Crunchy Roasted Bacon Slabs With Bourbon Peanut Butter Dip

BACON. 

Now that I have your attention, let's get right down to the business of this perfect storm of smoky, salty, sweet and spicy, crunchy bacon goodness. 

If you've been following Dinner Plan-it since our trip to Kentucky Bourbon Country, I've mentioned the crush I have on the Bacon In A Glass at OBC Kitchen in Lexington, Kentucky. It's just one of those food memories that haunts your taste buds, beckons you to indulge again..and again. But it's a 6 hour drive to OBC Kitchen. There was nothing else to do but recreate the dish at home.

Although the OBC Kitchen serves this as an app, I've been making it for brunch without the peanut butter dip. If you can't make it to Kentucky to sample this wonderfulness for yourself, here's my version of their classic. If you CAN make the trip to Lexington (and I strongly urge you to visit the Bourbon Trail), be sure not to miss it!

Crunchy Roasted Bacon Slabs 

With Bourbon Peanut Butter Dip 

• 1 lb VERY thick sliced (slabs of) bacon - packaged bacon just won't do, get it from your butcher. My bacon butcher is Butcher On Butler - tell them I sent you.
• 2/3 C brown sugar
• 2 t ancho chile powder
• Demerara sugar for finishing - Demerara is a large crystal raw cane sugar with a rich molasses note. It's not hard to find, even Giant Eagle has it!

Dip:

• 1/3 C smooth peanut butter
• 2 T Mike's Hot Honey - or regular honey if you don't want extra heat
• 2 T bourbon - I used Bulleit
• 1 T maple syrup
• 2 T water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet WITH A RIM (so you don't have molten sugar and bacon grease all over the bottom of your oven) with parchment paper (for easy clean up, you'll thank me). Then set a wire rack on top of the parchment covered baking sheet. 

Mix brown sugar and ancho chile powder together and spread on a plate. Dredge each slice of bacon in the sugar mixture on both sides, then lay the slabs, without touching each other, on the rack on top of the rimmed baking sheet. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. The time could be more or less depending on the thickness of your bacon. 

While the bacon is roasting, spread demerara sugar on a dinner plate or paper plate.

Remove from the oven when the bacon is well browned, but not burned. If the slices are not crisp, that's just fine as they will firm up as they cool. 

As you remove each slice from the rack, immediately coat both sides in demerara sugar. Lay each slice on another parchment covered baking sheet to cool and set. 

For the dip: In a microwave safe small bowl, mix all the dip ingredients. Nuke for a few seconds, stir, nuke again until well combined and warm but not hot. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more water.

Once the bacon slices have firmed up, stand them in a glass, dip in peanut butter and it's party time!

Bourbon Honey Bacon In A Glass with peanut butter dip at OBC Kitchen in Lexington, KY.

Philly Cheesesteak Dip ala OC Brewing Company

Buh-bye summer! It's been fun! But doesn't it seem that autumn is making some serious headway into town even before we're ready for it? Before I'm ready for it anyway.  

Who would imagine that on our beach vacation where we normally feast on crab and Maryland corn (and believe me, we did plenty of crab feasting!), that we'd discover what could become the best tailgate recipe I've come across in many a moon: Philly Cheesesteak Dip from OC Brewing Company in Ocean City, MD. One taste and I knew immediately this one would be a Dinner Plan-it duplication to share with all of you!

The dip at OC Brewing brought all the classic flavors of a cheesesteak into one hot, bubbling casserole dish to dip with their house-made big, crusty pretzels. Now you know I can't do pretzels, so they fried up a batch of their house-made crunchy and sturdy potato chips for dipping instead. Browned pieces of thinly sliced steak, sweet onion and green peppers were surrounded by a 5 cheese sauce so lush and spot on, it was just like dipping into a real Philly Cheesesteak! 

The dip as served at OC Brewing...minus the big soft pretzel, with their homemade chips.

What did I change? Not much. I added mushrooms and garnished it with hot pepper rings, because that's how I take my cheesesteak hoagie. If you don't care for mushrooms, leave them out like they do at OC Brewing. I don't know what cheeses they used, only that there were five of them...so I used my favorite. Cream cheese for the creamy base, shredded ColbyJack (because I had it on hand - and because it melts nicely), American and gouda cheeses went in (also for the meltability (new word?) factor and provolone for stretchy, gooey, classic steak sub character.  

