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A friend shared this recipe with me and I can guarantee you that I will be making this fudge over and over, it is REALLY fast and easy, and it is SUPER yummy!!   2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup (smooth) peanut butter In a medium sized saucepan (with a heavy bottom), mix 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup evaporated milk. The heavy bottomed saucepan will keep this mixture from scorching. Cook on medium high heat, stirring, until bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium low and cook until the mixture starts to boil (bubbles all across the surface that don't go away when you stir it). Boil for exactly 2 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly . Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and peanut butter. Mix until very smooth (whisk works well here). You can pour this cooked mixture into any size pan you like (larger pan gives you thinner fudge), but just make sure you have lined...

I mentioned several times during this ‘how to plant your own culinary herb garden’ video that I’d give a lot more specific information on the blog, but now that I’m here, I realize there’s not much more to tell you. Herbs are very easy to grow, and besides basil, which doesn't like to dry out, they only require occasional watering. Any well-drained soil will work, but your best bet is to grab a bag of ready-to-use planting mix. Feel free to double check with the person at the nursery, but it’s basically potting soil with benefits. And, I did say nursery. Drive the extra mile, and talk to people that just sell plants. I consider these herbs must-haves, but there are many more varieties you can try. I’ve done things like tarragon and cilantro in the past, and while they are a little more temperamental, they can be successfully cultivated. Nothing beats being able to go out into the garden, and just take a pinch of this and a pinch of that. When you consider the cost of one of these p...

There are two kinds of chicken croquettes. They all have a crispy, deep-fried exterior, but some are firm, meaty, and nugget-like, while others are much softer and creamier. It was that second kind I was attempting here, and I got so close. To make a long story short, I used too much butter, and milk, and while they did stay together enough to form the signature, golden-brown crust, the inside was positively sauce-like. I had no intention of turning this classic into some kind of gimmicky attempt at a viral video, but as I ate them, I couldn’t help but think of how much they tasted like deep-fried chicken gravy. Yes, I sometimes put a little ham in my chicken gravy. I’ve listed exactly what I used in the ingredient list below, and also a second version, which theoretically would come out closer to actual chicken croquettes. I hope you get this, or that, a try soon. Enjoy! The Deep-Fried Creamy Chicken Gravy Version: Makes about 16 appetizer sized portions 2 packed cups finely chopped c...

We were excited to learn we would be getting a Squealers location near our house—they have opened up in Castleton in what was a Max and Erma’s forever, and then for a short time, a Mexican place that was just okay. The interior is pretty similar in layout to the places before, but with a rustic BBQ kind of feel. We were with friends on the night we decided to try it, and so we got an order of fried pickles ($6) to start. They were pretty solid fried pickles and you could tell they were making them in house. They were not all uniform and the pickles inside were still juicy. The breading had a nice seasoning, and as it turns out, was the same that was on the fried tenderloin sandwich (more on that later). I was curious about the dipping sauce they gave us and it turns out it’s a mix of ranch dressing and bbq sauce. That’s a pretty good combo—giving you the coolness of ranch but a bit of spice and heat from the BBQ sauce. We all enjoyed them and I would get them again. For my main dish, h...

This recipe is all over the Internet. So, when a friend asked me to make it for her family, I jumped right in.  As written, I could see that the recipe might be a little heavy, so I made a couple very minor changes and it produced a wonderfully moist, tender and delicious cake.  I hope you'll try it, it's a breeze to make and our grandson labeled it "decadent"  (that's a good thing, I think? hahaha). LEMON BLUEBERRY ZUCCHINI CAKE 2 cups finely shredded zucchini (squeezed dry) 1 pint fresh blueberries (I used about 2 cups) 3 eggs (I used room temperature eggs) 1 cup vegetable oil  (I use canola) 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 teaspoon lemon extract  (my addition) 2  1/4  cups white sugar 3 cups CAKE FLOUR   (recipe originally said AP flour) 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda Preheat oven to 350° and generously grease AND flour two 8" round cake pans (even if they are no stick). Grate th...

Whenever I can’t decide on what to do with a piece of fish, I usually opt for this easy and crowd-pleasing technique, which involves roasting seafood after it’s been slathered in a highly seasoned vinaigrette. And by crowd, I mean wife. The acidic bath seems to do something to the sea bass as it roasts, and not only do you get a very flavorful exterior, but the inside it seems to stay moister and more succulent, than if you just used a spice rub. In fact, Michele loves this roasting method so much, that I decided to name it after her. Also, I couldn’t think of a name, and if I called it Spanish-something sea bass, all the “that’s not Spanish-something sea bass” people would be after me. By the way, there are a few sustainable sources for Chilean sea bass around, if you look hard enough, and do some research. Having said that, I didn’t do any research. I got mine at Whole Foods, and I assume/hope they’ve done their homework. When it comes to ways of adapting this technique to your parti...

We were on a road trip the other day and based on a friend’s recommendation, decided to hit Taxman Brewery on the way home for lunch. Well, it was brunch actually—that’s what they serve on Sundays, and I have to say, if there was a place like this in Indy, I think it would make a killing. Brewery plus brunch would be a popular idea (hint hint). Anyhow, it’s a good-looking menu and was hard to choose what to get. There were 6 of us, so we started with their breakfast frites ($10) to share. It’s a large portion of frites that are thick cut but I am guessing they’re made in house. They are topped with two eggs (they were scrambled, I probably would ask for them runny), sausage, bacon and pimento cheese. Really, this is kind of a genius idea, putting breakfast on fries and then melting pimento cheese on them. Hubby really liked the sausage they used—it was in pretty big hunks. And even though I would have enjoyed the runny yolk mixed in too, it was nice to get a little bit of egg in just a...

Photo (c) Flickr user Vince Alongi I always feel a little guilty grilling on Memorial Day. Being surrounded by all kinds of tasty food and cold beer seems inappropriate considering the holiday's solemn meaning. Maybe it would be better to honor our vets by eating what they had to survive on while defending our country. What if instead of gnawing on a stack of sticky barbecued ribs, while sitting in a lawnchair, we dug a hole in the ground, and enjoyed something squeezed out of a pouch instead? There aren't many delicious things that come in squeezable pouches. So, if the chicken get a little dry today, or whoever made the beans was just going through the motions, don't think of it as a disappointing meal; think of it as unintentional tribute all those brave souls who sacrificed for our freedoms. Enjoy!

I had a fantastic appetizer recently featuring lamb belly, radishes, anchovies, and mint, which inspired today’s post. It sounded amazing, but I’d only glanced at the description, so when it came, I was more than a little surprised to see the radishes were fully cooked. This was a new one for me, and I absolutely loved it. Like most root vegetables, radishes don’t have a ton of flavor, but I found them slightly sweet, earthy (duh), and aromatic. Plus, they seemed to have effectively absorbed all the other flavors in the dish. One thing led to another, and I adapted the approach to create one of the more interesting and delicious things I’ve had in a while. I called it a “flavor bomb” in the video, but “umami bomb” would be more accurate. This was as savory, as savory gets. Because of all the sweet flavors going on, I decided not to add any sauteed onions or garlic, which is contrary to most braised meat recipes. It probably wouldn’t have hurt anything, and I might try it next time, bu...

My friends at Movable Feast have relocated to a new location and I tried a new sandwich (I can’t quit that jerk pork on Wednesdays and now Saturdays too) so I figured it was as good a time as any to get a new post out there.  Their new location is on 65 th Street right next to Bier Brewery. It’s not your typical location for a restaurant, but worth seeking out—and if you want a beer, you can conveniently go next door. The new space is enormous compared to their old one—they still have some outdoor seating and it’s a bit nicer since it’s on a road that is less busy. The inside seating has increased dramatically and is very spacious—making it easier to have a conversation with someone without feeling like you’re right on top of your neighbor. Getting to the new sandwich though—I tried the “monster melt” ($7 with choice of side) for the first time. The owners had mentioned they thought I would like it, and they were right. It is a hot sandwich made with grilled whole grain bread, moz...

I was visiting my mom last summer, and overheard her and my aunt talking about making strawberry shortcake using “dad’s” recipe. They were obviously talking about my grandfather, which was surprising, since I had no idea he baked. I remember he did a lot of cooking growing up, but it was things like frittata, meat sauce, or polenta. I never once saw him bake anything sweet. Nevertheless, he apparently gets credit for inventing our official family recipe for strawberry shortcake, which I’ve adapted here. What he had done was taken the strawberry shortcake recipe off the box of a certain, very popular premade biscuit mix, and added extra “everything,” as my mother put it. So, that’s what I did here, except instead of using the stuff in the yellow box, I used self-rising flour, which I’m pretty sure is basically the same thing. The only other major change is the original recipe calls for regular melted butter, but as you’ll see in the video, I like to toast mine just a little, to bring ou...

