The weekend was fantastic from start to finish. Spending time with old friends (Jen, Susan, Alice, Diane, Stephanie, Denise), making new ones (John, Allison, Peabody, Kevin, Amanda, Donna, Deseree), and meeting so many folks that I admire (Shauna and Dan, Penny, Kelly, Diane, Lael) was the biggest kick for me. I admit I was a little tongue-tied when meeting some of these fantastic folks, which is probably better than babbling on like a dork, but still I hope I didn’t make a complete fool out of myself.

In addition to all the awesome people, here are my biggest “likes” from the conference:

Penny de lo Santos: Beautiful photographs that make my heart ache. I had a moment akin to the first time I saw The Bread Baker’s Apprentice cover in the bookstore, when I had this out of body experience and heard my own voice say, “I want to make bread like that.” Being engulfed in Penny’s photos brought the same reaction, “I want to make photos like that.” I finally had to stop tweeting her tips because I didn’t want to miss a single image. And she is funny and delightful. The biggest thing I hung onto from Penny’s presentation is to allow time for photographs to happen. Waiting for the right moment can make all the difference between a good photograph and a photograph that stimulates our emotions.

James Oseland: It was so refreshing to hear from a leader in the food mainstream media that he not only gets bloggers but embraces us. He shared how he started writing about food, and like most of us got into it in a roundabout way. He understands our need to share our love for food and food culture and supports the work we do, whether as a hobby or a profession.

Shauna and Alex: The session on blogging and special diets was really excellent. There was never a moment where it felt like the conversation was stilted or awkward. Both are passionate about their work and it shone through.

Morgan Spurlock: Takes a serious topic and makes it accessible to all without being overbearing. And he’s darn funny, too. (Check out Jen’s photo op with him!)

Readers to Eaters: Phillip and June Jo Lee promote food literacy with programs and events designed to help connect eating and reading. They work with libraries, schools, farmers markets, community organizations, and restaurants to create custom programs. As an educator, I think their work is wonderful and would love to see an organization like this working in the DC Metro area.

Seattle Urban Farm Co.: I had a chance to chat with Brad, one of the owners, and they do some great stuff helping individuals and companies set up organic sustainable gardens. If you are in the Seattle area and want help with a garden, check them out.

Modernist Cuisine: This is what you can do when you have an insatiable interest in something and money is no object. It was like Food Geeks meet The Mythbusters and Time Warp, great stuff. The book collection is a tad pricey for the average home cook, but I really don’t think that’s their audience, and I’m hoping for a digital version with HD video at some point so the boys can amuse themselves watching the popcorn video a zillion times in a row.

Lamb, Grits and food trucks: Yes, we had some really tasty food: bahn mi and rack of lamb on Friday night, steak tartar on Saturday, and grits (yes, grits) on Saturday night. The food truck lunch on Sunday was not only delicious but also my kind of casual fun.

Anita’s Crepes

Rolling Fire

Skillet

Twitter back channel: Check out the #IFBC Twitter stream if you haven’t already. You’ll find lots of helpful tips and quotes from the sessions as well as some hilarious snarky commentary, some of which could make a sailor blush.

Finally, a big special thanks to Theo Chocolate, Sur La Table, POM Wonderful, and all the other sponsors who helped make this weekend memorable. And I’m looking forward to the possibility of IFBC becoming a roving event, perhaps on the East Coast next year!

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I arrived in Seattle late Friday morning and spent the afternoon at Pike Place Market. This would be my only day to see some sights, and of course Pike Place was a no brainer. First stop, the famous fish market at the main entrance. Crabs anyone?

Of course I had to see some fish being tossed about.

Pike Place Market has a small Chinese restaurant that’s Zagat rated, Pike Place Chinese Cuisine, and I enjoyed a quiet lunch there while looking out at the Bay. The meal was hot and sour soup and barbecued pork with vegetables, exactly what I needed to recharge my batteries after the long flight from Dulles.

Cherries for dessert. (As I took this shot, I deeply regretted my decision to leave the big camera and cool circular polarizer filter back home.)

Seeing all the colorful flowers reminded me of the Colombian flower markets that I frequented back in the day and left me wishing I had a way to carry them back home to Virginia.

The sounds of musical groups performing outside on the sidewalks filtered throughout the area. This group has a great sound and drew a crowd.

I adored the colorful chili peppers strung together at a vegetable stand.

And the smells, oh the smells. The Russian bakery across the street called me like the Pied Piper and apparently called many others as the line of eager customers snaked out the door and down the block. And as I meandered through the stalls and the shops, all I could think was how much I wished we had a market as big and vibrant as this back home.