Thanks OC Brewing for not just another afternoon/evening of great beers and cocktails and awesome bartenders, but for the inspiration for what will become this year's fave tailgating classic. So what if it was enjoyed first in Raven's country and created in honor of an Eagle's country classic sandwich...it will be consumed with delight within Steeler Nation!

Philly Cheesesteak Dip

ala OC Brewing Company

• 1 T olive oil
• 3/4 lb thinly sliced top round, cut into slivers about 1 1/2" long
• Jane's Crazy Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (don't go too "Crazy" with the Crazy Salt, there's lots of salt in all this gooey cheese)
• 1/2 medium onion, diced (approx. 1/2 C)
• 1/2 medium green pepper, diced (approx. 1/2 C)
• 3/4 C. mushrooms, diced
• 8 oz. block Lite cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 C. shredded ColbyJack cheese, or mild cheddar
• 4 slices American cheese, crumbled
• 3/4 - 1 C gouda, shredded
• 3 slices provolone cheese, crumble 2 and reserve 2 whole slices to lay across the top of the finished casserole
• pickled hot banana pepper rings for garnish
• pita chips, soft pretzels or toasted baguette slices

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the steak pieces with Crazy Salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a very hot skillet, add the steak pieces and saute until they are nicely browned and caramelized on all sides. Add the veggies to the pan and cook until soft. Remove from heat.

While the steak is cooking, put the lite cream cheese (remember when it used to be called Neufchatel?) into a large bowl. Add the hot steak and veggies to the bowl along with all the delicious juices. Stir the cream cheese, steak and veggies together until well combined. Add the rest of the cheeses (except for the reserved 2 whole slices of provolone) and combine completely.

Spoon mixture into a small cast iron skillet or heat proof casserole dish. Place the reserved provolone over the top and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and browned. Remove from oven and garnish with pickled hot banana pepper rings.

Serve with pita or pretzels or baguette slices or sturdy potato chips!

Now, GO STEELERS!!!!!!

P. S.  We didn't vacation in Ocean City, MD this year, but in Rehobeth Beach...and went down to OC just for OC Brewing Company!

Rehoboth Beach, DE by moonlight.

  

Crowd Pleasing Caponata

It's Thursday. Appropriately, today's post and recipe is a throwback. It brings back memories of our years in Maryland and to time spent catering art show openings at a little art gallery in the Federal Hill area of Baltimore. In those days, my Caponata was a favorite of exhibiting artists and gallery gawkers alike. These days, it's still a favorite of friends and family.

This eggplant, onion, olive appetizer is rich and velvety with a little celery crunch to offset the smoothness and it packs a little pizzazz via a hint of red pepper flake heat...and then there's this zippy sweet/sour vibe going on, too. Caponata is a hearty dish that somehow satisfies vegetarians and meat eaters alike which means it's a great recipe to have in your arsenal.

A traditional Italian appetizer, Caponata is nicely versatile, too. I like to serve it on toasted baguette slices or in lettuce cups, but it also makes the transition to dinner as a lovely topping for plain grilled chicken or even on a New Orleans-style muffaletta. My guess is that it works on a muffaletta because my version is more olive-y than the traditional ones...almost a cross between a tapenade and caponata. I use a lot less olive oil than the usual, too. Not that less olive oil makes my Caponata a diet dish, but all those veggies are good for you!

Give this delightful little dish a spin the next time you entertain. You might just find Caponata becomes a crowd pleaser in your recipe repertoire...and eventually earns a spot on your very own throwback list of favorite recipes.   

Caponata

• 1/3 C olive oil
• 2 large eggplants, caps and bottoms cut off, half of the peel cut off (half left on for the beautiful color) and cut into 1/4" dice
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and cut into small dice
• 1/2 C petite diced canned tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 C pimiento stuffed green olives, diced
• 1/2 C pitted kalamata olives, diced
• 1/4 C red wine vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 1 t kosher salt
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 t dried hot pepper flakes
• (optional) a jar of marinated artichokes, drained and diced

I use a large electric skillet.

Heat the oil in the skillet and cook eggplant until soft, but not browned. Remove the eggplant and set aside.

Add onions and celery and cook until the onions are soft, but the celery still has crunch.

Add tomatoes, olives and the eggplant; combine well. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. If you're using marinated artichokes, add them in here.

