Herb Butter

How do you turn Steaks or Salmon into great steak or salmon? Maitre D butter. The translation for Maitre D is 'master of the hotel'...they were used as a host would be  in the U.S. The Maitre D often would mix salads and bone fish tableside and offer a seasoned butter that often times he would have made earlier in the day .....It is easy to make and makes all the difference.....Chances are pretty good that when you eat at a restaurant and your steak is moist and flavorful, your chef has finished it off with a butter....it is easy to make...you can put it into a log and keep in the freezer and cut off a piece or two when you are broiling a couple of steaks or a couple of salmon steaks....

you start with 1/2 cup of butter softened and add 1/2 cup finely chopped shallot, 2 cloves of finely chopped garlic....1/4 cup of finely chopped fresh parsley, a tablespoon of fresh thyme....a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of pepper.....

add all of this together and cream until all blended...then...

I put in a roll in wax paper and twist the ends and stick this in the freezer...when you need a couple of wheels you just get out of the freezer unroll and slice off what you need and then add it back to the freezer.....

If by chance you are making salmon....you put a small wheel on top of each piece of salmon and then put under the broiler.....the butter slowly melts and flavors the fish....It is heavenly!!!!!!

Cheers to Happy  !!

My friend...Joe-Joe

I would like to introduce you to my friend Joe. Joe drives a big truck across our country every week...It can be a very dangerous occupation. He has stories that nightmares are made of. I have known him for several years now and always look forward to seeing him in my restaurant,  I belong to his fan club...He is a fellow foodie, and lives in Rock port Illinois. He cooks at home and on the road, he stops at every food dive he can find....he religiously watches Diners, Dives and Drive-ins and while traveling has eaten at many of the places, and then he reviews them for us....he also reviews handmade beers...he has been my 'go to' guy for which Northwest beers to carry on tap...I am hoping Joe will be a guest blogger from time to time....Lately I have begged and pleaded with him to take pictures of his food and recipes for the blog..........and to get me off his back, he relented and has sent me some....I love this guy and know you are going to love him too.

This is Joe and this is what he has to say about himself on facebook.....

Activities: Computers, Flight Sim, Guitar, cooking, and if it all works out I want to finish flight lessons this summer...
Interests: see "activities" but add finding real good beers, I really enjoy the search for a bitter IPA or pale ale...
Favorite Music: Three doors down, Hinder, Buckcherry, Earshot, Foo Fighters, Fuel, stuff like that...
Favorite TV Shows: NCIS, Leverage, CSI, Bones, Burn Notice, Dirty Jobs, a bunch of shows on the food channel
Favorite Movies: love the Bourne movies, Zach and Miri make a porno was my fave. this year, thought W. was good as well...
About Me: I'm a truck driver, I want to be a pilot someday, I can cook, but I can't dance. I have some very loyal friends and that is very important to me.

Reading this is funny...because Joe is so much more, he is very modest....Computers?....he is an ace mechanic, he has repaired everyone's computer I know.....Friend? Joe is the loyalest of friends....Music? oh yeah he knows his music....Beer? He is an expert on more than just an IPA...he knows his beers....do you want to know about any beer? ask him...Sense of humor? he loves a good laugh...and family? (which he doesn't mention) he loves his family....Truck driving is the first thing you notice about him, but after you know him, it is the last thing you think about...if you want to know more about Joe, peek into his website...he writes very well......

http://www.joegeeting.com/joegeeting/

ok, take it away Joe.......

New York Strip Steaks

This is my recipe for 9 oz New York Strip Steaks soaked in a marinade

for 4 hours and cooked over a hot grill.