The idea of making actual hot dogs doesn’t really interest me that much. Like French fries, and sushi, I believe hot dogs are best enjoyed out­; preferably at a baseball game, with a cold beer. However, I didn’t say anything about hotdog-inspired sausage hybrids. This meaty mash-up came about thanks to some lamb kebab experiments. The meat mixture is prepared in a similar fashion, and while the seasonings are totally different, the firm texture of the kebab reminded me of a hot dog’s “snap.” I wondered what would happen if I did a skewer-less kebab using the same ingredients that would typically go into a hotdog. What happened was better than I could've expected. I ended up with a fresh, mostly beef sausage, that tasted pretty much exactly like a hot dog. Technically, this ended up being a lot closer to a bratwurst, but I’m pretty sure hot dogs are a more popular search, so that’s what I went with. As always, be sure to season these “to taste.” Just like when making meatballs, you ...

I had the opportunity to once again dine at Perrotta’s Supper Club recently. It’s a cool concept—Gustavo Perrotta is a talented chef, but does these dinner parties as more of a hobby and passion. He holds a couple of dinners a month, usually at Indy’s Kitchen and now also at a North side location. He does a set 4 course menu for 12 people ($50 a person)—you can either sign up to just go to one of his scheduled dinners and meet some new people, or you can organize your own dinner with your own schedule and invite friends. This is what we did this time. The food at Perrotta’s is as lovely as it is tasty. Our first course--well, it was an amuse bouche, was a little tasting of salmon tartare with a spicy mayo and a garlic infused soy sauce on a crispy plantain chip. The other was salmon wrapped around a thin cucumber stick and topped with a bit of goat cheese, a teeny slice of tomato and salmon roe. Both were delicious. I could have easily eaten a plateful, but I guess that’s why its an am...

Every once in a while, I post a video solely based on something I saw online, and these baked apple roses are the latest example. I saw a photo of these somewhere on social media, and using that one image as my only guide, I whipped up a batch, which was a tremendous disaster. I assumed that I could figure these out just by looking at the finished product, but that did not happen. I tried doing them free-form, and they completely unraveled as they cooked. I wish I'd taken some photos, but they basically look like they exploded. So, I decided to find the source of the photo, and see how these are actually supposed to be done, which led me to the blog, Italian Chips . It’s written by a woman named Ana, who’s a Brazilian living in Italy, so I knew I was in good hands.Thank you, Ana! Other than a couple ingredients, I pretty much followed her technique exactly, except I didn’t use puff pastry.   As I mentioned in the video, I used a new dough I’ve been working on, which is much faste...

I have written about this place a couple of times before but I am kind of in the mood lately to re-post about some of my favorite places. This is another place that hubby and I eat regularly—probably half the time we grab a weekday lunch together, this is where we go. Typically, our order consists of the Vietnamese pancake and the rare lemon salad (you can read about both in my last post). This time hubby was insistent that we mix it up a bit so we got one of our classics, the pancake ($7.25), and on the recommendation of our server (and pretty sure the “mom” of this mom and pop operation—he’s in the back cooking), we also tried #60 on the menu, the cubed beef rice dish ($8.25). The pancake is delicious. It’s always good and just such a perfect dish. The pancake is made with rice flour and turmeric (giving it the color) and is very thin with nice crispy edges. The inside is stuffed with bean sprouts, onions, pork and shrimp. My favorite thing to do is to take some of the big lettuce l...

For something that looks and tastes as impressive as this beef rouladen, it’s actually one of the simplest stuffed meat recipes I know. Everything happens right on the meat, and after a quick roll and tie, we simmer in the gravy until tender. The beef and fixings flavor the sauce, the sauce flavors the beef, and everybody wins. Regarding the meat, one of the great things about this technique, is that you can pretty much use any cheap cut of beef they have on sale. I used some round steak, but rump, chuck, flap meat, and other similar cuts will work. Tell your butcher you’re making rouladen, and they will hook you up with what you need. If they’ve never heard of rouladen, then you should probably find another butcher. As I mentioned in the video, this can be scaled up to any size group. Just use a bigger pot, and the recipe will work as shown. I really hope you give this Rouladen recipe a try soon. Genießen! Ingredients for 2 Beef Rouladen: 2 (about 1/4-inch thick) slices of cheap beef...

Knowing that I like to try all the new places so that I can write about them, my friend @wibia suggested meeting for lunch at the newly opened billion beer option place, Yard House. This place is a chain that is all around the country. They’ve got 100 beers on tap (seriously, looks at the pictures of the beer menu) and they have close to that number of different menu items to eat as well. Honestly, while a lot of the things on the menu sounded good, it was a little overwhelming to know what to order. We kind of went all over the place and got a couple different things to share. I started with a bowl of tortilla soup ($5.95)-it was pretty darn tasty actually. It was kind of a cheddar cheese soup base but had nice tender chunks of chicken in it and was topped with small dices of roasted peppers, pico de gallo, strips of crunchy tortillas and a slice of avocado. The peppers and the crisp bits of tortilla gave the soup the texture variation it needed as well as just a touch of heat. There...