April 2020 – 10 Chickens to Maine

The Pull of Pork

My first serious food obsession was authentic BBQ. And, for someone who (at the time) could barely open a can or boil water, it was a hell of a place to jump into cooking. In baking, a novice can be guided by precise measurements, controlled temperatures in an oven, and any other number of quantifiableContinue reading “The Pull of Pork”

The Classic

No #RecipeUpTop for this one because, well, it’s a cheeseburger. It’s not that complicated, and it’s not really a recipe. It’s more akin to our discussion about steak; some tips and tricks, some things to avoid, and some personal pet peeves. As I’ve mentioned before, we generally only buy two cuts of beef: whole ribeyeContinue reading “The Classic”

The Rite(s) of Spring

Mainers will tell you they hate the winter. And some of us do. But what we really hate is the spring. The problem isn’t necessarily the weather itself, though the manic teasing of sunny warmth pulled back with a whip-crack of snow flurries does wear thin at times. Nor is the issue the omnipresent mudContinue reading “The Rite(s) of Spring”

Spring Carrot and Ginger Soup

#RecipeUpTop (details below): Four (4) large carrots; One (1) tablespoon minced fresh ginger; One (1) rib of celery; One (1) medium yellow onion; One (1) quart of chicken stock, or water; Salt (to taste); Black pepper (to taste); Sugar (to taste): Method: Sweat the celery and onion, then add the carrots and ginger and coverContinue reading “Spring Carrot and Ginger Soup”

Split Pea Soup

#RecipeUpTop (details below): 1 ham bone or smoked ham hock; 1 bag of dried split peas (16oz); 1 yellow onion; 1 celery rib; 1 large carrot; Water (to cover); Salt (to taste); Pepper (to taste); Method: Dice the mirepoix, and add to a large soup pot with the ham bone and split peas, then coverContinue reading “Split Pea Soup”