Crab-Stuffed Corn Muffins – Just One Frosting Away From Being Cupcakes

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I was originally going to call these “crab and corncupcakes,” but since I’ve still not perfected my bacon frosting recipe, Idecided to hold off and go with the slightly less exciting sounding“crab-stuffed corn muffins.” And no, I’m not kidding about the bacon frosting.

Besides, since these were inspired by the food wish for new,easy and interesting football party snacks, I think “muffins” sounds a littlemore gridiron than cupcakes. Regardless, they were simple to make, and (as Itested personally) quite delicious eaten while watching a football game,possibly with beer(s).
As some of you longtime viewers may have noticed, this is avariation on something we posted many years ago called “Kernel Porker's Barbecued Pork-Stuffed Corn Muffins,” and I alwayswondered how it would be with crabmeat. When I got the usual autumn avalancheof football-themed food wishes, I figured the time was right to find out, and Iwas very happy with the results!
As I mention in the video, they reminded me of a New Englandcrab or lobster roll, where they simply pile warm, buttery seafood on thosetoasted rolls. This was heavier, but just as pleasurable. Anyway, unlike thereplacement referees that are now calling the games, these didn’t suck, andcertainly won’t be a season-long embarrassment to the league. I hope you givethem a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 Crab-stuffed Corn Muffins
For the crab filling:8 oz crabmeat1 1/2 tbsp mayo1 tsp crushed red chili sauce1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce1 tsp fresh grated lemon zest2 oz grated pepper Jack cheese (about 1/2 cup)salt to tasteFor the corn muffins:1 cup all-purpose flour1 cup corn meal1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp baking soda1 tbsp minced green onions2 eggs1 cup buttermilk1/2 cup melted butterBake at 375 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Lambage Rolls! Lamb & Rice Stuffed Cabbage Leaves with Almonds and Currants

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My love of cabbage rolls is deep and unconditional. I almostalways make the same version, based on my Aunt Angela’s famous recipe, but oncein a while, just for the hell of it, I’ll use lamb instead of beef. 

I love lambburgers and lamb meatballs, so it’s no surprise that I love lamb-stuffedcabbage rolls, and I’m happy to report that these particular “lambage” rollswere the best non-beef version yet!

I remembered a middle-eastern restaurant Michele and I usedto frequent, which served a lamb meatball stewed with tomatoes and spices, andserved over a rice pilaf studded with almonds and currants. I really loved thatdish and tried to incorporate those elements into these cabbage rolls.
I loved the results. Big, bold flavors, yet not too heavy,and like all cabbage rolls, these were very, very comforting. I used a prettylean grind for the lamb, but ideally the butcher will give you something closeto a 80/20 lean-to-fat ratio.
As far as the rest of the stuff, you’re on your own, and asusual I’ll ignore most of the “can I leave out the [insert delicious, totallynecessary ingredient here]” questions. You are the boss of your cabbage rolls,so act like it. Anyway, I hope you share my love of cabbage rolls, and if youdo, I really hope you give this version a try. Enjoy!

Makes 8 Lambage Rolls1 lb ground lamb1 cup rice1/4 cup butter2 tbsp olive oil1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp salt1 tsp black pepper1 tsp cumin1/2 tsp cinnamon1/4 tsp cayennepinch dried oregano1/4 cup packed Italian parsley1 tbsp dried currants2 tbsp sliced almonds1 cup tomato puree3 1/2 cups chicken broth1/2 onion sliced1 head cabbagesalt and pepper to tastefeta and parsley to garnish, optional

Beef Short Ribs "Sauerbraten" – Oh, Snap!

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I had heard that some sauerbratens were finished bythickening the sauce with ground gingersnaps, but hadnever tried it since it just sounds so wrong. It certainly doesn’t seem veryGerman. Cookies in a sauce? What’s next, laughing in public?

Anyway, I’ve had a lot of “do something German!” food wisheslately, and since I’ve wanted to post another short ribs recipe, this seemedlike the perfect opportunity to go full cookie. The results shocked and amazedme. This was comfort food at it's finest.
The 24-hour marinade ensured the succulent rib meat had thatsignature tanginess, and those little cookies not only gave the sauce abeautiful texture, but also added a great spicy sweetness. I am now officiallyin favor of using cookies to finish savory sauces.
With cooler weather on the way, it’s time to rediscover thesimple joy of slowly stewed meat, and what better way than with this delicioustake on a German classic? I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:For the marinade3 lbs short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper1 tbsp vegetable oil 2/3 cup cider vinegar2/3 cup red wine vinegar1 1/2 cups water, plus 1 cup cold water at end to coolmarinade down2 bay leaves9 whole cloves12 juniper berries1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper1 tablespoon salt*Marinate at least 24 hoursThen stew with:1 chopped large onion1 chopped carrot2 ribs celery, chopped3 cloves garlic, minced1 cup water1 cup chicken or beef broth2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1/2 cup crushed gingersnapssalt and pepper to taste

New Fire Pit Grills at David's Stove Shop

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New Fire Pit Grills at David's Stove Shop Video Clips.

