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Labor Day weekend is always a bittersweet holiday. It’s supposed to honor America’s organized labor movement, but really what it mostly celebrates is the end of summer.  Pretty soon our grills will be covered by huge snow drifts, and the season’s warm breezes will be a distant memory. Well, not for me, as I live in California, but you get the point. This grilled kiwi and chili-rubbed beef short ribs recipe is specifically designed with that melancholy in mind. The prep is minimal, and the ultra short cooking time means that instead of being stuck in front of a grill, you can actually enjoy more of these last precious summer days. We tied the world record here for fewest ingredients in a marinade, with one, but thanks to the kiwi’s enzymatic magic, that’s all we need. Unlike some tropical fruit marinades, kiwi doesn’t turn the meat into mush, and provides a nice, slightly sweet and acidic base for our Ancho chili rub. I loved how this came out, and while highly-seasoned, the beefy...

I'm back in San Francisco, and will be posting a new video recipe tomorrow featuring a rather successful experiment involving Korean-style, beef short ribs. Also, my sincerest thanks to all those who sent their thoughts regarding my uncle Bill this week. They were very much appreciated. Stay tuned!

So the other day I tried to meet my friend Suzanne at a new restaurant I had heard about but that apparently was already out of business (that was fast) so we were scrambling to figure out somewhere else to go quickly on 96 th Street and decided to try Miyagi’s. I had been a little jaded about the last time I went there when we could not get waited on, and hadn’t been back since. But I have always enjoyed the food, so it seemed like a good time to give it another chance. We started with a couple of rolls—the caterpillar roll ($12) and the samba crab roll ($14). First of all, I think they were beautifully presented—and taste-wise I liked them too.  The caterpillar roll was spicy tuna inside and was topped with avocado and masago. It was pretty simple, but had nice taste and texture. The spicy tuna mix here is better quality than a lot and I liked the ample avocado (one of my favorite foods). The masago (fish eggs) gave it just a tiny amount of crunch. The samba crab roll had a bit ...

I'm back east for my uncle Billy's funeral, and will be away from the blog for a day or two. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who passed along their condolences, and to let you know how much I was touched by the response. Thanks again, and stay tuned!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending my 4 th consecutive Dig IN at White River State Park.  I luckily had early entry (thanks to Dig IN for giving me free tickets in exchange for being a gastronaut).  One thing I decided after the last couple of years, is getting in that extra hour is key to beat the crowds. However, even if you came with regular entry tickets this year, I don’t think the crowds were as bad. In fact, I think this was probably the best Dig IN yet for several reasons. This year they actually intentionally sold fewer tickets (like 1000 fewer!) and it made all the difference. There were lines, but not like I have seen in the past. And while a few places ran out of food before the end of the day, I haven’t heard of it being a big issue (as I have in the past). There were a lot of people, but it wasn’t so overwhelming. A few of my faves Also, I really think the food was overall the best of any year. There were no dishes that seemed repeated too much and there ...

They say when life gives you lemons, make lemonade; but what about when life gives you empty mayonnaise jars? Mayonade? No, of course not. We’re going to make salad dressing instead, and “scrape the scrape.” I’ll often add a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise when I make a vinaigrette, to help emulsify things, as well as provide a little extra creaminess to the dressing. With that in mind, when I get down to the end of a jar, I don’t scrape, I shake. I’m posting the ingredients I used below just in case you’re curious, but this post isn’t really about a recipe, but simply a tip for using up the last of that mayo without all that annoying butterknifing. Now, I just need to work on a recipe for using up the last of the dressing clinging to the inside of the jar. Enjoy! Ingredients for 1 1/2 cups of dressing: 1 empty mayo jar, with at least 1 tbsp of mayo inside 1 clove minced garlic 1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (I used parsley, thyme, and chives) 1/2 cup wine vinegar 1 cup olive oil salt and...

My uncle Billy passed away a few days ago. He’d been having health issues over the last few years, but the news still came as a sudden, and very sad shock. He was one of my earliest inspirations for becoming a chef, and as many of you know, we filmed several recipes together over the years from his kitchen in Manchester, NY. After I left the California Culinary Academy to start Food Wishes, I gave him one of my chef coats, and whenever I’d visit, he’d be wearing that coat, busily cooking away, looking every bit the part. He was a barber and hairstylist by trade, but Uncle Billy could have been a world-class chef. His passion for food, and for life, was boundless. Running up the stairs from his second, basement kitchen, carrying a giant pan of food, smiling broadly, talking loudly, wearing that old, white chef coat, is how I will always remember him. I can think of no better tribute than to re-post the videos he was involved in below. In the “ Homemades ” video, you can actually hear U...