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The volunteer cantaloupe vine is winding its way around the rhubarb, horseradish, cherry trees, lavender, and thyme. We got our first fruit this week, and it was perfectly sweet and delicious.

There are currently five more fruits on the vine so far. I’d say this was a very fortunate volunteer and I’m not sure I could get results this good if I’d tried to plant them. In fact I said in the spring we probably couldn’t grow them due to the problems we have with certain pests. I’m so glad to be proven wrong on this one.

Some tomatillos are climbing the side of the house next to the chili pepper patch. And yes, there are some little tomatillos on them, along with the hoards starting on the four plants on the other side of the house.

Though I adore cantaloupe, this has to be my favorite volunteer this year, a monstrous butternut squash vine that started next to the compost bin and is spreading and growing in the grass right in front of the tomato bed. It’s about 10 feet long now and has huge blossoms and several squash growing on it. Though the squash vine borers made a determined attack, this plant seems to scoff at their attacks. It’s amazing. And like the cantaloupe, I probably couldn’t have grown it if I tried.

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My first taste of baba ghannouj was at the cafeteria on the Saudi Aramco compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, and I could easily make a lunch out of their hummus, baba ghannouj, and flatbread. Baba ghannouj is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made from eggplant that has been grilled or roasted, and the smoky flavor carries over to this simple dip that’s popular all over the Middle East. Depending on where you eat, it will probably have eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, and parsley, and may also have chopped tomatoes, cumin, mint, onions, yogurt, or mayonnaise. So consider this a base recipe, a jumping off point to play with and have fun experimenting with the flavors.

I wish the eggplant came from our garden, but after three years of fighting pests that devour the plants, we finally decided that eggplant just wasn’t a good fit for our garden. Fortunately our homegrown garlic and parsley do add some good flavor to the dish. I hope you’ll join us for the third anniversary of Grow Your Own this month! Posts are due on August 31 and should be sent to me at andreasrecipesgyo AT gmail DOT com. You can find more information at the Grow Your Own page.

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BABA GHANNOUJ (BABA GANOUSH)

Adapted from The Complete Middle East Cookbook, by Tess Mallos.

Serves 6.

Equipment

food processor

Ingredients

1 eggplant (12 ounces/375 g)
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup sesame tahini
2 cloves garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs parsley

SERVE WITH
khoubiz (pita)

Preparation

1. Pierce the eggplant in a few places, then grill the whole eggplant for about 30 to 40 minutes over medium hot coals, turning about every 7 minutes. Peel the skin off while it’s still hot and remove the stem end, then rough chop the flesh. Place it in a colander and drain out the liquid.

2. Add the flesh to the work bowl of the food processor and puree it. Add the lemon juice and tahini and pulse a few times until well mixed.

3. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt. Process well and add more lemon juice and salt to taste.

4. Add the olive oil and parsley, processing until the parsley is chopped but still visible.

5. Serve in a shallow dish garnished with parsley. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Variation

Roast the eggplant in a 400° F/220° C oven.

Other Eggplant Recipes

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Food Blogga – Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

FatFree Vegan – Creamy Creole Eggplant Casserole

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Pan-Fried White Eggplant with Onion, Caper, and Herb Sauce

Viet World –Hmong Spicy Eggplant (Lws Kubtshis Tuav)

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Of all the things we sampled, our favorite was the popular Asian tuna, which the cafe serves on ciabatta rolls or as a green salad topping.

The tuna gets a little kick from Sambal Oelek, an Indonesian condiment made from very hot chiles, vinegar, and salt. Sambals vary between countries and regions, and use a variety of chiles, spices, and many other ingredients, so depending on what you have a taste for and what your local Asian grocery store stocks, you can spice up sandwiches and other dishes in dozens of different ways. Just be prepared because this is spicy stuff.

Other samples we tried included the Santa Fe Salad, Southwest Wrap, Turkey Avocado Sandwich, and the Chicken Pesto Pizza, so it’s a good thing we skipped dinner that night.

Recipe Notes

The recipe as distributed at the demonstration yielded a tuna that was much wetter than the version served in the cafe, plus it was much, much spicier, so we adjusted the ingredients amounts to hopefully come closer to the tuna we sampled. The flavor is very good and it makes a delicious stuffing for lettuce wraps, tortillas, tomatoes, on top of cucumber slices for an appetizer, as well as a salad topping. We’ve been stuffing our homegrown heirloom tomatoes with it, and the combination is terrific. Can you guess what kind of tomato is in the photo? It’s Michael’s favorite and we try to grow them every year. Because these tomatoes are sweet, we omit the honey in the tuna and really don’t miss it.

