The Easiest (Organic) Bread Youll Ever Bake

Which piece of marmalade-slathered bread would you rather eat?

The one on the right? It’s sliced from a commercial loaf that eerily lasts for months thanks to preservatives like calcium propionate. The one on the left?  It’s an organic, fiber-filled slice that you make at home without the hassle of measuring or kneading. And it looks pretty darn good, doesn’t it?

In my family, bread making is reserved for special holiday occasions where you can justify the lengthy labor it takes to make. But when I heard about Baked Better’s organic bread mixes, which only require you to add water and sugar, I couldn’t resist trying it out. (The package even comes with yeast—no skimping here!)

I tested their three varieties: Dumbo Delicious, a hearty multi-grain; Cobble Hill Crave, a loaf specked with cranberries, oats, and walnuts; and Park Slope Staple, a basic whole wheat bread. You can be creative with the sweetener, so I designated molasses, granulated sugar, and honey per loaf, respectively. For each batch I’d combine two cups of warm water with the flour and scooped the mixture into a loaf pan. In the next twenty minutes, the bread doubled in size and it was ready for the oven. Simple as that.

So why should you go for a mix rather than storebought bagged bread? First, if you’re a carb loader and have a sandwich every day, you’ll want a healthy slice that is packed with fiber and protein like any of Baked Better’s varieties. Second, read the ingredients on your bread. If there are tons of “stabilizers” that you can hardly pronounce, why not just make a Baked Better loaf, which only has basic ingredients (think: whole wheat flour, yeast) and is so tasty, I dare you to leave it on your counter for more than a week. Lastly, when you pop this dough in the oven and it starts to fill your place with that comforting smell of just-baked bread, you’ll realize that adding water to a dry mix isn’t a large price to pay for a warm slice of heaven.

Check out Baked Bread’s mixes ($7 each) here. 

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Make The Most Delicious Homemade Pizza Ever

While breadmaking is a fine art, it can be surprisingly simple to create a masterpiece. In his new book, My Pizza, renowned baker Jim Lahey reveals a method for making delicious homemade pizza dough that you don’t have to knead. He demonstrated the method at this year’s MH Cooking School at the International Culinary Center, where he treated us to the “Popeye pie” and the “Boscaiola pie.”

His technique does require a bit of planning, because the dough does require 18 hours of rising time. But it's worth it. Don’t believe me? I conducted a little experiment just to make sure.  In addition to whipping up Lahey's dough recipe, I bought pre-made pizza dough at the grocery store, topped it with the same toppings and baked it using the same method as I did with Lahey’s crust. The results? Lahey’s crust was more flavorful and had a better texture. Plus, he’s perfected the cooking technique, so home cooks can achieve a deliciously charred crust that rivals what chefs can create with brick ovens.

Ham and Peas Pie
Recipe courtesy Jim Lahey, founder of Sullivan Street Bakery and Co.

What you'll need:

For the crust:

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus a bit of additional flour for shaping the dough
¼ tsp active dry yeast
2 tsp fine sea salt
1 ½ cups water

For the sauce:

2 cups of whole milk
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 ¼ Tbsp of all-purpose flour
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg

For the toppings:

¼ finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1 ½ ounces of fresh mozzarella, pulled into 5 clumps
2 ounces of sliced prosciutto, ripped into shreds
a scant ¼ cup fresh peas or defrosted frozen peas, patted dry
2 to 3 large fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

How to make it:

 

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Grill Lemony Artichoke Hearts

When you attend a backyard cookout, or when you tend grill yourself, how often do you see vegetables sizzling on the grates? Steaks, burgers, hot dogs—sure. Produce? Rarely.

Cookouts usually relegate vegetables to the picnic table, where they're tossed with mayo or mixed into pasta salads. It's sad, considering that so much produce is in its prime during the summer months and—like most any food on the planet—it, too, tastes better when thrown on the grill.

An example: artichokes. These spiky mace-like plumes of produce are actually flower buds picked before they blossom. When trimmed and cooked they have a mellow asparagus-like flavor that's slightly starchy. When grilled, artichokes carry a faint char that matches up well with olive oil and lemon.

This recipe requires you to pre-cook the artichokes in an oil and butter bath, and then finish them on your grill. The two-stage cooking process turns the artichoke hearts tender and infuses them with a payload of flavor.

Grilled Artichoke
Recipe by Andrew Brown, executive chef of Opa in Philadelphia, PA

What you'll need:
4 whole artichokes
4 lemons
2 cups good quality olive oil
8 Tbsp butter
6 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tsp sugar

How to make it:
1. Place the artichokes in a container with water to cover and squeeze the juice of 2 lemons over the dish so that the artichokes do not discolor. Preheat your oven to 400°F.