Outdoor Cooking on our New Line Of Fire Pit Grills. Great for the BBQ in the back yard, deer lease, family camp outs, lake house, cabin, ranch, business, etc. Watch our Fire Pits in action...........
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Bull's Outdoor Kitchen - Gourmet Q Island - Armstrong Garden Centers

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Bull's Outdoor Kitchen - Gourmet Q Island - Armstrong Garden Centers Video Clips.

Learn more! - bit.ly About Bull's Gourmet Q on our website! This video is provided by Armstrong Garden Centers. Features: Angus stainless stell 4-burner grill, 75000 BTU Stainless steel refrigerator Stainless steel sink and faucet Stainless steel double doors Side burner ...
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Lemon-Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd

Saturday mornings are very sacred to me. The 5:00am work alarm clock is turned off. I can enjoy my morning cup of coffee in a real coffee cup-- instead of a travel mug. I can read the morning paper and chat with my husband.

Bliss. 

Most Saturday mornings, breakfast consists of homemade granola with yogurt or a bowl of oatmeal. But, once in a while, I break away from catching up on emails to make pancakes.  The men in my life love American pancakes. I'm a little more international, because I love Cheese Blintzes  and Swedish pancakes (but they take more work).

Perish the thought of using boxed pancake mix.  This recipe takes about 10 minutes to prepare--tops!
If you've never added ricotta cheese to pancake batter, strap yourself in.  These are moist and tender, and remind me of a hybrid of my beloved cheese blintzes and pancakes.

Adding lemon zest and juice is optional except for us. We love lemon!
But, when you have frozen blueberries, the combination sounded too good to pass up.  Before I began cooking the pancakes, I whipped up a batch of  Easy Perfect Lemon Curd-- that took about 10 minutes to make, from start to finish.
Add the berries, and wait for bubbles to appear...then carefully flip them over.
 Holler for the family to gather around the breakfast table..
You can serve these with pure maple syrup, but the lemon curd is a delicious twist on pancakes.
TASTING NOTES: One very simple word-- Delicious.  Tender, billowy, citrus-y breakfast. Blueberries and lemon are a perfect combination.  Raspberries and lemon go great together, too. When our Meyer lemon tree starts to give us fruit, I'm going to make and can a few jars of this lemon curd. It's so easy to make that you'll never buy it again. 
A printable recipe card is at the end of this post.  If, for some reason, you can't view it, just click here.   "Key Ingredient" is where I store all of my recipe cards (and it's free).  Stay tuned-- because I have an exciting giveaway coming very soon.  You won't want to miss this one!

