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Lemon curd is custard gold. It is so good and there is so much to do with it. I thought it might be good in a pie. But instead of making one traditionally sized pie, I decided to make 8 mini versions. That way everyone could have their own whole pie (or two) to themselves and I wouldn’t have to worry about slicing up a pie.

Instructions
Meyer Lemon Curd
The first step is to make the lemon curd. I used Alton Brown’s recipe and it came out great. I of course used meyer lemons instead of the boring old regular type. You can buy already made lemon curd, but what fun would that be.

For the Pie Crust
I started with a basic pie dough recipe. You can use your favorite. I like one made by Tyler Florence. It has never done me wrong and it easy to put together, without needing to dirty my food processor. His recipe makes enough dough for a top and bottom, so in this case, I just used half the dough.

I rolled the dough out and cut it into pieces so that it would fit into a muffin pan that I added some cooking spray to. Don’t worry about being perfect. If you need to add some extra pieces to make it fit, go right ahead. I got 8 mini pie crusts from half of my dough. Once you have all your pie crusts ready, grab a fork and dock the dough, so that some steam can escape. I then baked my mini pies, empty in the oven at 350 degrees until they were browned about 15-20 minutes. Let cool before carefully removing them from the pan.

Whipped Cream
While your pie crusts are cooling, it’s time to make up some homemade whipped cream. I just used 1 cup of heavy cream that I added about 3 tablespoons of sugar. You simply use a stand or hand mixer to beat the cream until it’s the texture you desire. It’s simple to do. It’s best to keep everything as cold as possible, so I recommend putting your paddles or beaters and a bowl in the freezer before hand.

Finishing Touches
So now that you have all your parts, scoop some lemon curd into each pie crust. Topping it with the whipped cream. For a pretty presentation, put the cream into a pipping bag or a plastic bag with a whole cut it it, attach a pipping tip and pip the cream on top of the curd. For some last finishing touches add a bit of lemon zest on top, along with a slice of lemon.

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Have you ever watched an episode of Food Network’s “Chopped” or “Iron Chef”. You see these chefs preparing complex dishes that include a lot of ingredients and a lot of different flavors. This isn’t a bad thing. But sometimes it’s nice to have a simple dish that is delicious, full of flavor, but not so complex. I was inspired a couple weeks ago, when watching another Food Network show “Rachel vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off”. This show pits two teams of C-list celebrities together in various cooking competitions. One week they had 3 one on one contests, in which a judge from the show “Chopped” each picked a dish for them to cook. One of the dishes was a simple tomato pasta. The judge wanted the tomato to be the star of the dish. I decided to take on the same challenge in my own kitchen. I had in my fridge a package of Nasoya Chinese Style Noodles. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with them, until I thought of doing a simple basic tomato & basil pasta dishes. And what came out of my kitchen as a result of my inspiration was a favorite of both my wife and my kids.

Ingredients
1 package Nasoya Chinese Style Noodles (Bucatini pasta would also be a good option)
2 28-Ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes (Italian or San Marzanos if you can get them)
A handful of fresh basil, chopped
1 whole head of garlic
olive oil
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, or Dry Jack cheese (whatever your favorite hard cheese is)

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take your head of garlic and cut off enough of the top to expose the cloves. Add a little bit of olive oil. Cover in heavy duty foil. Roast for about a half hour or until the garlic is soft.

In the meantime, empty two cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer to soften up the tomatoes. The goal is to get the tomatoes to a point in which you can mash them with a spoon. I then run the smashed up tomatoes and all the liquid through a food mill. The purpose is to really get rid of the seeds. The seeds can add bitterness to the sauce if you leave them in. Yes you could cut the tomatoes and remove them, but since I have a food mill I find this to be much easier.

Now it’s time to transfer your tomatoes to a large nonstick frying pan. Add the chopped basil. Take your roasted garlic and remove all the cloves. Smash them into a paste and then add them to the tomatoes. Bring the tomatoes to a boil and simmer until reduced to your desired thickness, remembering to stir often. Once you get there add kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Turn your burner to low to keep the sauce warm, while you prepare your noodles or pasta.

Boil your noodles or pasta in a large pot with about a gallon of water and salt. The water should taste like ocean water. Cook the pasta or noodles to your desired doneness. Nasoya Chinese Noodles only take a few minutes, since they are not a dried pasta. When the noodles are ready, do not drain them!. Grab a pair of tongs and place the noodles directly into the sauce, making sure to let excess water drip off before you do. You don’t want to lose any of the starch that on the outside of the pasta. Then all that is left is serve up, topped off with your favorite grated hard cheese.