2. Trim the outer leaves from the artichoke and place the artichoke hearts in a baking dish. Add 1 cup of olive oil, the butter, the thyme, and the bay leaves to the baking dish. Add water until it barely covers the artichokes. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the artichokes are tender, about 40 minutes.

3. While the artichokes bake, make your Ladolemono sauce. In a small bowl, juice the remaining lemons and add the sugar. Slowly whisk in the remaining olive oil.
4. Preheat your grill to high, direct heat. Grill the artichokes until grill marks appear on each side, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately with the sauce.

 

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Snack On Hearty, Homemade Granola Bars

Granola could use a good PR team. Big brands have slandered its wholesome name in recent years, sullying it with highly-processed iterations. Search for a decent granola bar in your supermarket and you'll find only candy bars masquerading as health food, snacks that will fill you with empty, fast-burning calories that spike your blood sugar. Yes, it would seem that the iconic potpourri of grains is suffering from some image issues.

But this wasn't always the case, and granola didn't rise within the world of health without reason. Before being corrupted by low-cost sweeteners, the granola bar was a humble yet substantial foodstuff. Built of grains, nuts, and fruit, it offered a potent, hunger-staving blend of fiber, plant protein, and antioxidants.

Fortunately, in its new health-focused cookbook, Mindful Eating, Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has created a 110-calorie bar that meets these specifications. Unlike brittle, prepackaged versions, these peanut-buttery bars are made from all-natural ingredients and break as softly as fresh-baked cookies. Plus, they’re easily customizable. Sub in your favorite fruits and nuts, add coconut or vanilla, or pour in protein powder to convert them into post-workout bars. They make a quick and inexpensive breakfast or, wrapped in cellophane, a portable snack that will survive a day in your bag without refrigeration.

Call it a comeback?

Miraval Multigrain Nutrition Bar
Recipe by Chad Luethje, Executive Chef at Miraval Resort & Spa

What you'll need:
2 cups rolled oats
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp almonds, chopped
1 Tbsp cashews, chopped
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed, optional
½ cup water
½ cup multi-grain cereal, like this one from Bob’s Red Mill
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots), roughly chopped
Pinch kosher salt

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine oats, seeds, nuts, and flaxseed, spread onto a sheet pan, and bake until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the warm mixture into a large bowl.
2. Boil water in a medium saucepan and remove it from heat. Add the multi-grain cereal and allow it to absorb the water, about 2 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and honey, and set the mixture over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes.
3. Mix the fruit and salt into the peanut-butter mixture, then immediately pour into the bowl with the grains. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the grains are evenly coated.
4. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, transfer the mixture to the pan, and press it into a uniform ½-inch thickness. Move the pan to the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least two hours.
5. Cut into 1½-inch by 1¼-inch bars. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap. Bars will keep for two days at room temperature or four days refrigerated. Makes 30 bars. 

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Heat And Eat Planked Camembert With Exotic Mushrooms

During the three days of classes, Raichlen demos more than 20 recipes for grill-happy attendees, each demonstrating a simple principal: “If something tastes good baked, broiled, or fried—it’ll taste even better on the grill,” he says.

The best example from today’s class: planked Camembert cheese with exotic mushroom hash.

Camembert, a soft-ripened cheese, has a rich, faintly pungent taste. When heated, the interior of the cheese turns molten, splits the rind and seeps forth, begging to be scooped up by crackers or bread. Raichlen’s spin warms the cheese on a grill set to indirect heat. He then places the wheels of cheese atop a plank of soaked cedar wood, which smolders during the grilling process, emitting a light smoke that the cheese then absorbs. Topped with a heady mushroom “hash,” this recipe makes for the ultimate backyard barbecue appetizer for a few close friends.

Planked Camembert with exotic mushroom hash
Recipe by Steven Raichlen

What you’ll need:
2 Camembert cheeses
1 pound mushrooms, such as morels, porcini, hen of the woods, shiitakes, etc
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp cognac or Armagnac
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained

How to make it:
1. Make the mushroom hash. Trim the stems and any blemishes off the mushrooms. Wipe clean with damp paper towels. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Sir in the mushrooms and parsley and increase the heat to high, cooking until the the mushrooms are browned and all the mushroom liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cognac and flambe. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400°F). Arrange the Camemberts on the soaked cedar plank. Top each with mushroom hash and then place the planks on the grill over a drip pan way from the heat. Cover the grill. Cook the cheese until the hash is sizzling and the cheese starts to melt, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the plank to a heatproof platter and serve, spreading the cheese and mushrooms on slices of grilled bread. Serves 8.