Simmer for 15 minutes or so until nicely melded. Let the mixture come to room temperature before serving.

Serve in a bowl and let your guests top toasted baguette slices or Romaine lettuce leaves. It's really good just as a salad or even as a topping for grilled chicken or on a (not so) traditional New Orleans-style Muffaletta. 

 

Caponata diced sort of uniformly and simmering in the skillet.

Smoky & Spicy Pecan Bacon Pimiento Cheese

Busy, busy, busy! Life changes again. This time it's moving and moving on. 

Kimber had moved home quite a while ago when help was needed with Mark, taking shifts at the hospital, getting him to and from doctors appointments once he got home and with this big ol' house (and snow shoveling, mowing, and just the day-to-day stuff). After being back here and working in the 'Burgh, she's decided Pittsburgh is a pretty special place (although she still misses Cleveland) and is making Pittsburgh her home for good. Yay!

Family and neighbors are pitching in together over the next couple of days to move her to her own apartment. Although she's been an awesome roommate, it's time for her to do her own thing again. Thanks, Kimber, for all the help and support over the last year and a half. I couldn't have begun to do this without you...both the tough times and the fun times, too.

Our neighbors across the street - the ones whose three boys Kimber babysat when they were little - are loading up their two pickup trucks, my sister's pickup truck and my SUV and we're tackling this mother as a team! Oh, and those boys Kimber babysat those many years ago? They're big strapping young men who are helping, too. 

Naturally, I'm feeding the crew. It's the least I can do! Pulled pork, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans and pimiento cheese are on the menu. Good hearty food that boys love and that will replenish our reserves to finish the job in one fell swoop. Why pimiento cheese? Joy is from Georgia and just happens to love my version of the southern classic. So this is for Joy and the boys...and Kimber, too. With love and thanks. 

Smoky & Spicy Pecan Bacon Pimiento Cheese

• 1 1/2 C mayo - Hellman's, of course
• 1/3 C drained, diced jarred peppadew peppers - or pimientos if you can't find peppadews
• 1 t worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 t finely grated onion
• 1 t chipotle powder
• 1/2 t ancho chile powder
• 1 t hot paprika

Mix all the above and set aside.

• 1 1/4 C chopped, toasted pecans
• 3 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 8 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded - shred this yourself, it makes a world of difference in texture!
• 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded - shredded on the largest holes of your box grater

Toss the cheeses, pecans and bacon in a large mixing bowl. Pour the mayo mixture over top and mix thoroughly with a heavy duty wooden or metal spoon until completely incorporated.

Spoon into a serving bowl and serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until about 2 hours before serving time. Letting it come to room temp helps it spread more easily on crackers and makes it easier to dip into with veggies.

Bacon Wrapped and Stilton-Stuffed Fresh Black Mission Figs

Rich. Lush. Decadent. Those are my three words to describe the season's bounty of fresh figs. I've been picking them up at Whole Foods in the last few weeks to make syrups or to eat simply with good cheese and warm slices of  a crisp crusted (gluten free) baguette. 

Fresh figs - as opposed to the dried variety - are a real treat to me. The crunchy seeds and voluptuous soft flesh make me wonder why it was the apple and not figs that brought the downfall of Adam and Eve from Eden. Really, fig leaves became their modest clothing, not apple leaves!

During a delightful evening at the Allegheny Wine Mixer in Lawrenceville with friends a little while back, we were tickled to see on the menu fresh figs stuffed with ricotta, wrapped in bacon and roasted to perfection. (Nice little riff on the typical bacon-wrapped dates on menus all over town, yes?) They were devoured before a single picture could be taken. Sorry about that. And I've been thinking about them ever since. 

Finally, instead of just thinking about them, I got busy in the kitchen and sort of duplicated them...sort of did my own thing...and made my own riff of AWM's riff at home with a precious box of Black Mission figs straight from the store. 

Since figs are so full flavored, I decided to change out the ricotta and stuff them with a cheese that could stand up to them - a nice sharp, almost cheddar-y and tangy Blue Stilton. The bacon part was a keeper, of course, because nobody puts bacon in the corner! (Errrrr...sorry Dirty Dancing.)

To finish off the little lumps of goodness, I glazed them with balsamic vinegar that had been reduced to a syrup - just the right acid to balance out the combo of sweet figs, tangy cheese and smoky bacon. 

