Traditional Creole Rubs are a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, and dried thyme.  I like using a combination of all these ingredients, but there is never a specific ratio for me.  I am a big salt freak, so I always make sure to cover the pork butt liberally with salt.  I like to use Kosher Salt, as the flakes give you a better visual of how much you are using, and tends to be less strong than sea salt or regular iodized salt.  I am also a huge fan of Tony Chachere’s Orginal Creole Seasoning, which is a combination of salt, crushed red pepper, garlic, and other spices.  You can always use this as a base for your rub, and then add salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

1. Season the pork liberally on all sides and set aside.

2. In a dutch oven (I prefer cast iron), brown the pork on all sides and set aside.  Make sure the brown the pork in batches.  Too much meat in the dutch oven at once will create steam, and not allow the meat to sear properly.

3. Once all pieces of pork are browned, deglaze the dutch oven with Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey and scrape all of the fond off the bottom of the pot.  Once the pot has been completely deglazed, return the pork to the dutch oven, and fill the pot halfway up the meat with a mixture of milk, whiskey, soy sauce, and honey.  It is very important not to have too much liquid in the pot.  A proper braise will have the braising liquid covering half of the meat, while the other half will be exposed to the air.

4. Add trimmed leeks (whites and pale green parts only), onions, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic to the pot.  Cover with lid or aluminum foil and put in oven at 275-300 degrees.  Proper braising temperatures are between 275 to 325 degrees.  Once the dish has been in the oven for about 30 minutes, take it out and check it.  Make sure the dish is at a low simmer.  If it is boiling, reduce the heat accordingly.

5. The dish will take about 3 hours to cook completely.  Every hour, turn the meat so the side that was submerged under the braising liquid will be exposed to the air.  Repeat this step every hour until pork is falling apart when touched.

6. Remove pork from dutch oven and reduce braising liquid by half.  Pull pork apart into think shreds and set aside.  Once liquid has reduced, pour braising liquid in top of pork.  Taste and add seasoning if needed.

For the BBQ Sauce

1. Roast two bulbs of garlic in oven at 350 degrees in foil with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

2. Take one pineapple, core, and cut into small pieces.  Saute pineapple chunks in 2 TBSP of butter for a few minutes.  Add apple cider vinegar and reduce.  Once reduced, add roasted garlic and your favorite bbq sauce to pan, reduce heat and simmer. Simmer for about 5-10 minutes until all falvors have had chance to incorporate with each other.  Mash together or puree to desired consistency.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.

** Find your favorite roll, pile on some pork, add some sauce, and grub your face off!!! **

2 pounds carrots

2 large leeks (chopped – white and pale green parts only)

2 TBSP chopped garlic

4 teaspoons ground cumin

2-3 TBSP finely chopped peeled ginger

3 TBSP stick of butter

5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

1 lemon

salt and pepper

creme fraiche or sour cream

1. Heat butter in pan over medium heat, add carrots and leeks, and saute unti leeks begin to soften (about 5 minutes).

2. Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute.

3. Add cumin and ginger and saute for another minute.

4. Add stock and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until vegetables are very tender (about 35 minutes).

5. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and the juice of half of one small lemon.

6. Refrigerate for about 4 hours until cold (keep in fridge overnight is possible)

7. Transfer to serving bowls and top each with dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook 6 strips bacon (diced) just until the edges start to crisp. Remove to a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve the fat. • Wipe skillet clean and return to medium-high heat. Melt 1 tbsp butter. Add a chopped shallot and cook until translucent, about three minutes. Coarsely chop 1 leek (white and light-green parts only) and 1 lb brussels sprouts,* and slice 1 scallion (white part only). Add to skillet and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about ten minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add half a bottle of Jamaican lager, so that half of the hash is in liquid. Bring to a simmer and reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Add the bacon, another tbsp butter, and reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Stir in another tbsp butter, up to 2 tbsp of the reserved bacon fat, 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard, and 1 tsp Dijon mustard, and sauté a few minutes more. Total cooking time for the hash is about 30 minutes. · Divide hash onto two plates. Place steaks on top and spoon on some chutney. Serve with more lager. Serves two.

* You can use a food processor to quickly chop the brussels sprouts and leeks. Just don’t pulverize them — a few pulses and they’re good. Otherwise they’ll get mushy.