 

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Char Bell Pepper Salad With Pine Nuts, Capers, And Feta

It’s day two of Barbecue University here at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and among the menu of piri piri shrimp, chicken satays, and spiny lobster with mango salsa, host Steven Raichlen dropped in a dish even failed grillers can fire to perfection. Raichlen starts with fresh bell peppers, chars them over high heat, and then serves them with an olive-oil based dressing for an easy appetizer. “This is the one socially acceptable instance in which it’s okay to burn your food on the grill,” Raichlen says.

Bell peppers can take the heat. In fact, they sweeten from it and steal the smoked flavors of the grill as they soften. Pair them with sautéed garlic, toasted pine nuts, salty capers, and creamy feta and you have a meat-free starter that houses a payload of flavor. Save the leftovers to top a turkey and provolone sandwich or chop them up and stir them into a pasta with red sauce.

That is, if there are any leftovers.

Grilled pepper salad with currants, capers, and feta
Recipe by Steven Raichlen

What you’ll need:
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp dried currants
1 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, place the peppers directly on the coals (or on the grates of your gas grill) and grill until the skins are charred on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning with tongs. When blackened, transfer to a large plate and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. As the peppers cool, make the dressing. In a small skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the currants and capers. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Peel the peppers (a paring knife can help) and discard the charred skins, along with the seeds and stems. Quarter the peppers lengthwise and arrange them on a platter.
4. Whisk the vinegar into the dressing and stir in the parsley and feta. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, and then pour it over the peppers and serve. Serves 4.

 

Via: Char Bell Pepper Salad With Pine Nuts, Capers, And Feta

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Happy Hour Bluegrass Punch

The summer backyard barbecue season is finally upon us, gentleman. I propose a toast. More specifically, a toast with bluegrass punch.

Why this drink? For starters, whether you’re hosting your own barbecue or are showing up as a guest to one, you can whip up a batch ahead of time. That way you can hang with your buds instead of cranking out cocktails, or simply bring your host a nice addition to that bucket of brews. Also, much like a light beer, bluegrass punch’s relatively low alcohol content means you can party longer and not end up “overserved” before your time. And as a bonus, vitamin and antioxidant packed fresh blueberry and pomegranate juices provide a healthy shot in the arm.

You can use any quality bourbon to spike your punch, but Basil Hayden’s is famous for it’s naturally spicy finish, which brings a nice balance to the sweet and tart juices. This is a good thing because sweet plus sour plus spicy equals an excellent companion to almost any grilled food, especially barbecued ribs.

It’ll make your weekend all that much sweeter.

What you’ll need:
4 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon (Any good quality bourbon will be fine)
8 parts blueberry puree (Boil water and simmer a pint of blueberries for 15 minutes. Whiz them in a blender, adding liquid from the simmer pot to get the right consistency. Add a squeeze of simple syrup if desired)
8 parts pomegranate juice
Sparkling wine or club soda
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh blueberries (optional)

How to make it:
Mix bourbon, blueberry juice, pomegranate juice and ice in a punch bowl, or pour into a shaker and shake. Fill glass 3/4 and top off with sparkling wine or club soda. Garnish with mint and fresh blueberries. 

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Sign Dad Up For Andrew Zimmerns Hot Sauce Club Fathers Day

The Mountain Man Garlic and Pepper Sauce, pictured below, could have been plucked at random from a souvenir-store shelf. If by some strange chance your local supermarket carries it, your eyes have probably scanned past it a hundred times and sent nothing but disinterested white noise back to your brain. But rest assured: This is no ordinary hot sauce. This hot sauce was personally chosen by Andrew Zimmern, host of Bizarre Foods on The Travel Channel. Zimmern is a hot sauce enthusiast who claims to carry 45 bottles of the stuff in his kitchen at all times. He knows his hot sauce. He loves his hot sauce. He eats his hot sauce straight from the palm of his hand. Seriously.

Friday marks the last day to sign up for Zimmern’s hot sauce club, and it also happens to be two days before father’s day. Coincidence? Probably, but who cares. If you’re not already a member of OpenSky, simply sign up and register for the club. Then dad—or you—will receive two bottles of hot sauce every month for the next three months. That’s a total of six reminders of what a kick-ass son you are. The rules of club membership stipulate that all sauces will be a surprise upon delivery, but OpenSky has permitted us to reveal one of the first sauces to our beloved Guy Gourmet readers. The Mountain Man sauce here is a simple sauce made mostly from aged red peppers, vinegar, spices, and flecks of garlic. The result is sweet, bold, and acidic enough to drill ribbons of heat through a pan of ground beef. Dad’s taco night just received a much-needed upgrade.

Need more suggestions? Try buying dad the perfect whiskey or making him a killer burger. And for the definitive guide to hot sauce, check out The 5 Best Hot Sauces for Any Meal. 

