacon-Wrapped Scallops

Today we kick off a mouth-watering week of 4th of July recipes. From appetizers to dessert, we'll make sure your menu is dynamite.

Scallops are sweet, meaty, and delicious by themselves. They don't really need anything to make them better. However, if you wrap them in bacon, you get an amazing appetizer or salad topping that's perfection in its own right.

Ingredients:
2 pounds large scallops
8 slices of bacon
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper to taste
8 wooden skewers

Directions:
1. Soak wooden skewers in water for an hour before using.
2. Combine vinegar, oil, and black pepper in a medium bowl.
3. Add scallops to mixture and toss to coat. Cover and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature.
4. Preheat grill for medium-high heat.
5. Cut bacon into thirds. Wrap a piece of bacon around each scallop and thread onto skewers. There should be 3-4 scallops per skewer.
6. Place on a lightly oiled grill rack and cook for 3 minutes per side. When the scallop is opaque in color, remove from grill and serve.

This recipe is courtesy of About.com.

--Spanno

Recipe Roundup: Grilled Goodness

Well, readers, it's the end of the week, the sun's finally found Seattle, and I'm ready to hit the patio and start grilling. For this week's Recipe Roundup I've selected some mouthwatering recipes for outdoor dining. Also, make sure to check back next week when we'll be featuring a daily recipe for spectacular 4th of July cooking. And, without further ado:

• Rip's Grilled Chicken Baste features lime, mustard, and tarragon, on Ruhlman.com
• Grilled Asparagus with Parsley Sauce has double the green, on Laylita's Recipes
• Miso-Glazed Tuna Kebabs take a Nobu spin, on Epicurious
• Shrimp Tikka comes with a side of mango chutney, on Epicurious
• Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Apples makes good use of foil, on Allrecipes
• The experts at Weber tell us how to make chili on the grill
• Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Burgers take a veggie spin, on Better Recipes

Also, a special shout-out to the Accidental Hedonist for suggesting grilled angel food cake. Yum!

--KitchenMaus

Weekend Recipe: Hummus

My favorite summer snack, paired with a cold Hefeweizen and plate of veggies, is hummus. There's nothing like being able to gorge yourself on that creamy, tangy mush knowing it's relatively healthy. This is why, in my opinion, it beats out spinach dip and ranch dip. Here's a modified version of my father's recipe.

Papa Spanno's Hummus

Ingredients:
2 cans garbanzo beans
1/2 cup Tahini
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup warm water
3 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 cup lime juice
2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
Frank's Red Hot (just a shot or two)
Cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Dump everything but the cayenne pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with cayenne and a little olive oil.
3. Serve with a plate of veggies and cold beer.

--Spanno

Happy Hour Drink Recipe: The Orange Buck

One of my favorites year-round, the Orange Buck is especially nice in summer, as its combination of gin, orange juice, ginger ale, and a touch of lime is awfully refreshing.

--A.J. Rathbun

What to Drink this Weekend: The Corpse Reviver

As it’s been one of those weeks (I’m sure you understand what I mean without me having to go into specific details that might get me banned from the Al Dente blog, but one of those weeks where you feel just dead at the end of it), I’m thinking more about the drink I’m having at quitting time then the food I’ll be whipping up over the weekend. If you’ve had a week like that as well, then I think you’ll appreciate the following recipe (from my book Good Spirits) for the classic Corpse Reviver cocktail. It’ll bring you right back to life, and help you leave the job far behind as you prepare for the weekend.

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
1-1/2 ounces brandy
1-1/2 ounces Applejack (or apple brandy)
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth

Directions:
1. Fill a cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add everything. Shake well.

2. Strain the mix into a cocktail glass. Garnish with nothing but a gesture back towards the office.

--A.J. Rathbun

The Wednesday Wrap: Food News to Go

M-Squared: Watch an adorable video of Mark Bittman and his "mini-Minimalist" three-year-old sidekick making Mexican ice pops. [NY Times]

Mmmm.... Doughnuts: I'm very lucky to live two blocks away from Top Pot, easily the best bets for doughnuts in Seattle, but my heart (and stomach) hold a soft spot for New York's amazing Doughnut Plant. [Boston Globe]

Not Your Mother's Clam Dip: Go beyond the junk-food aisle with gourmet upgrades to classic chip-and-dip combos. [Chicago Tribune]

Gourmet Gizmos: Do you really need a stainless steel jalapeño pepper roaster? Emily Dwass test drives some of this summer's silliest cooking gadgets. [LA Times]

Bruni Beat: Two stars ("very good") for Bleecker Street's  Bar Q: "In terms of its variability from one stretch of the menu to another, Bar Q is a riddle, but it's a riddle with a solution: don't pay too much attention to the restaurant’s name, which alludes to barbecue, or to the culinary direction in which that name points you." And steer clear of the Warm Walnut Soup, which "tasted like a mishap involving cookie dough and dishwater." [NY Times]

--BTP

Recipe Roundup: Lots of Sweets, plus a Cherry Mojito

Hi readers! Welcome to the first edition of Recipe Roundup on Al Dente! This is a new weekly column where I'll be featuring a few yummy recipes from around the web. Guess I was in a sweets mood this week--I'll make sure to feature some savory recipes for you saltier folk next week!