Frittata di Aragoste Funghi, Finochio e Formaggio Piave Vecchio

A truly gourmet Italian frittata!
     Lobster mushrooms are in season!  In fact, quite a few fresh gourmet mushrooms are in season right now.  I will be posting some nice recipes for fall season mushroom as soon as possible.  As you can guess, I am backlogged with many recipes and restaurant reviews to write.     A few days ago, bluefoot mushrooms were available.  They sell very quickly at $39 per pound, because they are a very rare mushroom.  Bluefoot mushrooms also sell quick, because they contain trace amounts of psilocybin and psilocin.  Bluefoots are a mild hallucinogen, if they are consumed in small quantities.  I sauteed a handful of bluefoots for an American bison steak and after dinner I was feeling rather good!  I sure did some creative writing that night!       Lobster mushrooms are in better supply.  Both bluefoot mushrooms and lobster mushrooms are native to the American northwest forests.  When the fogs of autumn cover the forest, it becomes mushroom gathering paradise!      Lobster mushrooms are not a hallucinogen.  Lobster mushrooms are not even mushrooms, so to speak.  Lobster mushrooms at one time were a mushroom.  This sounds like a riddle, but it is hard to explain what a lobster mushroom is in layman's terms.       Lobster mushrooms are a parasitic ascomycete that grows only on two varieties of mushrooms.  The true name for the parasitic lobster mushroom colony is Hypomyces lactifluorum.  The orange red color of a lobster mushroom comes from the parasitic "fungus" that takes over the host mushroom.  Underneath the red outer coating is a dense white colored mycelia like fungus that causes metamorphosis of the host mushroom.       The two mushrooms that the Lobster parasitic ascomycete colonizes on are the Russula brevipes (Edible Short Stemmed White Russula Mushroom) and the Lactarius piperatus (Semi Edible Peppery Milk-Cap Mushroom).  Peppery Milk Caps are commonly dried and used as a spice or seasoning, but they are rarely eaten as is, because they have a very strong flavor.  Short Stemmed White Russula have a more palatable flavor.       After the lobster parasitic ascomycete engulfs and takes over the host mushroom, the flavor and texture of the host mushroom changes dramatically.  The Short Stemmed White Russula becomes a very nice seafood or shellfish flavor after the lobster parasitic ascomycete takes over.  The acrid strong tasting Peppery Milk-Cap becomes a nice spicy peppery flavor that is very delicious.  Therefore, there are two distinct flavors of lobster mushrooms!       It can be difficult to distinguish which of the two mushrooms was the host after the lobster parasitic colony has taken over the mushroom.  Basically, a shorter and wider looking stem section of a lobster mushroom may indicate a seafood flavor from the host Short Stemmed Russula.  A longer looking stem section of lobster mushroom may indicate a spicy pepper flavor from the host Peppery Milk-Cap.      Lobster mushrooms can be rather large.  One lobster mushroom can flavor a few recipes.  They do keep well, even after a few slices have been cut for a recipe.  Do not store any kind of mushroom in an air tight plastic bag.  Mushrooms are actually alive, and they do need to breath or bacteria and fungus may attach the mushroom.  An open plastic bag or paper sack is good for keeping wild mushroom in a refrigerator for a few days.     The lobster mushroom that I chose for this recipe had a gentle nice seafood kind of flavor, so florence fennel (anise bulb) was a good choice for a complimentary flavor.     Piave Vecchio comes from Veneto Italy.  It is a hard cows milk cheese that grates like parmigiano reggiano.  Piave Vecchio is usually aged for over 180 days.  Fruit and almond undertone flavors can be noticed.  Piave Vecchio has a nice semi sweet flavor and semi sharp flavor at the same time.  Piave Vecchio is one of the world's great cheeses!
     Frittata di Aragoste Funghi, Finochio e Formaggio Piave Vecchio:     Heat a saute pan over medium/medium low heat.     Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.     Add 6 thin slices of florence fennel (anise bulb).  Cut the slices vertically through the center of the bulb, to get a shape like those in the photographs above.     Season with sea salt and black pepper.     Saute the florence fennel slices on both sides, till golden highlights appear.     Set the sauteed florence fennel slices aside.       Heat a saute pan over medium heat.     Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil.     Add 1 pat of unsalted butter.     Add 6 long thin slices of fresh lobster mushroom and a few small slices.     Saute till light brown highlights appear on the mushroom slices.     Season with sea salt and black pepper.     Set the sauteed lobster mushrooms aside.     Heat a non-stick saute pan over medium/medium low heat.     Add 3 pats of unsalted butter.     Add 2 whisked eggs.     Use a rubber spatula to even the edges of the frittata.       When the bottom half of the frittata becomes cooked and firm, remove the pan from the heat.     Evenly space the sauteed florence fennel slices around on top of the uncooked eggs on the frittata.     Place the long sauteed slices of lobster mushroom between the fennel slices.     Place a tiny mound of the small lobster mushroom slices on the center of the frittata.     Sprinkle 1 small pinch of oregano over the frittata.     Sprinkle a few pinches of fine plain breadcrumbs over the frittata.     Sprinkle some finely grated Piave Vecchio cheese over the frittata.     Place the pan with the frittata in a 350 degree oven.     Bake till the eggs become fully cooked and till the cheese melts.  (Do not brown the cheese!)     Remove the pan from the oven and slide the frittata onto a plate.     Place a tiny sprig of the green top leaves of the florence fennel on each slice of fennel as a garnish.     Place a sprig of Italian parsley on the small mound of lobster mushrooms on the center of the frittata as a garnish.
     As the readers of this blog have heard many times, there is no such thing as a boring breakfast in my food blog!  This is a gourmet mushroom lover's frittata.  The flavors of each ingredient compliments each other in a delicate nice way.  Yum!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna