Tag: food

Brian’s Barbecue Sauce

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Just over a week ago, Heather and I received terrible news.  Our friend and former neighbor Brian had died suddenly at home.  We had seen Brian last at our house to watch a UFC fight and indulge on one of the most intense feasts of 2012: bacon-wrapped venison, steak, and sweet potato fries.  I was full for 2 days.  It was a great night of food and fights.  His wife had recently been relocated for work to North Carolina, and we were looking forward to hosting them occasionally while Brian continued his school and work up here in Virginia.  We were devastated when we heard the news, and have spent a good deal of time reflecting on our time together.

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Spicy Beef Curry

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Curries make everything better, as far as I’m concerned.  Until I met Heather, I hadn’t really given much thought to curry, as I was pretty satisfied with pizza, Chinese, sushi, and “healthy” whole wheat wraps from the local sandwich shop.  One of the first things she cooked for me was her peanut butter curry. The concept scared me, but it was actually delicious.  Since that meal, which was on our third or fourth date, we’ve had a great time experimenting with more flavorful dishes, even going so far as making a curry dish with bison.

This is a really hearty curry that has a nice heat to pair with the winter weather, although I’d eat this year round.  Beef chuck is one of the less expensive cuts at our market, and it was great to use it in something that wasn’t another slow cooker pot roast.  This takes about an hour to make, but boy is it worth it.

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Mediterranean Chopped Salad

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Chopped salads are one of my favorite treats that I indulge myself in (yes, I really do love salad).  It all started once upon a time with homemade salads of iceberg, cucumber, and a salad dressing.  This is also one of my dad’s favorite snacks, so it was something I indulged in often.

Once I moved to the DC area, I started encountering places like Chop’t and sweetgreen, and I really liked their salads.  The only things I didn’t like about them were their mysterious salad dressings and the price.  It’s a good salad, but at $10-12 a head, it wasn’t something I wanted to do on the regular.  That being said, there is a salad shop near my part-time job, and they have a reasonably priced salad that is in this style, so when I work full shifts over the weekend, it’s typically where I’ll stop for lunch if I don’t run to get sashimi from the nearby grocery store.

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Chicken & Shrimp Paella

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Last week, a coworker of mine got a gigantic paella pan for Christmas from his mother-in-law.  This event reminded me of how delicious paella is, and how I’ve never actually attempted to make it.  It was a great time for us to finally venture out to the local international market, as well.  We were able to find everything we needed there, and all for much less than what we typically pay at the local grocer.

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Zesty Brussels Sprouts

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While at Costco a couple of weeks ago, Heather and I decided that we should get some brussels sprouts.  I, of course, grabbed two  bags.  With about 1.5 bags left, I knew something had to be done.

This zesty, ranch inspired version of brussels sprouts came out really nicely, and I think you’ll enjoy it.  It is inspired by the herbs traditionally found in a ranch dressing, which was one of my favorite dips for buffalo wings and flavor of Doritos (which may soon be made a flavor of Taco Bell taco shell).  This mix of herbs and olive oil would also go well on pork or chicken if you make enough to coat the meat and let it marinate for at least an hour.

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