As promised, here’s the new and improved peanut dipping sauce recipe we just featured in the beef satay video. Of course, now I’m finding out that real beef satay is actually served with a sweet, spicy rice vinegar sauce, but that’s another video, and a rather easy one at that. Stay tuned. There are no great mysteries here – mix it up, and then taste, taste, and taste. Peanut sauces are like snowflakes, and you really should twist the formula to suit your palette. You can add all kinds of fun stuff like lemongrass, ginger, Thai basil just to name a few. If peanut allergies are a concern, I’ve had this done with almonds, and it’s not bad at all. One big tip if you make this ahead. It will harden up in the fridge, and you’ll need to get it back to room temp before serving. I usually just microwave for a couple seconds, and it will be back to its gorgeous, shiny, flowing self. I hope you give this delicious all-purpose dipping sauce a try soon. Enjoy! Makes about 1 1/2 cup Peanut Dippin...

Hubby got to choose dinner the other night and wanted to go back to Meridian. The last few meals we have had there have been very good, so we were anxious to see what was new on the menu. We couldn’t decide what to get, so we started with two appetizers—the steak tartare (we just can’t help ourselves)($13.75) and the smoked salmon crab cake ($14).  I think the steak tartare that Meridian is doing is one of the best in town (and one of the only).  It has lots of salty capers mixed in as well as a garlic mayo, which makes it very creamy. They serve it with a lemon wedge that needs to be squeezed on giving it just the right amount of acid. And I love those crispy chickpeas. I just wish they served a few more of the buttery house crackers with it because hubby and I were fighting over them. Ours was missing the advertised quail egg, but honestly, while I love egg with tartare (and almost anything), it was just as good without it. The salmon cake was also very good. The cake itsel...

Beef satay was the very first Thai food I ever tasted, and it was literally love at first bite. Ah, that sweet, spicy, salty, smoky, and slightly funky bite…I remember it like it was yesterday.  It helps that I ate this yesterday, but still. If you’ve never had satay before, its lightning bolt of flavor can be a bit of a shock to the system. A recipe for the subtle palate, this is not. By the way, I do know that satay was actually invented in Indonesia, but for the purposes of this blog post, we're going with that it's Thai. This will work on just about any meat, but beef is my favorite. There’s something about beef and these particular spices that just sings. Also, the magic that Asian fish sauce always adds is never more apparent than with beef, especially if that beef destined for the charcoal grill. The same goes for the lemongrass. If you look around the produce aisle at your town’s best (meaning most expensive) grocery store, you should find some lemongrass stalks. They...

In your busy, hectic and over-accounted-for day; making homemade ketchup is probably not a big priority ...........I get that. But if you find yourself with a little extra time, this ketchup is WELL WORTH the minimal effort it takes to whip it up. It is not only inexpensive to make (uses every day pantry staples), but it is sweetened with honey, so it is REALLY-REALLY tasty!! 6 ounce can of tomato paste 1/4  cup honey 1/2  cup white vinegar 1/4  cup water 3/4  teaspoon salt 1/4  teaspoon onion powder 1/8  teaspoon garlic powder (not garlic salt) Whisk everything together until smooth and then bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and simmer slowly for 20 minutes (whisking every five minutes or so). Cool and store covered in refrigerator. This recipe makes just over a cup of ketchup, but you could easily double or triple the recipe with no other adjustments. NOTE: In my humble opinion, this ketchup is just perfect, but if you like your ketchup with a li...

Several of you guys have been bugging me for a while to try the fried chicken at Sahm’s. Apparently the one in Fishers offers it daily, but the one near me (at 65 th and Keystone) only offers it every other Sunday. Well, that makes it seem kind of more special right? So we invited some friends and all headed over. Pretty much all of us decided we wanted fried chicken (except 2 of the 4 kids) so we thought we would get 4 orders for the 6 of us (there are 4 pieces of chicken per order).  They made it all together and brought it all out family style so we could just give the kids the pieces they wanted. I thought that was a nice touch. It was nice to pass the plates and take what you wanted since we were all sharing. (The meal is usually 4 pieces of chicken—a breast, wing, thigh and leg, with the two sides mentioned below and a biscuit for $12.99). plate-o-breasts and thighs So the chicken? The chicken was very good. It was really well seasoned and had a super crispy outer crunch. Bu...

That’s right, as almost nobody knows, tomorrow is National Hot and Spicy Food Day , not to be confused with International Hot and Spicy Food Day , which is, of course, on January 16th. Don’t even get me started on the time I bought the wrong cocktail napkins after getting the days mixed up. So embarrassing. Anyway, in honor of this very special day that somehow food bloggers and media outlets know is August 19, I’m re-posting this spicy sausage ragu recipe. This crowd-pleaser is so easy, so tasty, and a perfect way to celebrate this made-up holiday. Enjoy! Click here to read the original post, get the ingredients,and link to the written recipe .