The result? Just what I was looking for in an appetizer to accompany a fine Manhattan. Oh, I didn't mention the whole point of this dish was to complement one damned good cocktail? Not to worry, both appetizer and cocktail hit the "rich, lush and decadent" mark perfectly.  

Bacon Wrapped and Stilton-Stuffed 

Fresh Black Mission Figs

• 1 dozen fresh Black Mission figs, little stems snipped off and a slit sliced into the side of each
• 12 pieces of Blue Stilton cheese - each the size of the tip of your pinkie finger
• 6 slices of thin-sliced bacon, cut in half crosswise (12 pieces of bacon for 12 figs, right?)
• 3 T balsamic vinegar syrup (6 T of balsamic vinegar simmered in a pot on the stovetop until reduced by half)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In each slit in each fig, stuff a piece of Stilton - don't worry about it fitting, the figs give a lot. Wrap a half slice of bacon around each stuffed fig - starting by covering the slit and ending the same way. Place the figs slit side up in a baking dish.

Roast for 15 minutes, spoon a little glaze over each fig - using it all - and return to the oven. Roast another 20 minutes and baste again with the juices and glaze in the dish. Continue baking until the bacon is cooked and "melded" to the figs. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before serving. 

Serves 2...and don't forget the Manhattans!

The One, The Only...True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

A couple of weeks ago, a Facebook picture of a pizza grabbed me by the heart and made me miss my Maryland days big time! Pizza? Maryland? What's the connection? It was CRAB DIP pizza! Be still my pitter-pattering little mourning-being-near-the-best-crabs-in-the-country, Maryland-missing heart.

I'm not sure exactly who or what page I follow posted the pizza of my dreams, but I'm going to blame Steve Vilnit, Director of Fisheries Marketing - Maryland Department of Natural Resources - for the temptation. Yep, Steve gets the blame...er...credit...if for no other reason than we are as one when it comes to supporting the Maryland crab industry. 

You all know I've forever been an ardent supporter of authentic, honest-to-God, sweet, succulent, Maryland blue crabmeat and I wouldn't use anything else. Not exactly easy when you live this far inland from the beautiful Chesapeake Bay and the Eastern Shore of Maryland now, is it?

Except. That I had one last beautiful pound of REAL Maryland jumbo lump crabmeat stashed away in the freezer just waiting to become something spectacular. THIS was just what it was waiting for, THIS glorious Maryland recipe. I was going to duplicate sweet, creamy, decadent crab-dip-on-a-crust just like in the picture AND I could make it gluten-free to boot.

The big bonus of topping a store bought pizza crust with crab dip - even after piling the mixture of Maryland crab, 3 cheeses, marinated artichokes, jalapeno and just a touch of garlic up nice and high - is that there is a whole lot left over to scoop into a casserole dish for dipping with big, crunchy hunks of bread the next day (or later in the evening if you can't wait that long). What's better than a night of crab? TWO nights of crab! Oh sure, you could make half a recipe, but why would you? More Maryland crab is always better.

When you get to Maryland next time (notice I said when, not if), do like I do and make a local fresh seafood market the very last stop of your own trip. Be sure to take a cooler with you just for the purpose of bringing back pounds of heavenly, real Maryland crabmeat to tuck away in your own freezer. I can guarantee your fishmonger (crabmonger?) will be happy to fill your cooler with enough ice to keep your precious cargo cold. After all, one should always be prepared anytime a crab emergency strikes.

True Blue Maryland Crab, Artichoke

 And Jalapeno Dip Pizza

• 1 pound MARYLAND jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through carefully for any shell or cartiledge - please don't break up those gorgeous big lumps, thank you.
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened well
• 1/2 C shredded sharp cheddar, plus extra for top
• 1/2 C shredded mozzarella
• juice of one lemon
• 2 - 4 oz. jars of marinated artichokes, drained, reserve liquid - you'll use 2-4 T reserved liquid 
• 1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1/4 C mayonnaise - yes, Hellman's
• 1 large clove garlic, pressed through your garlic press
• 1 store-bought pizza crust - I used an Udi's Gluten-Free Pizza Crust to make this GF. The Udi's crust is approx. 8" in diameter. Use whatever crust you like - Boboli, whatever floats your boat!