The tuna salad will keep for a day or so, but it tastes best on the day prepared.

(Print this recipe)

ASIAN TUNA SALAD

Adapted from LifeCafe.

Serves 6.

Equipment

3-quart mixing bowl

Ingredients

1/2 cup (120 ml) mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Indonesian chili paste), or more to taste
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 (6 ounce/170 g) cans tuna, drained and chopped (LifeCafe uses white tuna, we opted for light.)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

1. In the large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, sambal oelek, sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, ginger, kosher salt, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.

2. Add the tuna, carrots, green onions, cilantro, and dried cranberries, then toss to mix well. Use as a stuffing for lettuce wraps, tortilla wraps, tomatoes, on top of thick sliced cucumbers, or on top of green salads.

More Easy Healthy Seafood Recipes

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Simply Recipes – Seared Ahi Tuna with Avocado

Steamy Kitchen – Sesame Seared Tuna with Lime Ginger Vinaigrette

Farmgirl Fare – Swiss Chard Tuna Salad

Kalyn’s Kitchen – Tuna Stuffed Avocado Salad with Tomatoes, Cilantro, and Lime

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The summer heat has hit hard this year with temperatures well into the 90s and higher, and with the humidity factored in it’s downright unbearable some days. Though we use the slow cooker much less in the summertime, on days like this it’s actually a lifesaver. No hot stove, hot oven, or hot grill, just the slow cooker working its magic. Michael’s mom has used this recipe for years and doesn’t know where she got it, but it’s an easy recipe for pulled pork. It’s slightly sweet, not smoky like our chipotle sauce, and a hit with the kids. During out last visit, she had both slider and regular size buns, and the sliders were perfect for the boys.

The original recipe is as simple as it gets, just dump all the ingredients in the slow cooker and turn it on, though you can deepen the flavors by sautéing the onions, peppers, and pork before slow cooking. Either way, you’ll have some tasty sandwiches later.

(Print this recipe)

ANN’S SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK

Serves 8 to 10.

Equipment

4 to 5-quart slow cooker

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.362 kilos) pork shoulder or picnic roast, trimmed and cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
3 green peppers, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup (55 g) brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar
6 ounces (170 g) tomato paste
1-1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

1. In the large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the pork cubes until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker, reserving the pan drippings. Add the chopped onion and green peppers, and sauté until the onions glisten. Transfer the onions, peppers, and the drippings to the slow cooker.

2. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, chili powder, mustard, salt, and Worcestershire sauce to the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or set it on Auto for 6 to 7 hours.

More Pork Recipes

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Homesick Texan – Texas Pulled Pork

Sunday Nite Dinner – Vietnamese Pulled Pork

White on Rice Couple – Smoked Pulled Pork

Use Real Butter – Carolina-Style Pulled Pork

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Last spring my sister came out for a visit and we had a girls’ day of shopping and of course a dinner out together. We both like sushi and headed for a little Thai and sushi fusion restaurant nearby and ordered our favorites. We also noticed a card on the table advertising their Thai mango sticky rice, a classic dessert made with Thai sweet glutinous rice, and decided we would share some of that as well.

When the dessert showed up, we were a little surprised to see green rice on the plate, because it wasn’t green in the picture. We tasted it and tried to pinpoint the flavor, but it wasn’t immediately apparent. The flavor was mild and the color wasn’t very bright, but it was definitely green. We asked the waitress about the rice and how it had been prepared, but she simply smiled and said in her Thai accent that it was “difficult.” Now we didn’t know if that meant difficult to explain or difficult for the average home cook, but in any case she would not divulge the secret even though we asked again.

So after a bit of research and a return visit to the restaurant specifically to order this dessert and ask the chef about it, I’ve learned the secret is pandanus leaves or pandan extract. The leaves are a traditional ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, and the extract adds a slightly sweet flavor. Now that I knew what to look for, I set out on a search and I can tell you it was not easy to find. After visiting several international grocery stores, I finally found some canned pandan extract, which is not the same as the concentrated stuff. The canned extract is a green liquid but it does not impart the bright green color you see in desserts from the region, so to get the color you have to add a drop or two of green food coloring. I opted to not go for the food coloring, so the green color of my rice is muted. If you can find pandan leaves, either frozen or fresh, you can also make your own pandan extract.