Some younger foodwishers may not realize this, but there was a time, before the Internet, when not everyone knew everything about everything . These days, if you’re wondering what “focaccia” means, you Google it, and all is revealed. In case you’re wondering, it comes from the Latin word for “hearth,” but that’s not what pre-Wikipedia Chef John thought. Nope, I figured focaccia meant, “fingers.” Since the signature characteristic of the bread is the deeply dimpled surface, and those holes are created using well-oiled fingers, it made perfect sense. Plus, fingers starts with an “f,” as does focaccia, which reinforced my brilliant theory. Anyway, now we know. This is such a fun and versatile bread to make. I went with a simple, but classic rosemary and sea salt topping, but a web search for focaccia will turn up more than just the definition. You'll see dozens of different and delicious toppings with which to accessorize your slab. A few of my favorites would be chopped olives, car...

These "Grab-and-Go" mini cherry pies are perfect for large gatherings and family or church potluck dinners. The dough can be made days ahead and baked off when you have some "extra" time, which is a big help. Guests (at least mine) seem to appreciate PIE at a potluck, but traditional pie can be messy to serve, especially for children. These little "two bite" beauties are perfect. This recipe makes 24 pies, but the recipe doubles easily.     CRUST 1/2 cup butter  (room temperature) 3 ounces cream cheese (room temperature) 1 cup flour Mix with electric mixer (I use my stand mixer with paddle attachment) until you get a smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic and chill for about an hour (will also keep well in fridge for several days). FILLING (1)  14½ ounce can tart pie cherries packed in water 3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided) 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon corn starch pinch of table salt 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (do not leave out) 1 teaspo...

I was picking my son up from baseball camp in Fishers the other day and I knew he would be starving after, so I wanted to find a place nearby that would be fast and kid friendly (and preferably local) for lunch. So Best Bet seemed like a good bet. I have been before and was interested to see what they offered for lunch. It’s mostly burgers, and a few other sandwiches, but what ended up sounding good to me were the breakfast tacos so that’s what I went with. The menu is pretty straightforward and so is the food.  They bring you a bread basket of toast and one little cinnamon doughnut type thing per person. You can ask for more toast by flipping over a little sign to let them know you want more.  I enjoyed the doughnut—it was hot and had a lot of cinnamon sugar on it—nice little sweet treat (and available only on weekdays I believe). My breakfast tacos were good, but I can’ t anything jumped out about them. There were scrambled eggs, cheese and chorizo with salsa and sour cream...

Even here in Alaska, crab is VERY expensive and (unless you have a good connection with a crab fisherman) it is often already frozen when it hits our market (which effects the quality greatly) and makes it even harder to justify those high prices. That's my wordy way of saying "YES, we eat (and enjoy) Surimi" (fake crab). The following recipe is quick, easy and economical. CRAB CAKES 1 egg beaten 2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I use honey Dijon) 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning 1/4 cup VERY finely chopped celery 2 tablespoons fresh parsley 1 pound crab lump meat (I use Surimi) 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs Line a baking sheet with wax paper. If you are using Surimi, dice it up fairly small, but not shredded. In a medium size bowl, beat the first 8 ingredients until very smooth. Stir in the crab (Surimi) and bread crumbs until well mixed. Using a half cup measure, portion out and shape patties and place ...

While the grilled salmon with bacon and corn relish recipe we posted Monday was extremely well received, some viewers had a problem with my extremely dangerous and difficult to perform method for shaving the corn off the cob. So, just in case you’re one of these people who prefer your culinary techniques not to be dangerous or difficult, I’m posting this alternative method. Sure it’s just as fast, just as easy, and way safer, but you do have to admit, my style was way more exciting. Anyway, since I had freshly cut corn at my heavily-scared fingertips, I decided to show you my new favorite recipe for creamed corn. This lower-cal take on the classic side dish features Greek yogurt and a little Indian spice, and I was absolutely thrilled with how it came out.   The flavor was great, and the tangy yogurt gave the dish such an interesting texture. I couldn’t stop eating it. So, if you’re looking for another easy, and relatively healthy way to enjoy fresh, sweet corn, I hope you give t...

This grilled salmon with warm bacon and corn relish is another installment in our long-running series, “Salmon Recipes for People Tired of Salmon Recipes.” No one eats as much salmon as I do, and so I’m always on the lookout for new ways to make it seem a tad more exciting. In the business, this is known as “elevating” it, and as you may already know, nothing elevates like bacon. It’s the helium of smoked meats. Combine that bacon with sweet, almost raw corn, and you have a relish worthy of its verb. I mean, if your not going to relish your relish, what's the point? I mention in the video that I like the taste and texture of white corn, but prefer the sunnier appearance of yellow corn. That trade-off is always an interesting discussion, with some saying taste always trumps looks, while others will insist that the appearance effects how the flavor is perceived, so even if slightly less sweet, the golden colored one may be enjoyed more. Like most food-related arguments, both sides ...