Crab Cakes with Harissa Aioli and Tunisian Corn with Sweet Sticky Rice and Harissa Sauce

There's something so warm, so diverse about North African cuisine. Though there are common base ingredients in American cooking - fish, meat, grains - the flavors are nothing close. At least not to your average meal. I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon, for instance, but when ground down with paprika, cumin and coriander onto a nice cut of beef, it's mind blowing.

For my part, I often build meals around a single ingredient or something specific I want to see on my plate. In this case, I've been craving Harissa, a common hot chili sauce found in North African cooking. That was the starting point, and also knowing that I wanted crab cakes.

That was a little tougher for me, because I seriously doubt North Africans eat crab cakes. Who knows, maybe I'm wrong, but it just didn't sound common. But, that's what's happening up in my house...Harissa and Crab cakes!

And you can't have a good crab cake without aioli, can you? I like to tie my dishes together with a common thread. Often it's just garlic or tomato or something like that. But, in this case, I felt the Harissa presented a nice, strong connector. Harissa aioli? Why not?

As it came together, I recalled seeing an image of a crab cake atop some vegetables formed through a round. To be honest, I didn't really feel like having a vegetable. I also needed to consider texture and I wanted something unique - unexpected. So, I opted for corn over sticky rice.

There you have it.

Crab Cakes:

1 pound crab meat (I used claw meat from a can, but you can use any good quality crab, not imitation).
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayo
2 Tbs fresh herbs, chopped (I used rosemary, basil, Italian parsley, and thyme)
salt and pepper
Panko

Mix everything except panko together, leaving the crab lumps intact. Form balls and roll them in panko. Remove to baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out in panko again and pan fry in olive oil a few minutes per side. Medium-high heat, light film of oil.

Harissa Aioli:

Make your Harissa first. Then add a little bit at a time for taste to some mayo. I also push 2-3 cloves of garlic through a press and into the aioli. I'm a huge fan of garlic, so you might want 1 clove. Squeeze a bit of lemon and mix to a nice consistency.

Tunisian Corn:

Heat on medium some olive oil and throw in 1 diced onion. Stir for 5 minutes, then add an equal amount of corn. Push 3 cloves garlic through a press. Stir mixture and cook for 5 minutes. Grind down equal parts of paprika, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and caraway seed. Add salt and pepper, and a pinch of cayenne. Stir this into the mixture. Cook another 5 minutes, then add 1-2 Tbs tomato paste. Stir and cook another 5 minutes. At the last minute or so, add in a Tbs of Harissa.

Sweet Sticky Rice:

I used Japanese sticky rice. Soak it for 1 hour. Line a steaming basket with banana leaves. Spoon the rice onto the leaves and steam for 20 minutes. Open, and pour on 1 Tbs sugar and 1 tsp Harissa. Stir and steam another couple of minutes. Ready to eat.

Harissa:

I don't know why I saved this for last, since you need it for all the other parts, but oh well. There are many ways to make Harissa. Try this one:

1 large jar of roasted red peppers, drained, placed in a blender or processor
2-3 Tbs olive oil
4 cloves garlic through a press
ground cumin, coriander and caraway. crushed red pepper or cayenne
Some juice from a lemon

Blend and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.

Plating:

You can see from my picture how I prepared this dish. I think the crab cakes work well stacked on or against something. Think about the textures.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Korean-Hawaiian Grilled Chicken with Flambed Pineapples, Japanese-Style Macaroni Salad and Strawberry Salad

I was looking at a coupon magazine and saw an ad for this Hawaiian place in Corona. I went there years ago, but thought it was disgusting then and the pictures in this magazine reminded me of just how bad it was. Instant inspiration to have it, but have it good.

If you've been to Hawaii, you know how much Japanese culture has influenced local food. I love Japanese food, but I wouldn't say I love Hawaiian. Aside from Luau food, which I find as interesting as my Junior High cafeteria food, I guess I've never really had it. I mean, sure, I've had L&L and places like that, but the meat always taste like hotdogs to me.

Anyway, I knew I wanted pineapple, so I built the meal around that.