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Chef Wisdom from the MH Cooking School

–photo by Jake Moore

This weekend’s inaugural Men's Health cooking school was a day-long lesson in man food, complete with succulent samples to taste along the way. No man (or woman) left the auditorium hungry. But aside from the delicious cuisine (which included the best roast chicken this foodie has ever tasted) and the chance to see all-star chefs in action, perhaps the best thing about the day was the opportunity to learn the surprisingly simple tips and techniques the chefs use to craft their signature dishes. You can apply these lessons to plenty of the recipes already in your repertoire. If you couldn't make the trip to NYC, you’re in luck. We’re letting you borrow our class notes.

CHEF TIP #1: Embrace the power of vinegar. Add a touch of vinegar to balance dishes with the perfect hit of acidity. One particularly good choice: sautéed vegetables, where you can use vinegar like wine to deglaze the pan, says Seamus Mullen, chef at Tertulia in NYC (pictured above right). His favorite? Sherry vinegar. He used sherry vinegar to flavor the Romesco Sauce and the anchovy flatbreads he prepared at the cooking school.

CHEF TIP #2: Season vegetables perfectly. The trick to flavorful blanched greens and asparagus? Salt the ice bath that you use to shock the vegetables after you’ve cooked them, Mullen says. They'll come out of the ice bath with just the right amount of salinity.

CHEF TIP #3: Add wheat to pizza crust without subtracting flavor. Whole-wheat flour may be healthier than the regular variety, but it can create a bitter-tasting crust. Sneak in some extra fiber by using 70 percent white flour, 30 percent wheat. At that concentration, you'll still have the flavor and texture of a white crust, says Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery.

CHEF TIP #4: Give your pies an extra zing. It’s easy to upgrade your pizza repertoire. Begin by expanding your cheese horizons. Mozzarella may be the ultimate pizza cheese, but any high-moisture cheeses will work well, Lahey says. Two to try: cheese curd or Gruyere, which he used on the spinach pizza he made at the cooking school. Another place to add flavor is when you season your pizza peel to keep the dough from sticking before you slide it into the oven. The traditional method is to add cornmeal or semolina, but you can amp up the flavor using wheat bran or caraway seeds instead, Lahey says.

CHEF TIP #5: Make your own curry. Buying a jar of curry paste is a convenient way to flavor Thai food, but whipping up a homemade paste is way better, according to Harold Dieterle from NYC's Kin Shop. Use a blender to mix together a fresh spice blend. For the Khao Sai Dieterle made at the cooking school, he made curry paste using several fresh ingredients, including cilantro stems and galangal.

CHEF TIP #6: Start stir fries with the ultimate wok mix. When you make stir fries and noodle dishes, use Dieterle’s "wok mix": shallots, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic, all finely minced. Stir those together for about a minute before adding other ingredients.

CHEF TIP #7: Invest in Maine sea salt. These coarse, crunchy grains are the go-to seasoning for Dan Kluger from ABC Kitchen. The reason: Maine sea salt gives your dish variety with each bite. Each salt grain is a different size, so one bite of your dish will be very salty, while the next is subtly salty. Kluger sprinkled Maine sea salt on the crispy chicken he made at the cooking school.

CHEF TIP #8: Whip up creamy spuds. How do you know mashed potatoes are ready to serve? When you stir them, they should pull away from the pot and hold their shape, Kluger says. He whips potatoes in a mixer to give them extra fluff.

 

Via: Chef Wisdom from the MH Cooking School

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Happy Hour A Gin Old-Fashioned for the Old Man

A gin old-fashioned, you ask? Everybody knows an old-fashioned is made with bourbon or rye. Nope, not this week: For today’s Happy Hour, we’re serving a cool little story and a great cocktail to share with your pop this Father’s Day weekend.

Back in the mid- to late-19th century, a “cocktail” was a specific drink, just like a collins, julep or rickey, and has just five ingredients: A base spirit, bitters, sugar, water (or ice), and peel. The choice of base spirit didn’t matter; as long these five components came together, it was a cocktail. Over time, however, the term “cocktail” evolved into a generic name for pretty much any mixed drink. So if you wanted the real thing, then you had to go old-school and order… an old-fashioned.

So I teamed up with John McCarthy (yes, a different John McCarthy), beverage director of the gin-centric NYC bar Whitehall, who showed me this “new” twist on the old-fashioned. Gin is basically a vodka flavored with at least seven classic ingredients, the most pronounced being juniper. I’ve never been a huge gin fan, but John turned me on to Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin, which adds a little raspberry, Turkish rose and peach to the mix, making it a little less juniper-forward. It definitely worked for me.