My daughter Autumn enjoying her noodles

Continue reading »]]> This article was written exclusively for Eat Like No One Else by Pearson Farm, a fifth-generation family-owned business dedicated to growing Georgia Peaches and Georgia Pecans.

Have you ever wondered where your pecans come from? How much work does it actually take to cultivate a pecan tree? Most likely orchards started small and grew into commercial enterprises so what does it take to maintain this delicious nut? You may be surprised that comparatively, the pecan tree is relatively easy to grow and sustain. It’s surprisingly hardy and provided the grower is ready to do battle with everyday orchard annoyances like diseases and pests, than the success rate can be high. But there is some general information about the pecan tree that any grower should consider to ensure that the pecan harvest is as robust as it could be.

Planting and cultivating a pecan tree or an entire orchard can be both rewarding and taxing. One of the main things to consider is irrigation. Pecan trees are fairly self-sufficient but they do require a steady water source. There has to be adequate water for the tree to sustain. But there is some controversy as to how to achieve this. Some growers advocate periodic flooding while others have had great success with drip and sprinkler systems. Either way, water is the key to the growth of a pecan tree.

Speaking of self-sufficiency, the pecan tree is self-pollinating meaning that both male and female reproductive capabilities are present on one tree. This makes pollination much easier as the tree is not reliant on another source of transfer, such as a bee. For a grower, this is good news as its one less thing to worry about for cultivation.

Late winter into early spring is the best time to plant pecan trees. When the summer months roll around, they will be able to absorb enough sunshine to be ready for harvesting in the fall. The harvesting season for pecans occurs in the fall months and run until November. This is why pecans and pecan pie have become such a staple of holiday meals in the south.

Growing and harvesting pecans is not particularly difficult if you know what you’re doing. Of course it’s much easier just to buy them from a local grower or make a day of picking your own with the family at a local orchard. Pecan trees are extremely resilient and can grow in the northern states as well as the south. But for premium pecans, the natural water sources and abundant sunshine of the southern states makes for perfect growing conditions indeed.

Continue reading »]]> Selecting beef is the grocery store can be an overwhelming task. What can be even more overwhelming is trying to figure out what to do with that cut once you get it at home. Hopefully I can decrease your anxiety today by giving you some ideas on what to do with a flank steak.

What is a Flank Steak
A flank steak is a long and flat cut of meat. It comes from the abdominal area of the cow, located underneath the short loin. It can be a tough piece of meat if not cooked properly. But if cooked right and then sliced against the grain, then it can be one of the best things you ever ate!

Broiling a Flank Steak?
The most common thing that I do with flank steak is broil it. It’s that type of meat that needs to be cooked fast if you are using a dry cooking method. In your oven’s broiler all you need is 3-4 mintues per side and it’s dinner time. As said above it’s important to slice it against the grain (which is why I am saying it twice!). This makes it easier to chew, so more tender in your mouth.

Before I broil a flank steak, I always marinate first. Because of the way a flank steak is designed it makes for one of the best cuts of beef to marinate. I like to use some soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, and garlic in my marinade. The flavors get into the meat so easily and provide a burst of flavor in your mouth.

If you run out of time to marinate, you can always try a dry rub with things like mustard seeds, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, etc.

Flank Steak Makes Great Fajitas
Another way to use your flank steak is in making fajitas. Slice thin against the grain (third time!) along with all of your favorite fajitas fixings is a great way to go. Sunny Anderson from Food Network has a recipe for flank steak fajitas you might want to check out.

Other Flank Steak Recipes
Below you will find a list of some recipes that I found around the World Wide Web.

Rachel Ray’s Flank Steak Pinwheels
Blackened Flank Steak
Cuban Flank Steak
Slow Cooker Flank Steak Faijtas

Continue reading »]]> A lot of people like to associate lemons with summertime. A nice, cold glass of lemonade is the official drink of the summer. Yet when I think of lemons, I think winter. It is in the winter when lemons are in season. And it’s the only time of year when you can find my favorite type of lemon – the Meyer Lemon. These lemons are kind of a cross between a lemon and a tangerine. They still pack that lemon punch but with a sweeter and improved flavor. To me, they are the suprerior lemon. I love using them in recipes that just called for regular lemons. One of those recipes I tried out this week was a lemon curd one by Alton Brown (bet you never saw that coming!). In case you haven’t tried a lemon curd before it’s a custard that uses eggs (in this case just the yolks), sugar, and the juice and zest of lemons (or you can use other citrus family members. It’s velvety smooth and can be used for anything you would use jam or jelly for. Below you will find my notes from this recipe. For the full recipe, visit Food Network’s website.

