In Honor of Cinco De Mayo, Our Top Mexican Food Articles of All Time
In Honor of Cinco De Mayo, Our Top Mexican Food Articles of All Time
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Doug Ferguson
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Doug Ferguson
How to Make an Awesome Spicy Tuna Melt
You thought I was going to say Spicy Tuna Roll, didn’t you? But imagine if you were to make your typical Tuna Salad but instead of Hellmans, you used that spicy mayo they serve at Sushi Restaurants. Got the idea from this funky little Japanese Bakery in the East Village of Manhattan called Panya.My secret ingredient is Sriracha. This Thai inspired hot sauce is made by the Huy Fong Food company. Click the link and read the story on Wikipedia. It’s pretty great.
Spicy Tuna Salad
- 12 oz (large) can of solid white albacore tuna in water (drained)
- half cup of Hellmans
- handful of fresh parsley (minced)
- 1 celery stalk (small dice)
- good dill pickle (small dice) McClure’s Spicy if you can find it.
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (double if you want to feel the heat)
- Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
When I say “diced small” you’ll want to cut the celery length wise a few times so you have at least 4 thin celery sticks. Then cut them across so you have nice, evenly cut, small celery dice. Do something similar with the dill pickle. You want to get crunch in every bite but you don’t want it to overwhelm the mixture.
Dump everything in a large bowl and fold together until well incorporated. Try to keep the tuna from being totally mushed, it’s nice when it’s chunky.
Pre heat the oven for broil.
Lightly toast up some nice, artisanal bread in the toaster and butter slightly. Place the toast on a cookie sheet and spread a healthy portion of the spicy tuna salad on each.
Cover with your favorite melty cheese. I used cheddar here but swiss is great and if you want to stick with the spicy theme go with a pepper jack.
Place under the broiler for 45 seconds to a minute. Important, don’t walk away from the oven. If fact, don’t even close the door. Just watch it melt. You want to get the cheese totally melted but you don’t need to worry about cooking the tuna salad. In fact, I like it when it’s melty on top and the tuna salad is still cool.
Enjoy with a nice cup of your favorite soup.
Happy big sister.
How to Make an Awesome Spicy Tuna Melt -
Doug Ferguson
SBCB Video: Smoked (then Grilled) Brisket
I can’t say I’ve mastered this Weber Smokey Mountain cooker but I’m not giving up. Last weekend I tried my hand at a beautiful 8lb beef brisket.
I’ve had a hard time regulating and maintaining the heat. I’ve added coals periodically but have had mixed success at them igniting consistently.
Maybe I need one of these bad boys…
Anyway, I smoked it for about 4 hours at 225 and then wrapped it in tin foil and grilled it on indrect heat for another 3 hours. Then I sauced it and kissed it with some flames for an additional 30 minutes.
I give myself a B – on this go around. But I’m getting there. Enjoy the Video:
SBCB Video: Smoked (then Grilled) Brisket
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Doug Ferguson
In Defense of the Monster Burger
I love the freshly ground, brisket and chuck, burger-blend my butcher prepares.
The beef comes out of the meat grinder in these nice blobs which they refer to as “Flowers”. Seems far too dainty a term given what’s about to go down in my kitchen.
Each meat flower weighs in at about 1 1/2 lbs. So that’s 24 ounces. I always end up bundling up two healthy (9 ounce) patties and have about 6 ounces left over which I usually use for sliders for the kids.
One Saturday evening however, I said the heck with it. The kids had filled up on mac and cheese and I made a command decision: “I’m going to make us some Donkey Kong Burgers!”
And then an interesting thing happened. The sheer mass allowed me to cook the burgers a little bit longer without them drying out. I seared them in my cast iron skillet long enough for an extra crispy crust to evolve. More than usual anyway. The meat at the very core stayed nice and mid-rare. It also gave me time to let the cheese melt naturally, without having to drop a lid over them.
But what was really satisfying (after my initial gluttony guilt subsided) was that sensation of a seriously substantial beef bite. Here’s to enjoying the view from atop of the food chain.
In Defense of the Monster Burger -
Doug Ferguson
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Tasty
Can I get this in wallpaper… or toilet paper?