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the mayo and cream cheese together with lemon juice. Add the shredded cheeses and fold those into the cream cheese mixture. Add artichokes, minced jalapeno, garlic and mix well, but gently. Last, gently and lovingly fold the crab into the mixture being careful to keep the lumps as whole as possible.

Place your pizza crust onto a baking sheet. Place scoops of crab dip on top - I used a large (approx. 1/2 C) ice cream scoop - and for the 8" crust used 4-5 scoops that I spread out evenly (don't break up the lumps!) all the way out to the edge of the crust. Sprinkle the extra shredded cheddar over all.

Any crab dip that might be left (you'll use more if you use a larger diameter crust), scoop into a buttered casserole dish. Either bake it immediately with the pizza or cover and refrigerate it for the next night.

Bake about 20 minutes, turn up the oven to 450 degrees and bake until the cheese starts to bubble and slightly brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 minutes before cutting into wedges. Enjoy!

NOTE: Enjoying the surf and sand of Ocean City? Bring back Maryland crab. Sailing the waters of Annapolis or St. Michaels? Bring back Maryland crab. Hitting the hot spots of Baltimore's Fells Point? You get the idea.

And while you're in Maryland, be sure to frequent restaurants and fresh seafood stores that carry and serve only Maryland crab. Here's a link to the True Blue Maryland program and a list of awesome places to get your Maryland crab fix!  http://seafood.maryland.gov/true-blue-maryland-crab-meat/

Look for this logo to know you're buying the best!

Caprese Crostini With Grilled Basil Serrano Chicken

Simple. That's what I think of when warm weather and sunshine roll around this way again. Once the temperatures climb and soft breezes stir the leaves in the trees, I want nothing more after a long weekend day of working in the yard than to chill on the deck. Honestly, after a long weekday of sitting and squinting at the computer, I want the exact same thing! 

Dinner? Simple food. Pop a few veggies onto the grill with burgers or chicken or a nice thick steak and add a crisp green salad and sliced sweet watermelon or juicy pineapple. I want clean, fresh flavors. Which brought this recipe to fruition last Sunday. 

Chicken tenders were marinated in a bright combination of fresh basil, serrano pepper, garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Then the grill was fired up, the chicken threaded onto one set of metal skewers and tomatoes onto another, while a few first of the season, new-to-the-market Vidalia onions and sweet red peppers roasted beside. Once the chicken and veggies came off the grill, thick baguette slices brushed with basil-serrano-garlic oil went on the grates to take on a golden hue...well, except for those two that incinerated on one side. Oops! 

The result? An early taste of summer. Using the beautifully browned baguette crostinis as a base, a grilled tomato was smooshed on top of each, then a whole bright green basil leaf, next a thin slice of creamy fresh mozzarella and finally pieces of warm, basil-y, garlic-y, slightly spicy chicken. Easy, simple, fresh and just right for dinner on the deck, listening to the birds and the leaves and the gurgling of the pond. This is the life...the simple life! 

Caprese Crostini 

With Grilled Basil Serrano Chicken 

Marinade: 

• 2 large fresh basil leaves 
• 2 slices of a fresh serrano pepper - or jalapeno for a little less heat (Not a fan of heat at all? Leave the hot peppers out!) 
• 1/4 C good extra virgin olive oil 
• balsamic vinegar - see below for amount 
• 1/2 t Kosher salt 
• freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• 1 clove minced garlic 

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders or thinly sliced boneless chicken breast - this is more than you need, but I make extra for salads during the week
• Extra large cherry or grape tomatoes - I used small Marzano tomatoes I found at the store...so sweet! 
• fresh mozzarella 
• fresh basil leaves 
• 1 baguette, sliced diagonally about 1" thick, brushed with the reserved marinade on both sides (do NOT use the marinade the chicken was in!) - I used Udi's gluten free baguette - to make this GF  (BTW, this is a fabulous gluten-free product...good old-fashioned hoagies, here I come!) 

Marinade: In a see-through liquid measuring cup, add slices of serrano chilis (or jalapeno if you want a little less heat...or leave out completely if you don't want any heat at all), 2 large basil leaves, good extra virgin olive oil up to the 1/4 C line and muddle the oil, chilies and basil nicely. Then add balsamic vinegar up to 1/3 C line. 