1. Like I said in the beginning I used Meyer Lemons instead of the traditional ones. Even thought they are sweeter, I didn’t change the amount of sugar in the recipe. I found the end result to have the perfect balance of sweet and tart.

2. To zest your lemons, I really recommend this Microplane Zester. It works so well and comes with a plastic case that is perfect for collecting the zest.

3. Making lemon curd is all about technique. You need to stir, stir and stir so more. I would do this when someone else is in the house that can help you stir if your arm starts feeling like it’s going to fall off.

4. Knowing when to stop stirring takes experience. I have made custard based ice cream, tons of times, so I have an idea what thick enough looks like. It should easily coat the back of a spoon.

It’s how a few simple ingredients can make a delicious, sweet, tart, smooth, velvety treat. It’s all through the power of sugar and eggs working together along with some flavors. Now it’s time for me to come up with some good uses for the curd. The first thing I tried it with was some popovers, another simple ingredients, delicious treat. I am looking forward to experimenting using it in other ways.

Continue reading »]]> I have been cooking a lot of whole chickens as of late. A local grocery store had a sale on several Saturdays in a row on whole chickens for $.69/lb. That was a deal I do not want to pass up, so I would always head off there and get my max allowed 2 chickens. I would usually freeze one and cook the other one soon after. Eventually started tiring of the same old roast chicken, so I searched out some other methods. One I came upon was Alton Brown’s Broiled, Butterflied Chicken. I have never done either of these things with chicken before, so it was the perfect idea.

I have tried this recipe twice now and both times ran into some issues, but I think my third attempt will be the charm. Read below my experiences from this recipe. You can find the entire recipe at Food Network’s website.

1) Butterflying the chicken was easier than I thought. A good pair of kitchen shears will easier help you remove the backbone. The harder part is removing the bone, so that the breast can lay flat. Alton makes it look easy in the show, but it I had to mess with it a bit to get the bone off. Hopefully with practice I will get better.

2) The first time I broiled the chicken, I did so with the rack at the lowest level. But it was still raw in the middle after the 30 minutes it says in the recipe outline. I would use my probe thermometer to get the exact temperature but in this case the broiler is too harsh of any environment for that. What I discovered when reading the first volume of Good Eats, is that the book tells you to broil it for 25 minutes, then flip and another 25, much longer than the online instructions say. This would probably solve the problems I had.

3) The second time I broiled the chicken, I read the book halfway through after being frustrated the chicken still wasn’t done even when I moved it to a higher position in the oven. Some of the skin was pretty black. I ended up having to finish it by turning the broiler off and just roasting it at 425.

4) The next time I try this I am going to follow the book and do it 25 minutes each side as well as keep the chicken on the lower rack, so I don’t blacken it.

5) Alton makes a sauce out of the chicken drippings. I haven’t tried this yet, because both times dinner was later than I wanted and I didn’t want to take the time to try it.

Sometimes with recipes, you have to work with them a bit, figure out what works for you. Don’t just give up with the first “failure”. Both times my chicken still turned out moist and juicy (especially the 2nd time as I brined it). It just took longer because I keep taking it out of the oven. But I am confident when I get it right, I will be happy with the results.

If you are a fan of a crispy skin on your chicken, then it’s worth the effort to master this recipe. You can get that crispy skin without drying out the meat underneath. So it’s a way to have your cake and eat it too.

Continue reading »]]> One thing I like to do on this site is include information that I myself am looking for. I am looking into sources where I can buy bison meat. It’s not as readily available as beef, so I have had to search out some local sources. It was quite a search. I could only find a handful of sources. I found one website listing a bunch of places in Michigan but I could not find specific information (including contact info) about most of the listings.

So why bison? Well it is lower in fat and higher in protein than beef. I made a pot roast out of a bison chuck roast and I found it to be just as delicious, but without the huge chunks of fat. So this page lists all the places that I found in Michigan that carries bison meat. There are two listings, one for grocery stores and the other for buying direct from the farm (your best option!).

