Fried Chicken and Cheesesteaks

Pizza is pretty easy to make, and I generally like the results when I make it as home just as well or better than ordering a pizza. Definitely tastier than frozen pizzas. It is also an excellent way to use up bits of leftover veggies, meats, and cheeses. For this pie I used a bit of leftover salami, a leftover sausage, a few tomatoes, some garlice and cheese. Preheat oven to 425. Don't be afraid to use a ready made crust if you're short on time: If using fresh tomatos, slice them and drain on paper towels (otherwise they'll make your pizza soggy) Slice leftover meat (salami, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, roast beef, turkey, roast pork .... ) into little bits. Fresh garlic is wonderful on this as well - just make thin slices. I used pizza sauce from a jar this time around. If you have a jar of spaghetti sauce at the back of your fridge, use that. If you have a little can of tomato paste, mix it with equal part water or red wine, and mix in Italian herbs (basil, o...

Remove the brined pork chops from the fridge. I like to sear them in a grill pan briefly to add color: Pour one quart of applesauce into pan (if your jar says "Motts" on the side, it will turn out just fine!): Lay pork chops on top. Bake to an internal temperature of at least 135. If you work for the FDA feel free to go all the way to 165, but I really don't find it necessary. If you don't have a thermometer handy just cut into one to peek (what you see above is BEFORE they were baked - that pinkness is no good in the final product).

Why brine, you ask? It infuses the meat with flavor, and is something of a guarantee against tasteless shoe leather meat. Works great with turkey as well! The leading actors: Salt (1/3 Cup), Sugar (1/2 Cup), Loose Decaf tea (scant 1/4 cup) - mix these into 4 cups boiling water. The supporting actors: ginger, whole cloves, whole allspice, whole peppercorns, onion (fresh or dried). Add to the boiling mixture: This smells wonderful. Too bad for you this isn't a scratch and sniff blog! Add a cup or two of apple cider: When the mixture is cool enough, put the pork chops in plastic bags: Pour the brine over the pork chops, and refrigerate overnight:

Did you know that sweet potatoes are very good when you treat them like potatoes? They don't really need the brown sugar or the marshmallows. These are pretty easy. And these are pretty good. Leftovers were excellent with a buffalo steak tonight! Peel and chop some sweet potatoes into bite size pieces: Layer in a plastic bag, sprinkling generously with paprika, salt, black pepper, garlic powder and thyme, and dried onion (or onion powder). How much? I don't know. Just keep sprinkling over each layer. Add a drizzle of olive oil, seal the bag, and shake it up baby now ... twist and shout. These are actually better if you let them sit in the fridge overnight before baking. (but if you want to bake them right away they'll still be mighty tasty) Spread on a baking pan and bake at 450. Yes, I said 450. The heat helps them get crispy. Stir every 10-15 minutes. They are finished when soft enough to stab with a fork AND as crispy as you like them. ...

Preheat oven to about 375. Place in a roasting pan: 3 squash, cut in half with seeds removed (I used two butternet and 1 acorn squash), cloves from 1 head of garlic, peeled Roast until the squash flesh is tender - test by stabbing with the tines of a fork. To avoid shreiks of burning flesh (YOUR burning flesh), allow to cool about an hour before peeling. Set aside cooked, peeled squash. Chop 1 large onion or a handful of shallots. (onions will suffice if you didn't get shallots from a CSA share) Sautee in a large soup pot with a few tablespoons of butter. Add about 1/2 pound of shredded carrot, and a few stalks of chopped celery. If you did NOT add garlic to the roasting squash, add some minced garlic now. Add chicken broth or stock - about 4 cans/8 cups. (tip: for a "hurry up" version of this soup, you could also add canned pumpkin - obviously the unsweetened variety - instead of roasting whole squash) Grate 1 large piece of fresh ginger (2 or 3 inches square). Retai...

A wonderful basic everyone should be able to make. Heat oven to about 400. (I say about because my oven DEFINITELY does not do what I tell it, and I haven't exactley figured out how much it is off) Lay slices of baguette or similar bread out on a metal cooling rack: Pop into oven, checking every couple of minutes. Remember, we are just toasting the bread - crisping it and adding a bit of color. 8-10 minutes will probably be enough. Allow to cool COMPLETELY before you store them in an airtight container. What to do with toast rounds, you ask? top with a bit of horseradish and mayonaisse, a thin slice of roast beef and a bit of red pepper for an appetizer. OR herbed cream cheese. OR serve alongside chevre (goat cheese) with hot pepper jelly. OR serve with spinach artichoke dip. OR serve with port wine cheese spread ....

I love mussels. I love them even more when I can get a frozen package of two pounds of cooked mussels in their shell for 4.62 at the Super Walmart. (If you are using fresh mussels, please read my instrustions and precautions here ) To heat the already cooked mussels: Boil a pot of water, and heat the mussels in their inner plastic bag. For the yummy, yummy sauce: Heat pot over medium heat, add 3-4 tablespoons olice oil. Chop about 8 shallots (or 1 large onion), and add them to the pot. Chop 3-4 cloves of garlic, throw them in too. Add a few tablespoons of butter, some salt, pepper and a cup of white wine. Add two tomatoes, diced, or one can of diced tomatoes. Then you need to add broth. I used the seafood broth concentrate from Penzeys mixed with more wine :) Open the mussels and add them, with the liquid in their bags, to the mix. Serve with a crusty baguette!