With mango in season, this is an easy dessert that you can serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled depending on how hot the day is. I use an electric rice cooker to make the rice, but you can also make it using a traditional conical rice steamer, which is actually fun to learn. The rice should be soaked before cooking, at least 30 minutes if using an electric rice cooker, or overnight if using the rice steamer.

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THAI GREEN STICKY RICE WITH MANGO

Serves 4.

Equipment

electric rice cooker (or traditional rice steamer)
small saucepan

Ingredients

1 cup Thai sweet glutinous rice
1-1/4 cups (300 ml) water
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons canned pandan extract (or 1/2 teaspoon pandan essence)
2 drops green food coloring (optional)
1 cup (240 ml) coconut milk
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 mango, peeled and thinly sliced

Preparation

1. Pour the sweet rice in your rice cooker. Add the water and stir. Let the rice soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours. Add the salt, pandan extract, and green food coloring, then stir. Turn on the rice cooker.

2. While the rice cooks, warm the coconut milk with the sugar in the small saucepan. Remove from heat and allow too cool to room temperature.

3. After the rice cooker finishes the cooking cycle, allow the rice to stand 5 more minutes.

4. For each serving, place a scoop of the warm rice in a bowl or on a plate and drizzle with the coconut milk. Arrange slices of the mango with the rice, then serve.

More Mango Recipes

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Simply Recipes – Mango Chicken Curry

Cooking with Amy – Frozen Mango Lassi

TriniGourmet – Raw Green Mango Chow

Rasa Malaysia – Mango and Lobster Salad

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Our annual visit to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Syracuse has become a must. In between trips we talk about the good food and tell anyone who will listen about the restaurant and dream of slow cooked meats, chili, cornbread, and pickles. Yes, their pickles are very good. They make their own refrigerator garlic dills and they go perfectly with any of the sandwiches.

We found the recipe in our copy of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse, the official cookbook by John Stage (one of the restaurant founders) and Nancy Radke. If you are a fan of Dinosaur Bar-B-Que but don’t live close enough to easily get your fix, this book is well worth adding to your collection. The introduction tells the story of how the restaurant got its start and even includes the daily music playlist and a fun feature, From the Walls of the Stalls (bathroom wall wisdom as contributed by patrons). Stage also shares plenty of tips for outdoor cooking, smoking with wood, and how to cook low and slow.

The recipes include regular menu favorites as well as popular daily specials, such as their pulled pork, pork ribs, beef brisket, barbecued chicken, and the Mutha Sauce, a flavorful tomato sauce that is the basis for their barbecue sauces. And if you are a fan of all their appetizers and sides, you won’t be disappointed. The fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, beans, honey hush corn bread, grits, and fries are all here. The soups chapter has the Texas red chili, jambalaya, and gumbo, and you’ll find the Dr. Pepper Texas Chocolate Cake and coconut bread pudding with rum cream sauce in the desserts.

The pickle recipe is easy, no fuss, no processing in a hot canner, just cook up the brine and pour it over the sliced vegetables, then stick it in the frig. We do recommend you adjust the heat to your liking. Our jalapeños are wicked this year and just one is enough for the recipe, but taste yours and decide.

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DINOSAUR BAR-B-QUE’S GARLIC DILL PICKLES

Adapted from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse, by John Stage, Nancy Radke.

Makes about 4 quarts/liters.

Equipment

4 (1-quart) jars with lids, cleaned well in hot water
3-quart saucepan
wide mouth funnel

Ingredients

4 pounds (~1.8 kilos) pickling cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 jalapeño peppers, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill

BRINE
4 cups (960 ml) white vinegar
2 cups (480 ml) water
6 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup (88 g) sugar
5 tablespoons pickling spice
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons black peppercorns

Preparation

1. Combine the vinegar, water, kosher salt, sugar, pickling spice, mustard seeds, and peppercorns in the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just slightly warmer than room temperature.

2. Slice the cucumbers into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Divide them evenly between the jars. Add the garlic, jalapeños, and dill, dividing evenly between the jars.

3. Pour the brine into the jars making sure to cover the ingredients. Cool to room temperature and cover with lids. Store in the refrigerator, allowing the pickles to marinate for a week, then serve.