• Sticky Bun Bread Pudding on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Lemon Verbena Cupcakes on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
• Crispy Waffles with Salted Caramel Coulis on Epicurious
• Coconut Cake with Mascarpone Frosting on Epicurious
• Super Simple Nutella Ice Cream on Chocolate & Zucchini
• Cherry Mojito on yumsugar

Enjoy! And add a comment if you've discovered a great recipe we should know about!

--KitchenMaus

Tater Tots for Adults

Pity those who went to grade school before 1954. In the same year that "under God" was added to the Pledge of Allegiance, Tater Tots were added to supermarkets, school lunches, and our nation's gastronomic heritage. Americans now eat 70 million pounds of Ore-Ida's french fry by-product.

For those who think Tater Tots are just for kids, think again. Tots have popped up everywhere from Burger King to your local bar and the interwebs are full of recipes for more grown-up versions of this popular cafeteria staple.

Tot Recipes:

• Adult Tater Tots (pictured) are from-scratch and include Brie, shallots, and bacon
• Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots call for wild boar bacon
• Pork Belly Tater Tots are stuffed with braised pork belly
• Chef Kennedy's Adult Tater Tots apparently go well with wine
• Tater Tot Salad
• Lobster Tater Tots
• Tater Tot "Gnocchi" Al Pesto, among other recipes from the official home of the Tater Tot

--Spanno

Weekend Recipe: Beef and Andouille Burgers with Asiago Cheese

Dad may already have noticed you know your way around a burger, but how about going the deluxe route for Father's Day by serving up this juicy-spicy-smoky-cheesy take on an old grilling classic? He may just double your allowance next week...

This recipe was featured in the July 2001 issue of Bon Appétit.

Beef and Andouille Burgers with Asiago Cheese

Ingredients:
4 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard

8 ounces andouille sausages, cut into 1-inch pieces
2-1/2 pounds ground beef (15% fat)
2 large shallots, minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

6 large sesame-seed hamburger buns
6 1/3-inch-thick slices red onion
Olive oil
1 cup coarsely grated Asiago cheese

1 7- to 7-1/2-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained

Directions:
1. Finely chop sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor. Blend in mayonnaise and mustard. Transfer to a small bowl. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover; chill.)
2. Finely chop andouille sausages in the food processor. Transfer to a large bowl. Add beef, shallots, salt, pepper, and crushed fennel seeds. Stir with fork just until blended. Form mixture into six 1-inch-thick patties.
3. Prepare barbecue  to medium-high heat. Grill hamburger buns until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Brush onion slices with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until golden, about 7 minutes per side. Grill hamburgers to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Sprinkle cheese over top of burgers.
4. Spread cut sides of hamburger buns with sun-dried-tomato mayonnaise. Top bottom halves of buns with hamburgers, then red peppers. Top with onion slices. Cover with top halves of buns and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

--KitchenMaus

I Scream for Ice Cream...Sandwiches!

They beat me to it. Serious Eats always seems to know just what I'm thinking. As a follow-up to my recent popsicle post, I was all set to rave about the cuteness of the Tovolo ice-cream sandwich molds (in farm-animal shapes!). But, Serious Eats got there first.

However, I will leave you with some recipes worthy of the cuteness:

• Rachael Ray's brownie ice-cream sandwiches
• Tom Douglas's triple-chocolate cookie and strawberry ice-cream sandwiches
• Paula Deen's peanut butter and jelly ice-cream sandwiches
• Emeril's mocha ice-cream sandwiches with macadamia-nut chocolate-chunk cookies
• Gourmet's praline ice-cream sandwiches
• Gourmet's gingersnap and lemon ice cream sandwiches

--KitchenMaus

Pizza on the Grill 101

This seems to be the summer of grilled pizza. Not only was it one of the first grill season postings here, but every where I look, people are writing and blogging about pizza. I promised that my next posting would be on grilled pizza to celebrate the publication of a new grilled pizza cookbook that I wrote with my good friend, Bob Blumer. Bob is known to many as the Surreal Gourmet and you might find a few surreal touches in our pizzas, but it is flavor and technique rather than presentation that stars in this book. The essence of grilled pizza is in the crispy, slightly smoky crust. We advocate using coarse-ground corn meal ( a.k.a. grits to me, polenta to others) to give the pizza a rustic crust and added crunch. There are a couple of important things to keep in mind when you are grilling pizza.