Grocery Store Listings

Whole Foods Market | Locations in Ann Arbor (2), Troy, Rochester Hills, West Bloomfield
Whole Foods carries some bison meat. They pretty much always have ground bison. Sometimes they have bison chuck roast (which makes for an excellent pot roast) and New York strip. There are 5 locations in the state of Michigan.

Hiller’s | Locations in Ann Arbor, Berkley, Commerce Township, Northville, Plymouth, Union Lake, and West Bloomfield.
Hiller’s carries High Plains Bison products. They have 100% Bison Hot Dogs, Filet Mignon, New York Strip, and Ground Bison.

Oleson’s Food Stores | Locations in Petoskey, Charlevoix, Traverse City (2), and Manistee.
According to their website, they do offer bison meat, but it says the aren’t currently accepting orders. Contact the specific store for more info.

Veldheer Tulip Gardens | Located in Holland, MI
Not quite a grocery store, but this place that specializes in tulips, also sells bison meat. Check their website out for more info.

Marquette Meats | 3060 W. US 41 Marquette (Next to Westwood Mall)
Marquette Meats offers ground bison and bison steaks. Visit the store for pricing information and selection.

Arbor Farms | 2103 West Stadium Boulevard Ann Arbor, MI 48103-3896
Arbor Farms has a couple options for ground bison meat, located in their freezer section. If you want to buy already made bison patties for burgers they have that there.

Nino Salvaggio | Locations in St. Clair Shores, Clinton Township, and Troy
They sell bison patties in their freezer section for $9.99/lb

Farm Listings

Schultz Fruitridge Farms | 60139 County Road 652 Mattawan, MI 49071
They have bison meat available year around. You need to call in advance for meat cuts, prices, and sales. Their phone number is 269-668-3724.

AJ’s Bison | 456 W. Hatmaker Road, Bronson, MI 49208
Has USDA inspected meat. For more information call them at (517) 369-9037

Peaceable Kingdom Bison Ranch | 810-387-2237
They sell bison meat at the Lapeer Farmer’s Market and Vantage Point Farmers Market (July to October) in Port Huron.

Cushman Bison Farms | 2427 W. 32 Road, Boon, MI 49601
Cushman Bison Farms located just north of Cadalliac in Boon, has bison jerky, steaks, roasts, and burgers. You can purcahse their meat through their website.

Butcher Boy Food Products | 13869 Herbert, Warren, MI 48089
Butcher Boy sells bison steaks, roasts, ground bison, hot dogs, and more. For a full product list and more information, please visit their website.

TMZ Farms | Available at True Value Hardware on Main St (M-36) in Pinckney, MI
TMZ Farms sells their meat at the True Value Hardware store in Pinckney. They also offer ordering over the phone. Call (734) 878-6425

Continue reading »]]> There are some things people just don’t ever think of making themselves. We have gotten so used to just going to the store and getting something we need already made up for us. Give mustard for example. How many people make their own mustard, let alone would even know how to begin. As usual Alton Brown and his fans (me included) would think of it and have made our own homemade mustard. It doesn’t even take that long to do, you just need the right ingredients and equipment. You grind whole mustard seeds, combine them with some spices & salt and mix that with sweet pickle juice, water and apple cider vinegar. Then nuke it in the microwave, blend it and, your done. You could even make the mustard while your homemade soft pretzels are baking!

Below I share my notes from preparing Alton Brown’s Best Mustard Ever recipe. For the full recipe, visit Food Network’s website.

1. In order to grind up the mustard seeds, I use a coffee grinder, that doubles as a spice grinder. I have a Cuisinart model I just got. I know Alton likes the grinders made by Krups.

2. When vinegar comes into contact with the ground mustard seed, it will at the point prevent the mixture from getting stronger. So you could start heating the mustard up, and then add the vinegar. However to everyone I have given the mustard to, not a single person thought this mustard needed to be stronger. It’s pretty strong stuff as is. Much more than that stuff you probably normally have. But if you decide you want to turn up the heat on your mustard, you need to be careful. Mustard gas wasn’t called mustard gas, because it produced a yellow colored cloud.

