For the longest time, I tried to make food representative of one or more of the teams participating in the big game. For example, if the Ravens were playing, I would have made something with blue crabs. If Philly was playing, I would make Roast Pork Italiano hoagies.

So with the given teams currently still play, let me hear some suggestions!

Here are some of my initial thoughts!

Indianapolis Colts- Fried Pork Tenderloin sandwiches
Minnesota Vikings- Smoked Fish
New Orleans- Jambalaya, Gumbo, Boudain,
NY Jets- Sour Grapes?

The Bourbon Peat that is shown above is processed into a very fine strands. It almost reminds me of some smokeless tobacco. What Peter has done here has combined peat and the char from oak bourbon barrels for a new wonderful flavor.

Here is the brisket with a nice fat cap sitting on some not-stick aluminum foil. Notice that there is nothing on the meat itself.

Here is the setup. On th left hand side, I have a can that I use to hold the smoldering Bourbon Peat. The grate is being propped up by some fire bricks. I also have a bowl of water that will be used to 1) help the smoke latch onto the meat 2) capture the smokey flavor that is later used for sauce. On the right hand side, I use some small peat briquettes and allow them to sit right next to the flame. I only use the back burner so not to directly heat the product.

Here the brisket is placed on the grate. The slope allows the fat and juices to run off of the meat and not provide any additional cooking. It is important that the aluminum foil only touches the meat at the bottom. We do not want anything else to transfer heat to the brisket.

After about 4-5 hours at roughly 200 degrees, this is the final product and it was awesome. The rich earthiness of the peat combined with the sweetness of the bourbon provided the perfect combination.

If you are interested in trying the product, make sure to order your product from SneakyPeat.com or visit Peter at the Richmond Highland Games & Celtic Festival this weekend.

I do my best to grab at least one of the magnificent creations each time I pass through the City of Brotherly Love. Those times are few and far between so I have to find a way to make due. Yesterday, I came close to recreating the cheese steak. NOTE_ I am not so vain to think that I could actually compete with the likes of Tony Luke’s, Pat’s, Geno’s or Jim’s.

The Cheese- Cheese steaks are to be made with Provolone or Cheese Whiz. I tend to prefer the Whiz over the Provolone, but I could not find proper Cheese Whiz at Ukrops or the drug store. I had to settle for Kraft singles. They melt well but lacks in true meat penetration.

The Roll- Cheese steaks should be made with Amorosa rolls. They are made in Philly and very few other places, if any. The are soft, light and chewy. Fortunately we can find these gems in our neighborhood WaWa market. Make sure to warm them up in a low-temp oven.

The Onions- This is the easy part. I generally use yellow onions, but lastnight I mixed both yellow and red together with a bit of peanut oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.

The Meat- I am not a fan of Steakums or really any other processed frozen meat. I went down the street to Belmont Butchery, where they gladly cut up some local, ethically raised beef in what they term “Japanese Style”. All that really means is that they slice it up similar to lunch meat and therefore perfect for cheese steaks. I cooked the slices on a griddle, topped with a dash or two of seasoning salt. That’s it.

I threw on some Heinz Ketchup and mayo (I was out of hot pepper relish). Great sandwich.

Russell T. Cook- formerly of Millie’s Fame
A simple straightforward grilled cheese I like requires a partial loaf of crusty baguette, olive oil, 1/2 clove of garlic, a few slices of comte or raclette and a broiler. I cut the bread, a little more than a 1/2″ thick, on a severe bias. (to give you a good bread::crust ratio) Oil each side and rub with garlic clove. Toast one side in broiler until GBD. (golden brown delicious) Flip and toast other side half as long. Cover that side with cheese and continue to broil until gooey and bubbly. Sandwich the two pieces together and go to town.
Sometimes, when I feel like a fancy-pants, I’ll add sliced apple and bacon.

Candace Nicholls- IT Recruiter
Start with 2 slices of a country-style white bread. Spread one slice generously with pesto, and the other with just a teeny bit of mayo. Add several slices of provolone or fontina cheese to the piece of bread spread with mayo(usually the former, the latter is harder to come by in New Kent County), and top with sliced Roma tomatoes (they taste better, often, and the smaller slices fit together better on the bread), then sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Top with the slice of bread spread with pesto, then dot the outside of the sandwich with butter (on both sides, but it’s usually easier to do the second side once it’s in the pan). I’ve been using the flat griddle plates of my waffle iron to cook this- it smashes it enough without smashing it TOO much- my Panini maker makes it too flat.

Billy Pillow- Graphic Designer
He suggested that I look at Welsh Rarebit recipes that use Guinness.

So I am proud to say that I have mastered a dish, albeit a simple dish- The Refried Bean!

So the basic process of making frijoles is taking the dried pinto bean, cooking it in water over a period of 3 hours, mashing them, and frying them up with some onions and fat*. I used duck fat the first time and bacon fat the second time. I also used generic taco seasoning. And really, both times, the beans were good but not great. I was really disappointed in the in the consistency. It was very chunky and husky. I tend to like creamier beans.

So last night, I made some major changes. After cooking the beans in water, I dumped them into the blender with some additional water and went to town. I then fried the blended concoction with onions and duck fat. I seasoned them with salt, Penzy’s Adobo seasoning, and Hungarian Paprika. They were heavenly and by far the best thing on the table last night. Thank goodness I will never have to subject my guests to canned or freeze-dried frijoles again.

*Note- any fat will do. Olive Oil is fine for those vegetarians out there. I love the meat fats because they provide great flavoring.

Since returning from my trip, I have been fairly adventurous in my cooking. This initially started with Greek food, but it has extended into other cuisine. Last week, I thought I would give gravlax a try. I have been fascinated in trying it ever since Bookstore Piet was telling me about how well it turned out. A few months later, I was fortunate enough to try the actual goods from the man himself. So without further ado, here are Piet’s gravlax instructions.

Ingredients:
Salmon (high quality, preferably sushi grade)
Salt
Sugar
White Pepper
Fresh Dill

Instructions:
-wash the salmon, pat dry, remove pin bones
-combine salt and sugar (1 part salt to 2 parts sugar) and add 2 tablespoons white pepper
-place salmon in a dish or pan. pour a shot or two of akavit over and let sit for 10 or 15 minutes
-remove excess liquid and pat dish dry
-pour a small base of sugar/mixture into dish a place salmon (skin side down) onto mixture.
-place several sprigs of fresh dill on top of salmon
-cover salmon with remainder of salt/sugar – make sure the salmon is completely covered
-let sit on counter for 30 minutes to an hour
-cover and place in fridge and wait 36-48 hours to do it correctly
-when you remove it rinse under cold water, make sure you do NOT rehydrate the salmon.
-after rinsing pat dry and wrap tightly in saran wrap until ready to use. I find it best to remove from the mixture at least a couple of hours before serving
-slice thin at a heavy bias

Oh, it turned out perfect!