Serving Up Summer, One Popsicle at a Time

We here in Seattle, where the current daytime high temperature is 56 degrees F, have heard tales that the rest of the nation (more or less) is experiencing summer. We're told of heat waves and days where people actually see the sun. And while I'd hoped to write this post while lusting after an ice-cold popsicle, I instead dedicate the post to those of you chasing down the ice cream truck in your neighborhood. As for Seattleites, well, we can only dream...

And I do dream--of colorful popsicles in shapes of starbursts and rockets. Check out these super-cute popsicle molds:

• Tovolo shooting stars
• Tovolo rockets
• Cuisipro sailboats

The best part of making your own popsicles? You can make any flavor you want! When the sun does finally come out in Seattle, I think I'll try this recipe, recently featured on YumSugar (visit their site for step-by-step photos!):

Vietnamese-Style Coffee on a Stick

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1-3/4 cups water
1/4 cup freshly ground espresso

Directions:
1. Brew the coffee to a strong robust flavor, approximately 10 minutes if using a French press.
2. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a separate bowl.
3. Slowly pour the hot coffee into the bowl with the sweetened condense milk. Stir.
4. Chill coffee and sweetened condensed milk mixture in the refrigerator until cool.
5. Strain the coffee, if needed.
6. Fill popsicle mold and place in freezer.
7. Once frozen, pop out of the mold and enjoy.

Makes 4 popsicles, depending on size of mold.

--KitchenMaus

What to Cook this Weekend: Smoked Salmon Vermicelli

As a new parent, I have a stack of home and cooking related magazines languishing piles all over the house.  Sunset Magazine consistently delivers recipes I can cook in minimal time and with optimal deliciousness so I try to look at it when it arrives.  The January 2008 issue offered a recipe for Smoked Salmon Vermicelli.  This dish has been a welcome repetition at our house in winter and spring.  Someone must try it this summer and let me know if it needs lightening up.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, cut into half-moons
1 cup whipping cream
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
About 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
About 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pound vermicelli
8 ounces hot- or cold-smoked salmon, cut into pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large, high-sided frying pan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring, until onion is soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in cream, lemon zest and juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add pasta to water and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking water.

3. Add salmon to cream mixture and stir to combine. Pour pasta into frying pan with salmon-cream mixture and toss to coat, adding some of the cooking water as needed to moisten pasta. Add parsley and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

--flauersmartini

Start Summer in GrandGala Fashion

It seems (out here in Seattle) that summer is having a hard time starting, as the clouds are still thick and low outside my window, and it’s raining (just leave the Seattle rain talk behind by the way, because our summers are usually dreamy). I’ve heard there are parts of the country that have had, and are having, sunny days, but it’s hard to believe. Wherever you are, though, and whether you’re having rain, sun, sleet, snow, or a mixture of all the above that defies convention, let me make a suggestion (a suggestion I’m going to take myself in a few hours): open a bottle of GranGala orange liqueur and jumpstart your summer.

For some reason I’m a little behind in tasting GranGala, which is made in Trieste, Italy, from Mediterranean oranges and Italian VSOP brandy, and have only recently begun experimenting with it. The oranges used to make it are sweeter than some, which might lead you to believe that it would have more of a dessert-y taste, but the brandy gives it a strong sturdy base that keeps the sugar in check in a way that makes it suitable for sipping, and also ideal in a chilled cocktail or highball (the fact that it’s not too sweet means it won’t turn the mix in the wrong direction). All of which is nice, sure, but don't take it to mean that the orange flavor doesn’t rule in glowing fashion. It does, which is why GranGala is such an ideal summer accompaniment (be sure and serve it cold though, to combat rising temperatures). If you’re wondering how to start playing around with GranGala (which, I just found out, won a gold medal at the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits competition), try the following recipe for a Golden Orchard. Straining this drink over crushed ice makes it an extra-chilly summertime treat.

Golden Orchard

Ingredients:
2 large mint leaves
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 ounce simple syrup
Ice cubes
2 ounces GranGala Triple Orange Liqueur
2 ounces vanilla cognac
Crushed ice
Orange twist, for garnish (optional)
Vanilla bean, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Add the mint, orange juice, and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker. Using a muddler or long wooden spoon, muddle well.