Korean-Hawaiian Grilled Chicken:

Get out 2 chicken tenderloins, or 1 breast per person. In a blender, blend 1/2 onion (preferably Maui Sweet, but brown/yellow will do), 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 sugar, 1/4 vegetable oil, splash of sesame oil, chopped green onions and about 5-7 garlic cloves, minced. Mash up some really ripe pineapple and lay it over the top of the chicken. Pour the mixture over the chicken, and let that marinade at least 30 minuets, but up to 1 hour is good.

Heat your grill and grill the chicken, basting it in the marinade twice on each side. If you lack common sense, please remember that your marinade had raw meat in it, so make sure the last time you baste it, it has time to cook through (and, of course, remember which utensils you're using to flip, baste, etc., for the same reason).

Those will be good to go, and you can top them with chopped green onion and sesame seeds if you like. Note: Why is this Korean-Hawaiian? The base is a marinade for Korean Galbi, with the addition of pineapple (the Hawaiian contribution).

Flambed Pineapple:

I don't know how to do the little mark that goes above the "e", but this is flam-bay I'm talking about...flames!

Chop 2 cups of pineapple. Melt 2 tbs butter in steel skillet until foaming. Add pineapple and fry 1 minute or so. Sprinkle a small bit of sugar across the pineapple...this will help caramelize when the flames hit. Pour in rum (maybe 1/4 cup), and tilt to the side to catch a flame. This will become engulfed in flames, so watch the hair, clothes, people standing by, etc. The flame cooks off the alcohol, and once it's out, fry another minute.

Japanese-Style Macaroni Salad:

Cook elbow macaroni according to instructions but add 4 extra minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain again and place in a large bowl. Add sufficient mayonnaise (I use Miracle Whip - don't ask), a Tbs of sugar, some minced green onions, and mix well. Put this in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lots of people will add things like chopped celery, carrots, shallots, vinegar, etc., but I like it simple.

Strawberry Salad:

This is a really refreshing salad, and it takes 5 minutes to make. It's good with just about any meal that needs something cool and refreshing, so put it in your arsenal.

Slice 5-10 strawberries. Slice 1/2 red onion. Get bagged salad, or chop Romaine or Spinach or whatever you like...any of these will work. Place all this in a large bowl. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 balsamic vinegar, and mix well. Pour over your salad and mix everything up. Put this in the fridge for 15 minutes, mixing often. You can add feta chunks, sliced almonds, candied almonds, walnuts or pecans, or even toasted pine nuts. This is a really good palate for texture.

I served this meal with basic brown rice.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Scallop Ceviche with Sake-Walnut Oil Gremolata and Lime-Sake Dressing

This was an appetizer for a Kentucky Derby party I went to on Saturday (yes, the one with about 100 bottles of wine and Jason's 100 proof Mint Julep that practically killed me!). It was one of those things - "just bring wine, don't need anything else." Yeah, but it's hard to show up empty handed to a party like that. Plus, when I feel like cooking, I cannot be stopped.

So I questioned my logic of taking a seafood dish in a car ride, but trust me, I know what I'm doing. Deep ice in the ice chest, check. Also, when taking something like this from one place to another, you really need to think about flavor melds and plating. I figured I would package all the parts separate and assemble in-house. That worked just fine.

You might be wondering about the walnut oil - creativity, not confines. Since I knew I was going to use sake, I wanted an oil with nut attributes...one that worked with sake. It was a leap, but it worked.

Scallop Ceviche with Sake-Walnut Oil Gremolata:

1 pound large scallops (not Bay scallops), sliced in half across the body, i.e., left to right, not top to bottom. You will have roughly 1/2" medallions. Place those in a shallow dish, but one that will have a lid. Squeeze juice from 1 lemon, 4 Mandarin oranges, and 2 Tsp sake into dish. Add 2 cloves garlic, minced. Stir, cover, then place in fridge for 45 minutes. Stir, place back in fridge for at least another 45 minutes. (The scallops are probably ready to eat at about 60 minutes, but you can also keep them in marinade a few hours).

Meanwhile, prepare gremolata: Get about 1 Tsp lemon zest. Mince small handful of Italian parsley. Mince 2 cloves garlic. Mix it all up and add a splash of sake, and a spin of Walnut oil. Set aside.