To the same measuring cup, add 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 t Kosher salt and a hefty grinding of  black peppercorns. Whisk well, pour 1/4 of the mixture into a small dish (this is the reserved marinade), then pour the rest into a quart-sized zip top bag. Add the chicken tenders, squeeze out all the air and zip securely. Squeeze the bag and moosh everything around until the marinade surrounds all the chicken; put the bag into a bowl that holds it securely to prevent any leaks from going all over your fridge (yuck!) and refrigerate for 2-4 hours. 

When you're ready for dinner, fire up the grill. Thread the chicken on metal skewers, thread the tomatoes long-ways onto separate metal skewers (if you don't have metal skewers, use wooden or bamboo skewers and soak them in water for at least an hour before grilling to keep them from going up in flames!) Turn the heat down to medium and grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Grill the tomatoes until they blister and soften, but take them off before they're so soft they fall of the skewers! 

Once the chicken and tomatoes are done, that's when I put the baguette slices on the grill - watch them carefully so they don't burn - and grill to golden on both sides. 

Assembly: Take a grilled baguette slice and smoosh a grilled tomato on top with a sprinkle of Kosher salt, then a nice basil leaf, a slice of fresh mozzarella, then a piece of grilled chicken and finish with another sprinkle of Kosher salt and a grind of black pepper. 

A few crostini, a few grilled veggies, a simple green salad, a glass of wine...aaaahhhhhhh....summer grilling season is here!!!!!

NOTE: This makes a festive appetizer or starter for deck parties, too!

Horseradish Bacon Cheese for Burgers

Really. Is there anything better than a burger? Sizzling hot, seared and seasoned to perfection, cradled in a soft white bun with crisp green lettuce and sweet red tomato, piled high with melting cheese? Spring hasn't sprung until that first burger of the new season goes from grill to table to my mouth!

Actually, the cheese I was craving to top off my burger wasn't American or cheddar or even provolone, it was that good old Southern favorite - pimiento cheese. But there wasn't a jar of pimientos to be found in the house. I did, however, have a brand spanking new unopened bottle of horseradish. And there was bacon! (Truth be told, there is always bacon...it's a Dinner Plan-it staple!)

Now that the beginnings were there for a twist on the classic, I added sharp white cheddar, smooth, creamy Havarti, grated onion, just a smidge of mayo - well "smidge" compared to the mountain of mayo that normally goes into pimiento cheese...and a great big pile of horseradish. I was aiming for HORSERADISH bacon cheese! That goal was accomplished.

Smoky, zippy, salty, tangy, smooth and creamy...what a burger topping! Have some left over when the grilling is done? Spread Horseradish Bacon Cheese for Burgers on crackers or scoop it up with celery or carrot sticks or how about grilled Horseradish Bacon Cheese sandwiches. Who knows? Pimiento cheese might have just met it's match.

Horseradish Bacon Cheese for Burgers

• 5 slices of thick-sliced bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 4 oz. white cheddar, grated
• 3 1/2 oz. Havarti cheese, grated
• 1 T. onion, grated
• 3 T. horseradish
• 2 T. mayonnaise, Hellman's preferably

Using the shredder disk of your food processor, shred the cheddar, then the Havarti into the bowl. Remove the shredder disk and place the blade in the bowl. 

Add the bacon, onion, horseradish and mayo to the bowl and process until the cheese is smooth, creamy and spreadable.

Grill your burgers as you normally would and pile the cheese spread on top. Put the burger onto a bun with lettuce and tomato...maybe a little sweet onion and there you have it. Enjoy!

NOTE: Why does this spread use less mayo than pimiento cheese? It's the creamy Havarti and horseradish that makes it really smooth and spreadable without all the mayo...and cuts down on the calories...but then again, let's not think about calories. There is all that bacon. Sigh.

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou! - Appetizers For a Very Tiki New Year

Does the recent, refound popularity of Tiki mean we Americans are looking for a return to the exotic drinks, quirky ceramic mugs and laid back culture of the alluring, romantic Pacific Islands? Are we Pittsburghers looking for an escape to the gentle sway of both palm trees and the hips of grass-skirted maidens, to  the colorful parrot-shirted, straw-hatted, bronzed godlike men who symbolize the Tiki lifestyle? Could we be seeking tiki huts and bamboo torches to light the way to a hidden get-away far from cold, harsh winds, sleet and snow? Maybe we ARE looking for paradise. In a tiki mug. We're looking for our very own personal tropical escape....if only in our minds and for just a moment. 

