Ask Away!

I'm known for being inquisitive. Life has taught me that jumping into anything, be it a career, a major in college, a relationship or even a recipe can be bad news if I don't have all of the facts. As a child my mom would take me to Oscar's Butcher Shop in Warrensburg, NY to get their famous Easter Hams and whatever other tender, juicy cuts she needed. While hanging out in a shop with slabs of dead meat wasn't really something I looked forward to as an 8 year old, I guess I ended up taking a bit away from those visits with my mother.

Always, always, ALWAYS ask questions about your meat (and everything else). Questions as simple as, what is the best cut of meat that you have this week? Where was this animal raised and butchered? Was it grass fed? Cage free? Hormones?

The more we learn about the meat industry the more important it is us for us to ask questions about what we are putting in our bodies. Knowledge is power! Nowadays we all know that our food choices have a direct impact on the quality of life we will lead.

Developing relationships with the people that surround you is obviously important. The folks that work behind the meat counter or at the fish market KNOW THEIR SHIT. How many times have I gone into the store with a very specific dish in mind and talked to the butcher and changed my mind completely. Recently I was asking about T-bone steaks and how to cook them if a grill was unavailable. The butcher I spoke told me to pan sear each side and then bake it uncovered. This is pretty standard info, but then he rewarded me with this little gem: Whenever possible when cooking meat bone in, season the heck out of that bone and give it a nice thick smear of butter. He said the marrow will suck up the seasoning quickly and the butter acts as both a seal and a baster for the meat while it cooks. I tried it. It works!

The other day while I took my self-indulgent stroll through the cheese department I asked a woman for the whereabouts of the gouda. She showed me a few different kinds and asked what I would I would be using it for. I told her that I was planning on making gouda and horseradish smashed potatoes. She told me to go for the soft, red wax gouda as opposed to some of the aged or smoked variations which wouldn't melt as well in the pot.


She then went on to tell me about her love of mashed potatoes and that her in-laws in Ohio often made a chicken stew that they served over mashed potatoes. Apparently this is staple dish in the Mid-West brought by Irish Families as they moved across the country. I guess it's done down here in Louisiana as well. Gumbo on mashed potatoes often topped with melted cheese.

When I lived in South Philly I loved heading to DiBruno's cheese market on 7th st. The men working there would fill my belly with cheese and my brain with different ideas for wine pairings and suggestions for dried meats.

There are so many citrus groves in my area and I am really looking forward to speaking with some of the local growers about different ways to add citrus to my cooking catalogue. Preserves are definitely on the menu.

I hope that the recipes I share inspire you to go on your own culinary adventure! The tour guides are all around us; at the butcher shop, in the produce section, or maybe even the person ahead of you in the checkout line who has something in their cart that you have been dying to try. Be bold! Speak up! Your tummy will thank you!


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