Marinade:
1/2 of a strong beer (and no, Budweiser is not a strong beer, I used a
wheat beer this time but I normally use an IPA)
1/2 of a White Onion (cut up)
4 cloves of Garlic crushed under a knife
Black Pepper (lots of fresh ground pepper)
1 tbs. of Red Pepper Flakes
Salt as desired
a splash of you favorite cooking oil

After 4 hours in the refrigerator in a plastic bag remove the steaks
and let them come to room temperature before cooking. Sear the steaks
over the flame of a very hot grill and then bring them to temperature
with indirect heat with the lid closed. Let the meat rest about 5
minutes under a foil tent before cutting into it.

Oh can't you just taste the juicy, smoky, garlic flavor?

Cheers to Happy  !!

Easy Coconut Pie

Easter makes you think of lemons and coconut and raspberries. (or maybe not raspberries, maybe only I think of them) The welcome spring is definitely here at last....here is a recipe that is as easy as pie...hahahaha...just a few ingredients and 5 minutes prep and into the oven..presto!

this pie is sinful.....actually don't make this pie...really if you like coconut DON'T do it! I am right now, as I write this eating my second piece and thinking about one more.....

Coconut Pie
1 c. sugar
~1/3 c. butter, melted
~4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
~2 eggs
~1 c. buttermilk or soured milk
~1 T. vanilla
~1/2 c. my homemade baking mix or Bisquick
~1/2 c. coconut shreds

Mix all but coconut in a blender or with an immersion blender, stir in coconut and pour into an 8 or 9 inch pie pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 350*F for 45 minutes or until the pie jiggles as one mass and doesn't have a liquid center.

put all the ingredients, except the coconut, in a bowl or the blender.....and blend

I have this immersion blender that worked perfect for this.......then mix in the half cup of coconut, I was very tempted to add more, but didn't....and am glad I didn't....it would take away from tasting all the other creamy buttery goodness....

pour in a pie plate that you have sprayed with cooking spray...pop in the 350 oven...

45 minutes later and it is finished! Store left overs in the fridge.......

leftovers?

Cheers to Happy  !!

Hydrogen Peroxide

Oh the wonders of this stuff! One of my favorite cleaning products! I always try this first on any stain...especially on the carpets.....just pour directly on the spot on the carpet, wait 5-10 minutes and dab with a towel.....the stain will be lifted right out....proven for dark juice as well as coffee and blood....also crayons...my granddaughter once colored on the carpet and I used it..... and the color came right out...magical....oh and cheap, less than a dollar....who needs oxy-clean?..... this does the same thing, when added to the laundry! 

Cheers to Happy  !!

Oh to be eight again.....

Yesterday we drove to over the mountain (here in Washington State) to have dinner with my daughter, son-in-law and my grandchildren.....

we stopped at the top of a pass at one of our favorite view points....I love this valley....oh how wonderful a house right here would be....right after we arrived we left to go to my oldest granddaughters soccer practice....as soon as we got there , she was already playing and there before us was this GIANT hill, wow with that in front of you you could only do one thing...and my grandson was kind enough to wait until I got my camera to roll down the hill.....

there he goes....most....

old people use the hill to sit on while they watch the practice.....

Oh how I wish I was eight......

there is the oldest granddaughter....right in the middle....

after that he was busy running up and down that hill, while his mother timed him....

then he did a hula with his mom's shoes on his hands.....

that turned into handstands, to impress his sisster and he was quite good, I might add.....oh boy to be so full of energy.....

when practice was over he ran down to carry his sisters bag for her.......

 the other girls were jealous because they didn't have anyone carrying their bag...I love that boy!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Basic Pizza Dough

I have made alot of Pizza Dough in my life, but never had made one that was quite so easy and fun to work with.....you'll see why in a minute.....

Basic Pizza Dough

1 teaspoon Instant Or Active Dry Yeast

1-½ cup Warm Water
4 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
⅓ cups Olive Oil

Preparation Instructions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.
In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.
***It’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better.(although I never think that far ahead and I made it and let it rest covered on the counter for about an hour and it was beautiful!)
***Makes 2 crusts.

pizza dough ready to go....feels nice and soft......

I cut the dough into fourths and it is enough for 4 ten inch pizzas...