Prepare Lime-Sake Dressing: Squeeze 2 limes into small bowl, add 1 Tsp sake, a spin of Walnut oil, and 1/4 minced Serrano chili. Add a dash of Kosher salt. Mix well and let stand at least 30 minutes before use. Mix well before using.

Now to the plating: Remove scallops to serving platter, one by one. Drain as you go, so they have a bit of moisture, but not dripping. Sprinkle a bit of Kosher salt across each one. Once they're arranged and salted, top each one with a bit of your gremolata. Then drizzle some Lime-Sake dressing all over. Finish with a small bit of lime. Ready to serve!

Enjoy!

~ Brock

The New Cork - Wine Industry Slow to Change

I read an article by a guy I follow and he mentioned an article he read in the Wall Street Journal about corks and the wine industry. It's a very interesting read, so check it out. In fact, if you drink wine at all, you should really have an idea about this problem. The thing is, one company revolutionized a 400 year old cork problem. Sometimes change is not good, but sometimes it is. We're just slow to accept it.

Salty-Sweet Fried Sweet Potatoes, Spicy White Corn with Balsamic Vinegar on Seared Mahi Mahi

Well, my friend Jason was talking about wanting to go vegetarian for a week and it got me thinking, "man, I sure don't eat enough vegetables." It's not that I don't like them, or at least some of them. It's just that I don't always think about it. I mean, maybe this meal doesn't really even count, since sweet potatoes aren't always viewed as a vegetable. They are, I understand, but you know how it is.

Anyway, you already know about my affinity for Mahi Mahi, and I was feeling like something semi-healthy for dinner. But I've also been thinking about textures on my plate, and I didn't want fish with mashed sweet potato - the textures are just too similar. So fried is always good, isn't it?

Salty-Sweet Fried Sweet Potatoes:

Peel one large sweet potato, and cube into small squares. Boil enough water to cover at least 2 inches, and boil sweet potatoes for 10-15 minutes, until edible but not completely cooked through. Drain and set aside. Dry them and salt them. Dry them again - you don't want any liquid on these when you fry them.

Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, turning and moving them around often. Salt them just a tad while in the pan once more. When you have about 1-2 minutes left, melt 2 tbs butter with 1 Tsp sugar in a small sauce pan. Remove the sweet potatoes to a bowl and dry off oil with a paper towel. Pour over butter-sugar mixture. Serve with a small amount of minced Italian parsley.

Spicy White Corn with Balsamic Vinegar:

Take 1 head of white corn and slice off kernels...set aside. Mince 2 large shallots, 1/4 Serrano chili and add to corn. Heat 1 Tsp olive oil until smoking. Add all ingredients and blacken, stirring often. Salt and Pepper. Fry and blacken a minute or two, then add 1 Tsp balsamic vinegar and stir quickly. Pour off into a bowl ready to top on your fish.

My pan seared Mahi Mahi recipe is already posted.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Seared Scallops with Citrus-Mirin Sauce, Couscous, and warm fire roasted artichoke hearts and white beans

This dish takes roughly 20 minutes...need I say more?

No, but I will. Here's the thing: I get many people saying to me, "yeah, but I don't want to do gourmet all the time." Here's my response, "A CPK frozen pizza takes the same amount of time." They say, "yeah, but the work..." I say, "what, are you afraid of some work?" They say, "no, but I'm lazy. Just want to throw it in the oven and go." I say, "listen jackass, don't ask me questions if you would rather live your life on frozen pizza." They say, "why did you call me a jackass?" I say, "most likely because you are, but it was a friendly call." They say, "wow, that really hurt my feelings. Like everyone else, I like a good meal...just don't want to work for it." I say, "then why are you even having this discussion with me?" They say, "just curious." I say, "ok, so sometimes have a CPK pizza from the freezer and sometimes do this." They say, "Ok." We hug and make up.

Now, a quick word on preparation and cooking order. Your scallops are last. They only take 4-6 minutes, so have them ready to go and do them at the end. Make your couscous first, and as soon as you get that started, get your sauce going. Once both of those are going, start your artichokes. For me, I'm basically doing all three of those items at once, moving from station to station. After a few minutes, your sauce will be done and you can start letting it cool. Your couscous will just be sitting there, so finish your artichoke-bean side and do the scallops then.