So if you’re seeing the old man this weekend, here is a fine drink to share with him.  If you’re not, treat yourself and raise your glass in his honor. And to my own pop and all you dads out there, Happy Father’s Day!

No. 11
Recipe courtesy of John McCarthy, beverage director of Highlands Restaurant Group

What you’ll need:
2 oz. Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin
.25 oz. simple syrup
3 dashes of orange bitters

How to make it:
Stir and strain over ice, garnish with orange twist. 

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The Glorious Food of Bonnaroo 2012

There are people who don’t like camping at concert festivals, and I think I know why. It’s the food. Am I right? Skipping showers? Easy. Blazing sun? No sweat. But having to choose between greasy concession food or your own supply of jerky and granola? Ugh. I’d rather stay home.

Thankfully Bonnaroo is not a concession-and-jerky kind of festival. Not by a long shot. If you haven’t been lately, let me fill you in on what’s happening: First, there’s music. Lots of it, but you probably knew that. Second, there’s food. Good food. No, great food. Bonnaroo is put on by the same folks that recently launched The Great Googamooga, so clearly they’re thinking well beyond nachos and boiled hot dogs. This year the music festival brought in 75 food vendors, including a handful of titans from New York, some local favorites from Tennessee, and nearly a dozen food trucks from the South and Midwest. Supplement that with a beer garden featuring 21 craft breweries and you have a food scene that fully justifies the price of admission. The music is just an amazing bonus. Check it out: Here are a few of the meals that made me forget—at least momentarily–that I would be sleeping in a tent later.

Short rib sliders with coleslaw from GastroPod

Pot Kettle Black’s Sharp Cheddar minced with roasted red peppers and pimentos on buttered toast, served with a side of gazpacho

An man-size breakfast rolled into a burrito: eggs, tater tots, black beans, salsa, cheddar, lime, and sour cream. Eatbox calls it Morning Wood. The name explains itself.

Two of Roberta’s finest pies, cooked in a wood-fire oven and consumed with a cold brew from the beer garden

Lucky festivalgoers caught New York chef Eddie Huang at one of his pop ups. Here he tosses foil-wrapped bao—slabs of pork belly wrapped in warm buns—out to the hungry crowd. Let’s ballpark this at 1:30 in the morning.

Another late-night feeding frenzy: crawfish from Shaggy’s Boil. 

Via: The Glorious Food of Bonnaroo 2012

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Happy Hour Bluegrass Punch

The summer backyard barbecue season is finally upon us, gentleman. I propose a toast. More specifically, a toast with bluegrass punch.

Why this drink? For starters, whether you’re hosting your own barbecue or are showing up as a guest to one, you can whip up a batch ahead of time. That way you can hang with your buds instead of cranking out cocktails, or simply bring your host a nice addition to that bucket of brews. Also, much like a light beer, bluegrass punch’s relatively low alcohol content means that you can party longer and not end up “overserved” before your time. And as a bonus, vitamin and antioxidant packed fresh blueberry and pomegranate juices provide a healthy shot in the arm to boot.

You can use any quality bourbon to spike your punch, but Basil Hayden’s is famous for it’s naturally spicy finish, which brings a nice balance to the sweet and tart juices. This is a good thing because sweet plus sour plus spicy equals an excellent companion to almost any grilled food, especially barbecued ribs.

It’ll make your weekend all that much sweeter.

What you’ll need:
4 parts Basil Hayden’s Bourbon (Any good quality bourbon will be fine)
8 parts blueberry puree (Boil water and simmer a pint of blueberries for 15 minutes. Whiz them in a blender, adding liquid from the simmer pot to get the right consistency. Add a squeeze of simple syrup if desired)
8 parts pomegranate juice
Sparkling wine or club soda
Fresh mint leaves
Fresh blueberries (optional)

How to make it:
Mix bourbon, blueberry juice, pomegranate juice and ice in a punch bowl, or pour into a shaker and shake. Fill glass 3/4 and top off with sparkling wine or club soda. Garnish with mint and fresh blueberries. 

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Char Bell Pepper Salad With Pine Nuts, Capers, and Feta

It’s day two of Barbecue University here at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and among the menu of piri piri shrimp, chicken satays, and spiny lobster with mango salsa, host Steven Raichlen dropped in a dish even failed grillers can fire to perfection. Raichlen starts with fresh bell peppers, chars them over high heat, and then serves them with an olive-oil based dressing for an easy appetizer. “This is the one socially acceptable instance in which it’s okay to burn your food on the grill,” Raichlen says.

Bell peppers can take the heat. In fact, they sweeten from it and steal the smoked flavors of the grill as they soften. Pair them with sautéed garlic, toasted pine nuts, salty capers, and creamy feta and you have a meat-free starter that houses a payload of flavor. Save the leftovers to top a turkey and provolone sandwich or chop them up and stir them into a pasta with red sauce.