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Doug Ferguson
The Beef Wellington Affair
Every once in a while you just have throw an epic dinner party.
Invite those couples in your life that are always there to help you out in a jam. And then drop a deluxe, three course meal on them, with a Beef Wellington as the centerpiece. They will not soon forget it. And when your power goes out for a week you won’t feel bad imposing. ; )
First thing I do is take the puff pastry out of the freezer to thaw on the counter.
I got this amazing, 3 1/2 lb center cut beef tenderloin (aka chateaubriand) from Fresh Direct. Gorgeous. If you don’t have a Fresh Direct around you’ll want to become good friends with your neighborhood butcher. As in, bring him a bottle of scotch next time he hooks you up!
It’s good that it’s tied, but don’t forget to remove the twine before you begin swaddling it in it’s cozy blanket of puff pastry. And yes, I have made this mistake. #knucklehead
Sear the beef in hot skillet until you get a nice crust all around.
Next, lay out a few sheets of plastic wrap long and wide. Enough to easily wrap that beast of a tenderloin.
Then shingle out 8-10 slices of Prosciutto di Parma. It’s about a half pound when you buy it.
Slather the roast with Dijon mustard. If you want to be religious about it you should probably use an English mustard (like Colman’s) with this very English classic, but hey, I just love that Maille Dijon.
Now it’s time to make the Mushroom Duxelles. Here’s a Key: you need to cook all the water out of the duxelles or it will make the pastry soggy.
- 3 pints button mushrooms
- 2 shallots
- 3 heads of garlic
- leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme
- salt and pepper
- small glug of olive oil
- 1 tbsp of butter
Whiz this up in food processor until all the big chunks are dealt with. Cook in a non stick pan so you don’t have to use a lot of oil. I saute over medium for about 15 mins. You can push the mixture to the side to check when there is no more moisture coming out of the shallot/mushrooms. Don’t rush this.Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.When moisture is cooked out, let cool and then spread across the layers of prosciutto. DON’T FORGET TO REMOVE THE BUTCHER TWINE.Lay the roast over the duxelles. Pull up and wrap layers carefully keeping the plastic on the outside. Wrap tightly around. Put in the fridge for 20 minutes until it firms up.Now roll out two sheets of store bought puff pastry that has been thawing. I like to slightly overlap the two sheets and sort of roll them together.Okay, now this is a big key: Once it’s wrapped in Pastry and ready for the oven, make sure you vent with slices on the top. This will help release the steam and allow the pastry to get crisp through the cooking process. I’ve forgotten to do this and the bottom third of the Wellington comes out soggy. : (Toss it in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer hits 130 degrees.
While it’s cooking in the oven you’ll have plenty of time to mak the sauce. Slice and saute a couple of shallots and 3 heads of garlic in olive oil. Wait to season it at the end. Once it’s softened add a cup of brandy and flambe. Best to do this when the guests arrive but you’re going to want to reduce this down considerably so it may take a while. Once the flames die down add box of beef stock and reduce until it has a nice, concentrated beefy/brandy flavor. Season with S&P. Add a cup of cream (and another tbsp of that mustard) at the end and reduce a little more. Taste and re-season if necessary. If it’s not luxurious enough, go ahead and add a pad or two of butter.
Serve on a bed of sauce alongside some nice potato gratin and garnish with a chive or two.
Cheers!
The Beef Wellington Affair -
Doug Ferguson
SBCB Ep 116 – Suburban SuperMommy
Beth is probably going to kill me for posting this but… Hopefully it puts a smile on your face. Happy Friday everyone.
Love you Mommy!
SBCB Ep 116 – Suburban SuperMommy -
Doug Ferguson
Essex County Wing Throwdown
My brother-in-law was looking for a new place for chicken wings. He lives in Montclair, NJ and knows a good wing when he sees it. He brews his own beer and takes such things as seriously as we do.
I told him about the heated debate that goes on in our neighborhood and the different camps of hardcore Wing proselytizers who swear by their favorite products.
“We should have a taste test”, he said.
“Ooh, that sounds blog worthy”, I replied.
Hence the Essex County Wing Throwdown was on.