If you have ever been to San Francisco, you have to swing by Zuni Cafe on Market Street.  They have the most amazing Roast Chicken that will absolutely blow your mind… trust me, your tastebuds will thank you.  When buying a chicken, try purchasing a 3-4 pund roaster, preferably cage free and organic… you will taste the difference.  Mary’s Chickens, which you can find at Whole Paycheck, are air chilled, and are truly succulent and delicious.

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  As a guide, use 1 TBSP of salt for every pound of the chicken.  Season the inside of the cavity as well.  You can always add more seasoning if you feel the chicken needs more.  Let the chicken sit over night, or at least 5 hours to ensure the seasoning permeates the chicken.

2. Take the chicken out of the fridge and make small pockets between the skin and meat near the breasts and thighs and stuff little bundles of sage, rosemary, and thyme in the pockets.  In addition, stuff budles of the same herbs inside the cavity, as well as cut up 2-3 meyer lemons in slices and stuff the cavity of the chicken full of lemons.

3. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees and put a sheet pan and a roasting grill in the oven for about 20-30 minutes.  Once extremely hot, take the sheet pan out of the oven, put the chicken on the hot roasting grill, breast side down.  You will hear the chicken skin start to sear as you put the chicken back in the oven, which means you are off to a good start.

4.  Once the chicken is in the oven for twenty minutes, flip the chicken over so the breasts are now up, and cook for another 20 minutes.  Once another 20 minutes passes (which should now be at the 40 minute mark), flip the chicken over again, breast side down.  The skin of the chicken should be turning golden brown, and the smell of the meyer lemons and sage should be permeating the air with a heavenly aroma.  Cook for another 20-25 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside.

5. Deglaze the sheet pan with your favorite liquor (I like bourbon), and transfer the jus into a small serving bowl.  Remove the lemons from the cavity, cut the chicken into pieces, and serve.

4 6-ounce Salmon filets

1-2 Shallots (small dice)

1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Vanilla Bean

1-2 Threads of Saffron

3 TBSP Unsalted Butter

1 Lemon

Salt & Pepper

VANILLA SAFFRON SAUCE

1.  Melt 1 TBSP of butter and sweat shallots until translucent.  Add vinegar, bring to simmer, and reduce.  Add cream, saffron thread(s) and vanilla bean*. Reduce to nappe**.

* Before adding the vanilla bean to the sauce, slice the vanilla bean lengthwise and peel open to expose the vanilla seeds inside the pod.

** Nappe is the desired consistency of the sauce.  To test, dip a spoon in the sauce and cover.  Draw a line in the sauce on the back of the spoon.  If the sauce does not run below the line, the sauce has reached the desired consistency.

SALMON

1. Brush salmon filets with a little bit of olive oil and season with salt & pepper.

2. Place filets on hot grill, skin side down, and cook to medium (about 4 minutes per side).

PLATING

1. Take vanilla saffron sauce and spoon over salmon filets.  Garnish with vanilla bean or lavender (pictured).

1.5 – 2 lbs of ground beef (preferably 80/20)

4 Slices Pepper Jack Cheese & 4 Slices Vermont White Cheddar

12 oz of Applewood Smoked Bacon

Baby Arugala

2 Shallots

White Wine Vinegar

Dry Mustard

3 TBSP Butter

Worcestershire Sauce

Salt & Pepper

4 Thomas’ English Muffins (Sandwich Size)

1. Put ground beef in bowl and mix together.  Add 2 TBSP dry mustard, a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Make 4 equal size patties and set aside.

2. Cook bacon in saute pan on low until about 70% cooked and set aside.  Reserve bacon fat.  Once bacon has dried, dice bacon into small pieces.

3. Melt 1-2 TBSP of butter in saute pan and sweat shallots in butter until translucent.  Once shallots are translucent, add 1/4 cup of white wine vinegar.  Reduce.  Add diced bacon to pan with 1 additional TBSP of butter and continue to cook down.  Once bacon has cook through and is crispy, and all liquid has reduced, set aside.

4. On a hot grill, put burgers on hot grates and close lid.  Cook for 4 minutes on each side for medium rare, or until desired internal temperature.  With 2 minutes of cooking time left, put one slice of pepper jack and one slice of vermont white cheddar on burgers and MELT THE CHEESE COMPLETELY!