2. Fill the cocktail shaker halfway full with ice cubes. Add the GranGala and cognac. Shake well.

3. Fill a cocktail glass halfway full with crushed ice. Strain the GranGala mix over the ice. Garnish with the orange twist, vanilla bean, or both.

A Note: Simple syrup, if you don’t already have some, is easy to make. Add 3 cups sugar and 2-1/2 cups water to a medium-sized saucepan. Stirring occasionally, bring the mixture to a boil over a medium-high heat. Lower the heat a bit, keeping the mixture at the low boil for five minutes. Then turn off the heat, and let the syrup completely cool in the pan. It stays good for up to a month in the fridge.

--A.J. Rathbun

The Wednesday Wrap: Food News to Go

What Do You Like to Eat?: Top Chef's Gail Simmons talks about her favorite restaurants, comfort food favorites, guilty pleasures, and the perfect meal. Hint: it doesn't include root beer ("I despise root beer. It makes my skin crawl.") [Serious Eats]

See Spot Eat: Russ Parsons celebrates the West Coast's spot prawn, with a brief history and recipes. [LA Times]

Break Out the Tux: It's a black-tie affair this Sunday as the winners of the 2008 James Beard Awards, the "Oscars of the food world," will be revealed. Bobby Flay and SATC's Kim Cattrall share hosting duties. [James Beard Foundation]

Your Own Personal Joy of Cooking: Learn how to turn all of your favorite hand-written recipes into a one-of-a-kind family cookbook. [Chicago Tribune]

You've Been Served: What do Daily Show alum Ben Karlin and celebrity chef Mario Batali have in common? One big fat lawsuit over Batali's upcoming cookbook on Spain. [The NY Sun via Grub Street]

Bruni Beat: It's one star ("good") for cozy Greenwich Village eatery, Elettaria. "It's whimsical and adorable and reflects significant investments of money, thought and, yes, hope by its principal owners... But Elettaria doesn;t work as well practically as it does visually." [NY Times]

--BTP

Grill Season Kick-Off, Day 4: The Cheater's Barbecue

I've taken some time off from blogging to focus on being a new parent.  I've also taken some time off from sleeping, and let's face it, cooking.  On the other hand, being a new parent has forced me to consider some short cuts in cooking that I never considered before and not all of them are bad. 

Memorial Day weekend we hosted an impromptu barbecue.  We really didn't have time to create anything fancy so we picked up some bratwurst, salmon fillets, and lamb chops for the charcoal Weber.  We soaked the brats in the undrinkable Miller High Life someone left at a party last year.  For the salmon fillets and lamb chops, we used Tom Douglas's Rub with Love Salmon Rub and Rub with Love Bengal Masala Rub.  Rubs are very easy to make but if you have to use a pre-made rub I highly recommend Rub with Love.  They can be used for meats, fish, and vegetables.  Any of them taste quite good on grilled zucchini.

I admit that I feel a bit of a cheater for not creating my own rub and sharing it with you, but I'm giving myself a big pat on the back for not claiming Tom's rubs were my own when asked about them at the barbecue.
--flauersmartini

Grill Season Kick-Off, Day 3: Grilled Portobellos with Garlic, Pine Nuts, Basil, and Goat Cheese

It’s easy to expand your barbecue menu with these mouth-watering mushrooms from the BBQ Queens (the recipe's from their book The Big Book of Barbecue, which is available from Harvard Common in both paperback and hardback, depending on how you like your books served). The hard part is deciding which cooking method to use, as the Queens disagree in this instance--barbecue style can be a bit divisive even within the tightest cooking teams. You can check out Judith’s way and Karen’s way in the directions below, and then choose your mushrooming option.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 large Portobello mushrooms
1/4-cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or cubed (can also substitute feta cheese, Boursin, Gorgonzola, or Brie)
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Kosher or sea salt for seasoning

Directions:
1. Remove the stems from the Portobello mushrooms, then brush both sides of each mushroom with extra virgin olive oil.

2. In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic cloves; the goat cheese (or feta cheese, Boursin, Gorgonzola, or Brie); the toasted pine nuts; and the chopped fresh basil leaves.

3.:
Karen’s version: Place one-fourth of the mixture inside each mushroom cap. Season with kosher or sea salt to taste. Place the mushroom caps directly over the hot fire and grill with the lid down until the mushrooms are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

Judith’s version: Grill the mushrooms gill side down for about 4 minutes with the grill lid open. Turn the mushrooms, fill them with the goodies, and season with salt. Close the lid and grill for another 4 minutes. Serve hot.

--A.J. Rathbun