There’s the classic Buffalo Wing, found at the Millburn, NJ establishment known as “O’Reilly’s” who serves arguably the best around. ”Classic, crispy skin and as spicy as you want”.
Then there’s the breaded, (gasps all around from the purists) deep fried chicken wings at “Village Trattoria” in South Orange. ”Tasty and crunchy, you can’t deny it”.
And finally, a unique wing from the relatively new establishment in West Orange, called “SuzyQue’s”. As I understand it, the wing is first given a shower of spice rub and then smoked in the morning. Throughout the day it’s flash fried to order. ”Smokey, meaty and delish”.
Let the Throwdown begin! Our tasting panel included in-laws Sue and Nick, David, wife Beth and myself. Callie and Henry really only ate the crispy, breaded Wings from Trattoria but that deserves special acknowledgement.
Personally, I like the Village Trattoria’s wings. We get them with the sauce on the side so a) the kids can eat them and b) the outside stays super crisp. I’m probably half way towards the purist, in that I think you should fry the wings long enough to where the skin gets crispy. This is where “O’Rielly’s” misses the mark. They skin is rarely crispy.
The first time I had the Smoked Wings at SuzyQue’s I was blown away but when I’m craving a wing I’m not thinking about Smoked Turkey wings. I’m craving Frank’s hot sauce and crunch.
My brother-in-law took his time tasting each wing taking his job as lead taster very seriously.
“I like the Smoked wing the best.” He announced, most agreed with him.
So, SuzyQue’s wins Top Wing in the Suburban Cookbook house.
Granted, this is a small selection of Essex county restaurants. We would love some feedback on where you think the best wing is, in our neighborhood or yours. Leave a comment below!
Essex County Wing Throwdown -
Doug Ferguson
Super Bowl Preparedness – “The Best Steak Nachos”
I know that’s a bold statement, as I’m sure a lot of you have recipes and techniques for making a killer plate of nachos. But if you look closely at the headline you’ll see I put that in quotes. Meaning, I’m just quoting my neighbors. Well, just one neighbor, but still, they’re pretty bangin’. Give them a whirl this Super Bowl and tell me I’m crazy.
We in the Northeast have been having an incredibly mild winter so far. I mean it’s 60 degrees right now in New York and it’s February. So, what the heck, fire up that grill!
The key: Don’t do the traditional TGI Fridays move by taking a big mound of chips on a plate and then throwing loads of goopy topping on top. What always happens is you get a bunch of overloaded, soggy chips on top and naked chips on the bottom. Very unsatisfying. No, when you’re making steak nachos, take the time to build each nacho into the perfect bite. Your guests will be impressed.
I start with two skirt steaks and throw them into a large ziplock. Then I make the marinade. I have a few variations on my skirt steak marinade, this one has more of a Tex-Mex vibe for obvious reasons.
Mexican Skirt Steak Marinade:
- 3/4 cups soy sauce
- 1/4 olive oil
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- juice of a lime
- half bottle of Tabsco Chipotle hot sauce
- tbsp Cumin
- 1/2 tbsp mexican oregano
- two shallots or 3 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- salt and pepper (at least 5 grinds of coarse black pepper)
Secure the ziplock and shake it all around to completely mix and cover the steak with all the ingredients. Place in a casserole dish in case it leaks and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove from ziplock and Grill to medium. Something magic happens with the Soy and the Red Wine Vinegar. I high flame will start to caramelize it and the results is pure magix.
Slicing tip: Slice the pieces crossway, meaning with the grain, so that you have a bunch 3 inch pieces. Then take those three-inch-long pieces and slice them, fairly thin, AGAINST the grain. You should have perfectly tender and perfectly sized pieces of steak, ready for tortilla toasting.
Grate some cheese. I like to do a mix of orange and white, sharp cheddar.
Lay out your tortillas (no broken, wimpy chips allowed) across two cookie sheets. Layer with a piece of steak, a large pinch of grated cheese, a jalapeno and a black olive. I mix it up in places and leave off the jalapenos on some for the kids and double down for… well, me.