That is, if there are any leftovers.

Grilled pepper salad with currants, capers, and feta
Recipe by Steven Raichlen

What you’ll need:
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large orange bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp dried currants
1 Tbsp capers
2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup crumbled feta
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

How to make it:
1. Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. When ready to cook, place the peppers directly on the coals (or on the grates of your gas grill) and grill until the skins are charred on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side, turning with tongs. When blackened, transfer to a large plate and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. As the peppers cool, make the dressing. In a small skillet, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil over moderate heat. Add the garlic and pine nuts and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in the currants and capers. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
3. Peel the peppers (a paring knife can help) and discard the charred skins, along with the seeds and stems. Quarter the peppers lengthwise and arrange them on a platter.
4. Whisk the vinegar into the dressing and stir in the parsley and feta. Season the dressing with salt and pepper, and then pour it over the peppers and serve. Serves 4.

 

Via: Char Bell Pepper Salad With Pine Nuts, Capers, and Feta

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Heat And Eat Planked Camembert With Exotic Mushrooms

During the three days of classes, Raichlen demos more than 20 recipes for grill-happy attendees, each demonstrating a simple principal: “If something tastes good baked, broiled, or fried—it’ll taste even better on the grill,” he says.

The best example from today’s class: planked Camembert cheese with exotic mushroom hash.

Camembert, a soft-ripened cheese, has a rich, faintly pungent taste. When heated, the interior of the cheese turns molten, splits the rind and seeps forth, begging to be scooped up by crackers or bread. Raichlen’s spin warms the cheese on a grill set to indirect heat. He then places the wheels of cheese atop a plank of soaked cedar wood, which smolders during the grilling process, emitting a light smoke that the cheese then absorbs. Topped with a heady mushroom “hash,” this recipe makes for the ultimate backyard barbecue appetizer for a few close friends.

Planked Camembert with exotic mushroom hash
Recipe by Steven Raichlen

What you’ll need:
2 Camembert cheeses
1 pound mushrooms, such as morels, porcini, hen of the woods, shiitakes, etc
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp cognac or Armagnac
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cedar plank, soaked in water for 30 minutes, then drained

How to make it:
1. Make the mushroom hash. Trim the stems and any blemishes off the mushrooms. Wipe clean with damp paper towels. Cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch slices. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots and saute until they begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Sir in the mushrooms and parsley and increase the heat to high, cooking until the the mushrooms are browned and all the mushroom liquid has evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the cognac and flambe. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Set up your grill for indirect grilling and preheat to medium-high (400°F). Arrange the Camemberts on the soaked cedar plank. Top each with mushroom hash and then place the planks on the grill over a drip pan way from the heat. Cover the grill. Cook the cheese until the hash is sizzling and the cheese starts to melt, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the plank to a heatproof platter and serve, spreading the cheese and mushrooms on slices of grilled bread. Serves 8.

 

Via: Heat And Eat Planked Camembert With Exotic Mushrooms

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Snack On Hearty, Homemade Granola Bars

Granola could use a good PR team. Its wholesome name has been slandered in recent years, sullied by supermarkets' highly-processed iterations. Search for a decent granola bar in your supermarket and you'll find only candy bars masquerading as health food, snacks that will fill you with empty, fast-burning calories that spike your blood sugar. Yes, it would seem that the iconic potpourri of grains is suffering from some image issues.

But this wasn't always the case, and granola didn't rise within the world of health without reason. Before being corrupted by low-cost sweeteners, the granola bar was a humble yet substantial foodstuff. Built of grains, nuts, and fruit, it offered a potent, hunger-staving blend of fiber, plant protein, and antioxidants.

Fortunately, in its new health-focused cookbook, Mindful Eating, Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa has created a 110-calorie bar that meets these specifications. Unlike brittle, prepackaged versions, these peanut-buttery bars are made from all-natural ingredients and break as softly as fresh-baked cookies. Plus they’re easily customizable. Sub in your favorite fruits and nuts, add coconut or vanilla, or pour in protein powder to convert them into post-workout bars. They make a quick and inexpensive breakfast or, wrapped in cellophane, a portable snack that will survive a day in your bag without refrigeration.

How's that for a comeback?

Miraval Multigrain Nutrition Bar
Recipe by Chad Luethje, Executive Chef at Miraval Resort & Spa

What you'll need:
2 cups rolled oats
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp almonds, chopped
1 Tbsp cashews, chopped
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed, optional
½ cup water
½ cup multi-grain cereal, like this one from Bob’s Red Mill
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup honey
1 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, cherries, apricots), roughly chopped
Pinch kosher salt

How to make it:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine oats, seeds, nuts, and flaxseed, spread onto a sheet pan, and bake until light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Pour the warm mixture into a large bowl.