Now if you have a gang like mine who eggs you on, you will roll your dough out into a round and put it over your knuckles and start spinning it around and throwing it in the air....

spinning and throwing.....

whoops not quite right, try again.....

ok come to mama.....

perfect!

after you are done playing, put in on a pan that you have oiled with olive oil, use any cookie sheet or pizza pan....next brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.....and you are ready to make the pizza of your choice! My choice was the Margherita Pizza....very basic and simple.....

slice some fresh mozzarella.....

get out you toppings, this case spicy marinara and fresh basil....

spread the pizza sauce.....

place the fresh mozzarella.....

the basil......

bake for 9-10 minutes at 500 degrees....

Oh my that's lookin' good...

So Good and tender and flavorful and light...ENJOY!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Name a Restaurant...

If you were going to name a restaurant...not saying' I am....what would you name it? I am thinking something that doesn't mean anything....like a one word name...say Madonna...Cher...you know, one word....a word that becomes a brand..think Nike..Adidas...Cheverolet...I know, this is tough isn't it? I like Butterfield...or Whiskey River.... or Screaming' Tree...not really, just wanted to see if you were paying attention...yes it could be Rushton's...but it really doesn't have the one word that I think would work....Cheers, has been taken...Miss Molly's although cute is a no....Havens...no...How about something Creek, Clear Creek? Whiskey Creek? Nah.....I do like a river theme...and something, something  Northwest Grill...Oh you must help with this...PLEASE!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Evil lurks in Spring....

Tomorrow is the first day of spring, and when you go outside you are convinced of just that.....Spring is bustin' out all over! just like the song...take a look...

the daffodils are up, and have smiling faces....

I never thought I would get excited about compost...but I sure am proud of it....I am so proud of it I don't want to use it....I just want to look at it and all the worms inside....

the raspberries are getting new leaves on them....

the cherry trees have buds all over.....

the roses are all leafed out!

Azaleas are just coming on....

and here is where the evil lurks...this innocent looking weed....it has a happy little white flower....all you have to do it touch it and it SPRAYS seeds all over, just broadcasts them....it is horrid, then a million more weeds grow around it....

and then they look like this when the flowers are gone...and there really are a million of these nasty things....I noted the evil little weeds on my facebook and a friend I went to school with is a Nursery man and this is what he wrote back and said.....

'Those weeds were the bane in the greenhouses - common name is popweed or Western Bittercress, Cardamine oligosperma, if you want the specific. They are hated by all.'

(he added this little bit of help, just in case anyone wants to stop the little devils....)

To control weeds w/o chemicals: Apply a layer of mulch, as little as an inch will do; cultivate area they are in; and also remove any that sprout, right away. Chemical: Chemical with 2,4-D in it like weed-b-gone from Ortho and spot spray. 
So there you have it, now you know all about the little white seed spraying flowers.....

Cheers to Happy  !!

Bubble and Squeak....

Bubble and Squeak is defineately English and Irish too. It got it's name from the sound it makes as it is cooking....It is made of leftovers...and sometimes people make the items just so they have the indredients for this dish....It can be made of mashed potaotes, boiled potatoes and can be made of corned beef or bacon or ham....it has onions and ALWAYS has cabbage....It is fried in either bacon fat or butter or olive oil....it is never low fat, no not ever....

this is good for breakfast or dinner....I served it with an egg on top but it is also good just plain....

you start with chopping up a half of an onion....

put some oil in you favorite fry pan....

throw in your onion...and cook until half done....

chop up leftover potatoes....

and meat, I am using the leftover corned beef from Saint Patricks Day...chop that up as well as any leftover carrots and...

lots of cabbage....

put all in on top of the onion and toss together and fry over medium heat stirring often...

slice up some bread for toast....

it is about done now....time to start the eggs....

poached would be good....I made just fried eggs....

so good....mmmm...good....Bubble and Squeak....

Cheers to Happy  !!