Building on my happiness with smoked pumpkin, I got a little more ambitious a few years ago: smoked pumpkin pie with maple syrup.
Burning Sensation: Crab Cakes With An Attitude
Crab cakes – a variation on New England’s fish cakes made with cod or pollock – are popular along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic States, the Gulf Coast, the Pacific Northwest and Northern California, where the crabbing industry flourishes. Along the East Coast, blue crab is traditional while on the left coast Dungeness crab is commonly used. (A lot of crab is now imported from the Far East and Venezuela. Try to find local crab whenever possible. True Maryland crab will be labeled with MD and three digits to identify the harvester.)
Gourdenstein: How to Make Smoked Pumpkin
I’ve smoked Gourdzilla, normal-sized carving pumpkins, and, of course, sugar pumpkins. Which, by the way, work the best of the three. Sugar pumpkins are the ones used for pumpkin pie, have plenty of seeds in them, and they smoke a lot more thoroughly due to their small size. Every Halloween I try something new with the finished pumpkin. The results have generally been good and I’ll share the old and new concoctions each week leading up to Halloween.
Hot List: Four Great Chili-making Ideas from the Fiery Foods Super Site
September marks the transition from summer to fall not just for the weather but also for eating. Chili being the lovechild of stew and outdoor summer cooking, it’s a great way to ease yourself into the shorter, colder days to come. Here’s a highlight reel from our sister, the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Super Site to fire your imagination when it comes to making chili at home.
San Diego Burger Battle Part 2: Training Up
Scouting was over. I knew the conditions of the San Diego Burger Battle. Time to roll up the sleeves, plan, and execute. We would have two hours to create our burgers and turn in two presentation boxes–one for appearance judging, one with enough burgers to feed the four judges. You could provide each taster with their own full hamburger or chop one into fourths; sliders were an option too and you’d need one per judge to munch on.
Ornamentally Oriented
Most home gardeners, myself included, are so focused the culinary aspect of chile peppers that we forget about their ornamental qualities and how the mostly upright pods change colors over the entire summer and into the early fall.
Pirate Johnny’s Jerk Seasoned Sliders
Earlier this year, Pirate Johnny’s gave us a selection of their spice rubs to review. This happens to be their Jamaican Jerk’s turn.