Cook in a pre-heated, 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it. They can burn easily. If you can time it so they’re perfectly gooey and the chips are a little toasted/browned at the corners, well then you’re just money.
Serve with a nice selection of hot sauces, lime wedges, sour cream and guacamole.
Crunch. Yum.
Thumbs up! We’re Jets fans but we’ll be rooting for Big Blue this Sunday!
Super Bowl Preparedness – “The Best Steak Nachos” -
Jennine
Holiday Sugar Cookies
On our tree-lined street in South Orange, there is a tradition between our neighbors. Today, after my husband dropped the hint a few months ago, our neighbors “up the hill” dropped off the best rum cake on the face of the earth. Soon, our neighbors “down the hill” will come bearing some sort of homemade heaven. And now, the pressure is on. The empty cookie boxes are calling, so we set out to bake our favorite holiday sugar cookies and mix up some royal icing. After a visit to the NY Cake store last weekend, I am now fully stocked with a rainbow of sanding sugars and a new cookie decorating kit by Kuhn Rikon. (For me, the cake decorating supply store on 22nd street is the equivalent to Barneys) Armed with five squeeze bottles with interchangeable decorator tips, this year was a breeze. Unlike pastry bags, these bottles are super easy for kids to handle. The most beautiful thing is that once the icing is made and the bottles are filled, they can last for up to a week at room temperature.
I have tried a bunch of sugar cookie recipes over the years but my favorite comes from The Joy of Cooking. The trick is to roll out the dough between sheets of wax paper then put them in the fridge- or the freezer if you are impatient. You can re-roll scraps and re-chill over and over and the dough never gets tough (I think this is because there is no extra dusting flour involved.)
Make ahead tip: Sometimes I make a double batch and roll out four or five sheets of dough, stack them on a cookie sheet, wrap them in cellophane, and freeze. When ready to bake, let them thaw on the counter a bit until they are a little pliable and you are set to go with the cookie cutters.
Rolled Sugar Cookie Recipe
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups flourBeat the sugar and butter on medium until very fluffy. Add the egg, baking powder, salt, and vanilla and beat until well combined.
Stir in the flour little by little and beat gently until smooth.
Divide the dough into two balls and roll each between sheets of wax paper. Chill until firm.
Position a rack in the middle to upper third of the oven. Working with one sheet at a time, cut out cookies and place on a cookie sheet lined either with parchment paper or a SILPAT. (These are amazing)
Bake for 6-10 minutes at 350 degrees, depending on how cold the dough is. Keep a watch out to avoid browned edges.
Yield: 2-3 dozen cookiesA few notes: This recipe doubles really easily and then you have plenty to decorate, especially if you have kids involved. My son eats his cookies as fast as he decorates them. Also, it is worth buying a good quality organic butter because the cookies will taste much better.
Royal Icing
Royal Icing is great for holiday cookies because it dries hard and sanding sugars adhere to it like glitter on glue. I don’t remember where I learned this recipe, but I think it is pretty standard.
You will need:
Box of confectioner’s sugar (1 pound)
2 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder
4-6ish Tablespoons of warm water
Pour sugar and powder into mixer and mix on low for a few seconds. Add 3-4 Tablespoons of warm water and mix. Very gradually add more water until the consistency is not too thick and not too runny. It should make a ribbon when you spoon it rather than a peak. If it is too thick, your squeeze bottle will feel like a hand exerciser. (If you happen to add too much water then you can fix it by adding more powdered sugar.)
Divide the frosting into little bowls and add food coloring. Put it into bottles or pastry bags and it will keep at room temperature for up to a week.
For the kids, I made a double batch of cookies and a double batch of frosting-red, green, white, yellow, and blue. I put the sprinkles and sanding sugars in ramekins with little spoons and they had a great time. I set aside about half of the cookies for myself for later.
After the kids were all snug in their beds, I sat down with some spiked egg nog, lit my “Home for the Holidays” Yankee Candle, and turned on my Charlie Brown Christmas album. Zen and the art of making holiday cookies…
Holiday Sugar Cookies
Heather Ferguson is discussing. 
Heather Ferguson 4:32 pm on May 4, 2012 Permalink
It was truly yummy.
xoHeather