2. Boil water in a medium saucepan and remove it from heat. Add the multi-grain cereal and allow it to absorb the water, about 2 minutes. Stir in peanut butter and honey, and set the mixture over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides, about 2 minutes.

3. Mix the fruit and salt into the peanut-butter mixture, then immediately pour into the bowl with the grains. Using a rubber spatula, stir until the grains are evenly coated.

4. Grease an 8×8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, transfer the mixture to the pan, and press it into a uniform ½-inch thickness. Move the pan to the refrigerator and allow it to chill for at least two hours.

5. Cut into 1½-inch by 1¼-inch bars. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap. Bars will keep for two days at room temperature or four days refrigerated.

Makes 30 bars. 

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See The Best Food From The Great GoogaMooga 2012

Two days. Seventy-three food vendors. Twenty-seven breweries. More than 150 wines for the tasting. Guy Gourmet did its damndest to consume as much as possible at this year’s first ever Great Googa Mooga Festival in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. And while the team didn’t even put a dent in the vast banquet of eats and drinks the food and music festival had to offer, we did score some unbelievable bites—and we actually managed to snap photos of a few of them before chowing down.

Mile End’s cured meat sandwich, lanced with pirate swords.

Pork papusas with cabbage from El Olomega. Served up on the side: electronica from NYC’s Holy Ghost!

Los Angeles’ Umami Burger raised the burger game with truffles and housemade American cheese.

The Bee Sting Pizza from Roberta’s. Pepperoni. Mozzarella. Chili oil. Honey. Bliss.

Chef Marc Vetri from Philadelphia’s Alla Spina served up mortadella hot dogs with spicy pickled cukes and cabbage. 

Via: See The Best Food From The Great GoogaMooga 2012

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Seduce Her With Food!

Women dig men who cook good food. Feel like you’re lacking in the kitchen skills department? The talented and lovely Candice Kumai is here to help with her new Men’s Health blog, Cook for More Sex.

Kumai’s a professionally trained chef (and former model) who’s appeared on Top Chef, Iron Chef America, Dr. Oz, The Today Show and tons of other stuff. She knows food, and her upcoming book, Cook Yourself Sexy, showcases meals that not only taste great, but make you look damn good, too.

In short: She’ll show you how to cook food for your lady that will impress the pants off her. Click here to head over to Kumai’s blog, where you’ll learn the top five foods to seduce any woman, the perfect hands-on meal for two, and so much more…

 

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BBQ Ribs Wisdom From Memphis In May

There's a foul myth running rampant in the land of barbecue, and it goes like this: A perfect rib is one in which the protein's grip on the bone is so weak that you can jostle it loose with a feeble shake of the wrist. It's a blasphemous rumor, and it's turning otherwise fine ribs to soft mush.

The man to trust in this matter is Chris Lilly, executive chef of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama.  Lilly's barbecue has received dozens of awards, not the least of which are three grand champion trophies from Memphis in May. So what does he say about rib tenderness? If the meat shakes from the bone like buttered noodles slipping through a pair of loosely held chopsticks, then it’s overcooked. "Anybody can leave ribs in the smoker until they fall off the bone," he says. "But that's just not what you want."

A properly cooked rib, he says, has just the slightest resistance when you bite in. It's not entirely submissive. It's not a meal for the toothless. Yes it should be tender, moist, and buttery, but by no means should it have the consistency of warm porridge.

So, the next time you barbecue ribs, here's how you test for doneness: Place your thumb on the end of one bone and your pointer finger on the end of a neighboring bone. Slowly push the bones apart so that the meat holding them together tears. If it’s springy like rubber, your ribs aren't ready, but if it splits with zero effort—or if the meat's too soft to even stand for the test—then your ribs are overcooked. Throw them away and start again.

I’m kidding. Eat the damn ribs and enjoy them. Next time you’ll pull them 20 minutes earlier.

For ultimate ribs off the smoker, click here for the definitive recipe. 

Via: BBQ Ribs Wisdom From Memphis In May

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BBQ School Smoke Crowd-Pleasing Brisket

There's a difference between full and satisfied. Feed a person enough of any food and they will eventually feel full. It takes a real meal to satisfy an eater—a real meal like barbecue brisket.

Sausage, chicken, and ribs are delicious pulled off a smoker, but brisket stands as the crowning achievement of any barbecue master worth his salt rub. Cut from the front portion of the cow, wedged between fore shank and chuck cuts, the brisket is a hunk of hearty beef, tough unless prepared well. Brisket needs low heat and long cook times to turn tender—the type of environment a smoker cultivates best.