Tiki underground whispers have been growing in volume over the last couple of years as new Tiki bars have popped up across the country and old ones have found new appreciation. Listen closely, the silence might reveal the sound of distant tribal drums, lapping waves and raucous bird calls from softly swaying coconut palms above as the culture known as Tiki quietly reemerges from it's golden heydays of the 40's and 50's. And it's happening here. In Pittsburgh. 

Which brings me to two Tiki-inspired recipes I've whipped up lately for a few little Tiki get-togethers I've been lucky enough to be a part of. Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs and Coconut Lime Chicken Sticks with a Pineapple Coconut Lime Dipping Sauce. The ribs were a creation using Kona coffee, lime zest, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and toasted almonds for a group of fellow tikiphiles one recent evening. 

The chicken was created for a weekend Mele Kalikimaka Tiki Christmas party held by another fellow tiki fan. Actually, the chicken was originally created for last summer's Jimmy Buffet tailgate and was such a hit we had to do it all over again. Why not serve this hit for New Year's, too?!

Unfortunately, the pics aren't very good because time was of the essence in getting the goodies to the parties. The photos were snapped with a cellphone in less than idealistic conditions. Who cares?! The food was fresh, hot and GOOD! Photos were a minor player. Suffice it to say, the food did stay around long enough to snap many pics anyway. What would you prefer, pretty pics or food for friends that flies off the table? Yeah, that's what I thought.

The cocktails at the recent events? Some of the best of the BEST Tiki drinks created by none other than Lucky the Painproof Man, Greta the Grass Skirt Goddess, Max Stein (no knickname that I'm privy to), Chip Homer, Adambomb, Dr. Bamboo, Mike Basista (food photographer extraordinaire - and NO, he isn't responsible for the photos here - these are mine) and many, many more Tiki talents from around the 'Burgh.

Lucky the Painproof Man

The Coconaut - by Lucky

Greta and flaming Tiki drinks!

 


Just in case you want to ring in the New Year with some new, different and delicious appetizers, here are the recipes. Aloha...and mahalo, friends! Oh...and Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs

Kona Kahiki Tiki Ribs

 

• 1/4 cup ground Kona coffee (I get mine at Nicholas Coffee in Market Square) - a much less expensive Hawaiian variety called Cantui Red is FABULOUS!
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds, finely ground in the food processor - caution, don't let it go too long or you'll have almond butter!
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot 
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1 rack babyback pork ribs, silverskin removed (check online for a method to perform this maneuver...Google it...it's easy, but complicated to describe)

In a small bowl, mix all rub ingredients well - I mash mine together with a fork. 

Massage 1/2 of the rub into one side of the ribs, the other half on the other side of the ribs. Do this at least 4 hours before or overnight. Wrap them well in plastic wrap.
 
The next day, bring them to room temp and set the oven to 325 degrees. 

Take the plastic wrap off the ribs, rewrap them in heavy duty aluminum foil and seal well. Put the foil-wrapped ribs into a large roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet that will comfortably hold the ribs. 

Cook for 3 hours or until tender, just shy of falling off the bone. Remove from oven; open the foil, exposing the ribs completely.

Raise the oven temp to 400 degrees, put the ribs back in and let 'er rip for half an hour. 

NOTE: I made 3 racks of babyback and they disappeared in a flash!

NOTE 2: Costco has absolutely GORGEOUS babybacks - SO meaty - packed 3 racks to a pack. These are the meatiest, tenderest, most wonderful babybacks I've ever had. And reasonably priced!

Coconut Lime Chicken Sticks 

with Pineapple Coconut Lime Dipping Sauce

• 3 chicken breasts, sliced lengthwise into long, narrow sticks

• 1/2 cup panko, breadcrumbs - I get gluten free ones at Soergels to make this GF
• 2 limes, zested and juiced, reserve the juice
• 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted in a 300 degree oven until golden - watch closely so it doesn't burn - cool
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

• 1/3 cup coconut cream, Yes, the thick, gloppy stuff you use to make Pina Coladas - GREAT for making a marinade that STICKS!
• 1/2 of the juice you reserved above
• 1/4 cup hot sauce, Busha Browne's Pukka Sauce is what I use - get it at Reyna's in the Strip District...AMAZING stuff and perfect for this recipe!
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

• coconut oil, you'll need both the solid oil AND a coconut oil spray - my fave spray is from Trader Joe's and fave solid is from Costco

Mix up the breading and set aside - panko through Kosher salt.
 