5. Once cheese has melted, remove burgers from the grill and set aside.

6. Take burger and put in on the bottom half of the english muffin.  Scoop bacon compote on top of cheese.  Take a handful of baby arugala and top the burger.  Cover with other half of english muffin and stuff your face!

This salad is wonderful for lunch the day after Thanksgiving

1 Pound Turkey (cut into medium size bite-size pieces)
1 C Dried Cranberries
8 Ounces Goat Cheese
1 Medium Sweet Onion (thinly sliced)
1 C Pistachios
4 C Romaine
4 C Arugula (or other spring greens)
4 T Pistachio Oil
2 T Sherry Vinegar
2 T Water

1.    Combine turkey, cranberries, goat cheese, onion, arugula, romaine, and ¾ cup of the pistachios.  Mix in a large bowl and set aside.

2.    Take remaining pistachios and puree in food processor.  Take puree and combine with pistachio oil, sherry vinegar, and water and whisk until mixture has emulsified.

3.    Toss salad with vinaigrette and serve immediately.

8 large organic eggs
½ t Salt
½ t freshly ground black pepper
2 T minced chives
1/3 C Sour Cream
1 T Unsalted Butter
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 C Shallot (chopped)
2 C ½-inch Diced Mushrooms (I like to use either crimini, white alba, or golden chanterelles)
12 Boston Lettuce leaves
1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ T Finely Chopped Garlic
Salt
Pepper
1 Black Truffle (shaved) – if you cannot find black truffles, as they are seasonal, truffle oil is a nice substitute

1.    In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with the S&P, chives, and sour cream until fluffy and well mixed (about 1 minute).

2.    Heat the butter and oil in a medium sauté pan. Add the shallots and the mushrooms and cook for about 3 minutes, or until tender.

3.    Mix extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper and brush the bowls of the leaves.

4.    Add egg mixture to the mushrooms in the skillet over medium heat, and scramble in the pan using a rubber spatula for about 3-4 minutes, leaving the eggs set, but just a little loose.

5.    Divide the eggs in the lettuce cups and sprinkle shaved truffles on top.

Yes! SPAM had 4 legs… once

1 Can Spam (Cut into small dices)
2 Avocados (Sliced)
1 Yellow Pepper (Julienned or Diced)
1 Red Pepper (Julienned or Diced)
1 C White Rice
1 C Water
1 T Rice Vinegar
6 Dried Onigiri Nori Sheets (Dried Seaweed)
1 T Unsalted Butter
4 T Brown Sugar
Bamboo Sushi Roller

1.    In saucepan, soak and rinse rice in cold water to remove excess starch.  Drain rice and add fresh 1 cup of water and rice to saucepan.  Bring to simmer and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until all water is absorbed. Pull off heat, transfer to bowl, and stir in rice vinegar.

2.    Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add spam and brown sugar.  Cook spam until it has caramelized.  Remove from heat and set aside.

3.    Take nori/seaweed and lay on flat surface.  Take a small handful of rice and lay a thin layer on the seaweed.  Add peppers, avocado, and spam and lay on top of rice.  Take a sushi roller and roll seaweed (with ingredients) and fold over to hold in place.  Continue rolling seaweed like a giant cigar until about ¼ inch of seaweed is left.  Wet the remaining seaweed with water and seal the seaweed (like an envelope).

4.    Cut sushi roll into pieces and serve.

8 Pieces Haloumi Cheese
4 Portabella Mushrooms
2 Zucchini (Cut into ¼ inch round slices)
1 Eggplant (Cut into ¼ inch round slices)
2 Carrots
2 C Garbonzo Beans (Drained and Dried)
1 Bunch Fresh Mint (Finely Chopped)
5 T Canola Oil
Salt
Pepper

1.    In a large skillet, take sliced vegetables and sauté until both sides have some nice color.  Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper to the veggies while they are sautéing.  In another skillet, sear haloumi on both sides and set aside.

2.    In another pan, add 5 tablespoons of canola oil and heat over medium-high heat.  Add garbonzo beans and lightly fry until golden brown.

3.    Stack vegetables on plate, starting with the mushroom on the bottom, and work your way up, topping the dish with 2 pieces of the haloumi cheese.  Scatter fried garbonzo beans around the veggie stack and garnish with freshly chopped mint.