More Recipes That Go Well With Barbecue

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White on Rice Couple – Vietnamese Pickled Carrots

A Veggie Venture – Homemade Bread and Butter Pickles, Freezer Recipe

Homesick Texan – Hot Jalapeño Pickles

Pinch My Salt – Aunt Kathy’s Pickled Beets

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We can’t remember the details of our first trip to Dinosaur Bar-B-Que almost eleven years ago when we were dating, or why we chose to go there. Perhaps it was the quirky name, the recommendation of a friend, or even the person working the front desk at the hotel where we were staying. All of that doesn’t seem to matter now since we long ago claimed it as one of our favorite haunts. What we do remember is the food, and every time we go back it seems to get better. Our annual summer pilgrimage to Upstate New York always includes an overnight stay at Mike’s parent’s house in Syracuse, where they give us a break and watch the boys as we jump into the car and visit this homage to grilled meats. Who would have thought one of the best rated barbecue joints in the country would be located just a short distance away from the Carrier dome where the Orangemen play.

If it weren’t for the sign overhead you’d swear you were in front of a biker bar. Everyone is polite as you make your way past the row of Harleys out front, walk through the carry out area, and wait to be seated in the back. The interior is dark and eclectic with photos of jazz greats and memorabilia encircling the walls. Graffiti frames the wooden booths and windows as light streams through the glass block weaving past the neon beer signs. If you’re lucky there will be someone inside playing the blues. If you didn’t know better you’d swear you were in some off-the-beaten-path small Southern town.

The restaurant is a gem, and they serve up some real down home stick-to-your-ribs goodness. Nothing here disappoints and the service is casual and terrific. Dinosaur Bar-B-Que makes their own sauces and rubs with a range of flavor and heat to tickle the palate. I like the Sensuous Slathering Sauce, a slightly sweet sauce that I douse on the beef brisket, and Michael goes for the Wango Tango Habanero Sauce. If you have a serious need for some Dinosaur Bar-B-Que sauce but can’t find it in your local grocery store, they’ll ship it to you. They even have a cookbook with many of their popular recipes, which I will feature in my next post.

Each time I sit down to look at the menu, I find myself lingering over the combination platters, dreaming of pulled pork, beef brisket, and ribs, then taking an eternity to decide on the sides. It’s very important to choose exactly what I want because I know we won’t be back for another year.

During our last visit I had the Tres Niño’s, a daintier version of the Tres Hombres, which is loaded with pulled pork, ribs, beef brisket, honey hush cornbread, and served with fries and tomato cucumber salad on the side. See the charring on the ribs? That’s some good stuff.

Michael chose the Ragin’ Cajun chicken sandwich platter, loaded with hot Diablo sauce and served with fries and chili on the side.

We nibbled off each other’s plate, reminisced about our first visit all those years ago, and planned out the rest of the day. And of course we made plans to come back next year.

Getting There

246 W. Willow Street
Syracuse, NY 13202
315-476-4937

9 Court Street
Rochester, NY 14604
585-325-7090

646 W 131st St.
New York, NY 10027
212-694-1777

http://www.dinosaurbarbque.com

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When we have a glut of a particular fruit or vegetable, we try to find creative ways to use it up or preserve it for later, and making these zucchini pickles is our favorite way to preserve extra summer zucchini. These refrigerator pickles require no processing, you just pack the prepared zucchini slices and onions into jars and add the slightly warm brine. After just 24 hours in the refrigerator, they are ready to enjoy, it could hardly be easier. Because they aren’t cooked, these zucchini pickles retain their crispy crunch, and the simple brine adds lots of flavor. For Michael it took just one taste and he announced that he was forever ruined and would never truly enjoy pickles from the store again.

For best results, make sure to use very fresh firm zucchini.

(Print this recipe)

ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook, by Judy Rodgers.

Makes about 2 pints.

Equipment

large shallow bowl
small saucepan
salad spinner (or tea towels)
2 pint jars with lids
wide mouth funnel

Ingredients

1 pound (454 g) zucchini squash, thinly sliced
1 small yellow onion, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons pickling salt

BRINE
2 cups (480 ml) apple cider vinegar
1 cup (175 g) granulated sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Preparation

1. Place the zucchini and onions slices in the large bowl, add the salt, and toss to distribute. Add a few cubes of ice and enough cold water to cover. Stir to dissolve the salt, and allow to soak for about 1 hour.

2. After the 1 hour soak, taste and feel a piece of the zucchini. It should be softened and taste faintly salty. Drain well, and spin a few handfuls at a time in a salad spinner, or drain on towels.

3. Combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric in the small saucepan and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm to the touch. The brine should not be too warm, or it will cook the vegetables and make them soft.

4. Pack the zucchini and onions into the two pint jars, then ladle the brine over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day before serving. Will keep in the refrigerator indefinitely.

More Zucchini Recipes

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101 Cookbooks – Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake

A Veggie Venture – Homemade Zucchini Relish

Dine & Dish – Zucchini Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Two Peas and their Pod – Baked Zucchini Fries

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