Mix the marinade - coconut cream through granulated garlic. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade.  In a large bowl or large plastic zip top bag, toss the remaining marinade and chicken strips together and refrigerate for 4 hours or even overnight.
 
When ready to bake, turn the oven to 450 degrees. Put the breading mixture into a large bowl and a toss few strips at a time in the dredge, coating well. Set aside onto a sheet of plastic wrap or foil. 

Once the chicken is all coated, put a lump - maybe 2 T. - of coconut oil onto a large baking sheet WITH A RIM(!!!!) or 2. Put them into the oven just to melt the oil. Then lay the chicken sticks onto the oiled RIMMED baking sheets leaving room between for browning. Spray the tops with coconut oil spray to ensure browning and crisping. 

Bake for 20 minutes on one side, turn each to the other side and continue baking until crisp and browned...maybe another 10 minutes - watch carefully. Remove from oven.
 
Sauce: At some point during marinating or baking, make the sauce. Mix together the reserved marinade (that you DID NOT marinate the chicken in!), 1 T. white vinegar, the juice of the other lime still remaining from above, 1 small can of crushed pineapple (drained WELL...almost to dry), 1 t. granulated garlic and 1 t. salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. This is a perfect balance to the chicken.
 
I love to serve the sauce in a hollowed out half pineapple shell with the fresh pineapple chunks alongside and the top as a pretty platter garnish!
 

Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers with Asian Orange Glaze

Nothing like coming home from a long day at work...or a 7 hour road trip...and still having time to grill a good meal. Burgers? Nope. Almost just as easy, yet just a little more interesting was what I had in mind. 
 
I knew we already had the ingredients for a good shish-kabab. There was a fresh pineapple that had been intended for another dinner on the counter NEEDING to be used and there was bacon in the fridge (just between you and me, there is ALWAYS bacon in the fridge!). Eternally versatile and endlessly adaptable, boneless chicken breast was the third choice for a light and satisfying, threaded-onto-wooden-skewers summer evening dinner on the deck.

(Entertaining a few friends? You could whip these up on smaller skewers as an appetizer, too.)
 
Once the kabobs were cooked through on the grill, a quick baste of an orange marmalade, garlic, soy sauce and cayenne pepper mixture added a nice zippy accent that glazed them to picture perfection. 

All that was left was to plate the skewers on a bed of Romaine lettuce, add a drizzle of extra glaze whisked with a little champagne vinegar as a dressing and our Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers made a lovely and light meal for one weary traveler. 

Easy clean-up, too! At least it was easy when the hubby cleaned up the kitchen while I relaxed the miles off my weary-from-the-driver's-seat tush. Thanks!

 Bacon Pineapple Chicken Skewers 

with Asian Orange Glaze

Serves 4 as an entree, 6-8 as appetizers

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cored, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 10 slices bacon, cooked slightly, don't let it crisp!

• 6 tablespoons orange marmalade
• 2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce (wheat-free tamari to make this GF or regular soy sauce if gluten isn't an issue for you)
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to your taste - you know I like more!
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic

Soak 10 wooden skewers for at least an hour in water - add salt to the water to help season the chicken and pineapple from the inside out! I used 4" appetizer size skewers.

Ready for the glaze, a close up view of the alternating assembly.         Easy...you can do it!

 

Skewers Assembly: When the skewers are ready, thread a chicken cube, then an end of the bacon, a pineapple cube, fold the bacon back and skewer again, then the chicken, fold the bacon over, the pineapple...you get the idea. Just keep alternating chicken and pineapple and weaving the bacon back and forth until the skewer is full. Set aside.
 

Glaze: Mix the marmalade, tamari, cayenne and granulated garlic well. Set aside.
 

Preheat the grill and grill the skewers over a slow heat turning occasionally until the chicken is cook through on all sides. Once they are done, baste the glaze on one side and turn. Let them grill until the glaze is set on the first side, turn again and set the glaze on the second side. Remove to a clean plate and serve.
 

NOTE: You can mix up another batch of the glaze, add a tablespoon of champagne or rice wine vinegar to it, stir and there you have a dipping sauce for the kebabs. Do NOT use the glaze leftover from basting the skewers because they will be contaminated with raw chicken from basting.