3. Alton microwaved his mixture for 1 minute, then hit it with a stick blender. I found that after 1 minute, my mustard was way too loose. The strength of one’s microwave factors in here. I microwaved it a couple more times for 1 mintue and always hit it with the stick blender in between until I got a better consistency. It thicken up in the fridge too. Just be patient.

If you are looking for a good strong mustard give this a try. I find that it’s strong flavor works well in marinades and with homemade honey mustard. I gave a jar of it to my parents for Christmas.

Continue reading »]]> When you cook like me, you end up creating a lot of dirty dishes. I am someone who likes to make his very own crackers or ice cream. Whereas most people just buy these in the store, I make them from stratch, which means I am dirting pots, spatulas, sheet pans, etc. Which is why getting a dishwasher was a must for our household. Since I am renting the place and don’t have a place for a built in, I bought a portable dishwasher a couple years back and it’s been a huge time saver. But one of the problems we had at first was getting our dishes to come out sparkly clean. We have really hard well water. The kind of water that regularly turns our bath tub a not so beautiful rusty orange. It took a while, experimenting with different detergents to come up with a method that works for us.

We use a combination of things. The most important is Lemi Shine. Lemi Shine is a super concentrated dishwasher additive. It is vital for us to use it in every wash in order for our dishes to come out without any kind of residue on them. What we do is first fill the detergent holder half full with Lemi Shine, then we use regular detergent for the rest. We also make sure to use a rinse aid, which is most important for having spot free glasses. Also since we have hard water, we need to give our dishwasher a good cleaning. We use Lemi Shine Mc3 Machine Clean, every so often. You just pour in it and run the dishwasher empty.

Has hard water problems frustrated you as well? Share your experiences in the comment section below.

Continue reading »]]> This article was written exclusively for Eat Like No One Else by Pearson Farm, a fifth-generation family-owned business dedicated to growing Georgia Peaches and Georgia Pecans.

The other day I received a holiday care package from my family that included some delicious roasted pecans that had been tossed in cinnamon and sugar. Knowing that I’d be writing about pecans it made me wonder what other things you can do with this tasty nut. Of course there’s the obvious and delicious pecan pie, a favorite of most southern homes. There is also the praline cookie, which came in the same care package. But what, exactly is a praline? And what are other popular desserts made with pecans? I wondered this while I’ll liberally snacked on my care package.

Well, first of all, a praline is traditionally a pecan-based treat even though overtime it has been co-opted by its equally delightful cousin, the almond. Initially, when the French settlers moved to New Orleans, bringing cream and sugar with them, they noticed that pecan trees were abundant. As such, they combined the cream and sugar with the pecan to make the praline. Now the name ‘praline’ has come to mean any type of nut and sugar confection but if you’re visiting New Orleans expect that praline you ordered to be pecan.

While you can definitely shell your own pecans and eat them raw, by far the most popular thing to do with them is make desserts. This is unsurprising because it’s a great topper to pies and cakes and roasts well on its own. Because it’s bittersweet when picked raw, a roasted pecan will release great flavors and come out of the oven buttery with a soft texture making it perfect for breads and ice cream. Butter pecan ice cream, anyone?

If you decide to roast the pecans, don’t just put them on a sheet pan in the oven. I’ve done this and it’s not that spectacular. If you really want to get the full effect of old fashioned roasted pecans, toss them in an egg white mixture first and then pop them in the oven. To make the pecans extra sweet and amazing, grab a shaker with some cinnamon and sugar and coat the pecans. What comes out of the oven is a small, snack-size, stand alone handful of scrumptious holiday cheer.

In addition to the pecan pie, the praline, and the old fashioned roasted, I’d like to add one more suggestion that’s not for the faint of heart; pecan maple fudge. The key to making deliciously sinful pecan maple fudge is fresh ingredients. Don’t skimp on the maple and instead buy the purest, thickest maple syrup you can find. Some recipes call for extract here but I disagree. Sure it’ll work but if you really want the full experience, use pure maple syrup. I like thick fudge and the purer the ingredients, the more dense it’ll be. But ask yourself what you want. For me, when I eat fudge, I want to really eat it and take in all the rich, sugar-inducing coma deliciousness I can stand. It doesn’t get any richer than pure maple syrup.

There are many other things to do with pecans in the dessert and baking world. It’s a resilient and versatile nut that can be consumed year round if stored properly. While I will no doubt consume my fair share of pecan pie this holiday season, I’m actually partial to the cookies. But for the truly decadent, I definitely recommend the fudge.