But beyond a gentle cooking process, brisket is robust. You can bombard the cut with strong spices. You can hit it with assertive wood smokes. You can even give it a few quick jabs before you throw it on the smoker. Go on, it can take it. Brisket will only reward you with deep, bold, meaty flavors accented by a spice crust so good you'll have to restrain yourself from sneaking pieces.

This Memorial Day, instead of feeding your guests until they're full, feed them until they're satisfied. Feed them with brisket.

Ancho Chile BBQ Brisket
Recipe by Jack Gilmore, executive chef of Jack Allen's Kitchen in Austin, TX

What you'll need:
1 5 to 5 1/2 pound flat-cut (also called "first-cut") with fat trimmed to ½ inch on one side
4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 cups hickory or oak wood chips, soaked in water 1 hour

How to make it:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the salt, sugar, and spices. Rub the spice blend over the brisket. Wrap the brisket in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

2. Prepare your smoker to 300°F. Scatter half the wood chips over the hot coals. Unwrap the brisket and arrange fat-side up on the smoker grates.

Allow the temperature to slowly fall to 250°F as the brisket cooks and then maintain that temperature, adjusting vents or adding more charcoal as needed. The brisket is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 160°F, about 3 ½ hours. Allow the brisket to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. 

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Happy Hour Upgrade Lynchburg Lemonade

Welcome to the Guy Gourmet Happy Hour series. Check back here each Friday afternoon and we will hit you with a fresh and simple recipe designed by industry pros. This week: Lynchburg Lemonade.

For this holiday weekend we teamed up with Gabe Orta at Bar Lab in Miami who developed a fresh twist on the Jack Daniel’s recipe. The fresh fruit and herbs in this recipe replace dried mix and soda to create an instant, refreshing upgrade to this this classic JD staple.

Planning to crank up the BBQ this Memorial Day? This Lynchburg Lemonade’s sour mash whiskey base and perfect blend of sweet, sour and even a hint of savory pair beautifully with Guy Gourmet’s ass-kicking BBQ beef brisket recipe. So cook up, cool down and let’s not forget to hoist one to our troops. Hooah!

What you’ll need:
2 oz Jack Daniel's
1 oz peach pureé (pulse 1/2 peach in a food processor)
3/4 oz lemon juice
3/4 oz simple syrup (Combine 3 parts water to 2 parts simple syrup, fresh lemon and lime juice)
3 thyme sprigs

How to make it:
Add all ingredients into a shaker. Shake well and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with thyme sprigs.

Photo courtesy of Jack Daniel’s

 

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Go Behind Americas Best BBQ Battle

If there were a church of pork, Memphis in May would be its Mecca. For 35 years barbecue aficionados have converged on the bank of the Mississippi River to demonstrate their mastery of ribs, shoulders, wings, whole hogs, and so on. Men’s Health is no stranger to the competition, and this year we once again signed on for three days of bacchanalian gluttony. Pigs were demolished. Beers were consumed. The details are hazy, but at one point there may have been an ice luge and a jug of moonshine. You will find few who will admit to this.

What isn’t hazy is the camaraderie and respect that competing teams showed each other during the three-day contest. Once the coals were glowing and the pork was seasoned, the world’s best pitmasters opened their doors to their rivals, offering them food and beer in exchange for stories and secrets. Only the top teams received trophies, but all teams left with full bellies and freshly charged inspiration to take back to their restaurants and backyards. Oh, and there may have been a hangover or two, but it wasn’t anything that eggs and thick-sliced bacon couldn’t cure.

In Memphis, baby backs dominate the rib category, but that’s not always the case. At The American Royal competition in Kansas City, for instance, spare ribs are more common.

Teams work quickly to get their ribs to the smoker.

David Bottagaro of The National Pork Board demonstrates how to butcher a hog.

The competition is held in Tom Lee Park, directly across the river from Arkansas.

The competition lasts only three days, but teams set up elaborate structures to welcome guests and judges.

A meat-loving festival goer competes in a Frank’s RedHot wing-eating contest. You’ve, um, you’ve got a little sauce on your … ah nevermind.

A hungry crowd attacks the table during a crawfish boil put on by The Fatback Collective.

Yep, there’s more than one way to cook a pig. This guy will hang here through the night.

Teams decorate their grills to impress the judges that come by to score the barbecue.

A team cooks down their sauce to concentrate the flavor and help it cling nicely to the meat.

Is this a perfect rib?

The teams cut carefully to extract the most pristine ribs for judging.

The Shed’s “Robo-Pig” makes for easy eating. Just reach through the skin and pull out a handful of warm pork.

You fellas know where a guy can get a bite to eat? 

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