Seared Scallops:

Thaw and dry off your scallops. Give them a nice dose of salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick to high with some butter in it, then sear about 2-3 minutes on each side. Do the scallops at the very end, so you can place them piping hot on your plate. If you leave them sitting too long, they'll start to release moisture.

Citrus-Mirin Sauce:

Boil 1/2 chicken broth for 2 minutes. Off heat and let cool slightly in a large bowl. Once cool, add juice from 1/2 lemon, 2-3 tablespoons Mirin, 1 tablespoon ponzu sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/4 tablespoon ground pepper, 5 drops sesame oil, dash of cayenne pepper. Stir well, return to sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes until reduced slightly and thicker. Remove from pan to bowl and let cool slightly.

Couscous:

Follow the directions on the box, if you bought a box kind. If you're like me and you buy couscous in bulk from a place like Henry's that has no instructions, here's what I like to do - Take about 1 cup of chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Pour in about 1/2 cup of couscous, some salt, and a little bit of fresh parsley, and stir. Off the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. If you still have liquid, turn on the meat, stirring frequently for another couple of minutes. This is my basic recipe, but if you want some other dessert or more flavorful couscous recipes, let me know.

Warm Fire Roasted Artichoke Hearts and White Beans:

This was the experiment. My wife looked at my strange while I was making it, so wasn't sure how it would turn out. The thing is, I really enjoy experimenting with food. I'll try anything once, so it doesn't scare me to try and make something that just doesn't seem like it's going to work. Well, this worked!

I used frozen artichoke hearts, thawed them, removed all liquid, and placed on a foil lined tray in my broiler. Drizzled olive oil, salt and pepper, and crushed red pepper first. Broil those until they start to char. They'll release more liquid, so pour it off, turn and char some more. Set aside.

Drain 1 can of white beans. Rinse and set aside. Mince 5-8 cloves garlic, set aside. Mince 1 serrano chili or maybe a jalapeno. Mix in with the garlic. Pour 1 or 2 glugs of olive oil into a frying pan. Add garlic and chili and fry up for 3o seconds or so...don't let the garlic burn! Add white beans and fry on high for 2-3 minutes. Add artichoke hearts. Fry another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove to plate. Squeeze some lemon over the top, and add fresh chopped Italian parsley.

That should do the trick!

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Coq au Vin

In the words of Young MC, "I ate so much I nearly split my pants."

No, I'm not on a French kick and yes, this was a lot of work. I've tried America's Test Kitchen recipe before and didn't care for it. They focus on simplicity in the prep, which is nice, but I feel like some elements of long marinade and slow, low cooking are best for this dish. This is particularly true on the thick breasts, which are generally dry and/or tasteless in so many dishes. In this recipe, I combined some techniques from Epicurious, America's Test Kitchen, some other recipes, and my own brain.

Coq au Vin

I Started with a whole chicken, cutting it into pieces. This is not an absolute necessity, since you can also make this dish with pre-cut drumsticks and breasts (all skin on), but you stay truer to form when using a whole chicken. Set pieces aside.

I chopped 2 large carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 onion, and 4 cloves garlic (minced). I dropped the vegetables into a stock pot, poured in a 750ml bottle of French wine, added 2 bay leaf, 8 peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, lower and cook for about 6-8 minutes.

Pour this into a large flat baking sheet or something that will give you massive surface area. You want the vegetables/liquid to be completely cool before mixing it with the chicken. Alternatively, you can probably let it cool for 30 minutes or so, then pour it into a bowl and place in the fridge for another 20 minutes. The point is you want cool/cold liquid.

Mix in the chicken, submerging it entirely, and cover. Let this go in the fridge and marinate 6-24 hours.

Next day- Take your chicken out of the fridge. Remove each piece and shake off any sticking vegetables (reserve liquid and vegetables). Pat dry with paper towel and add salt and pepper...set aside. Fry up 8 pieces of bacon in a dutch oven. Remove when crispy but not burned. Pour off excess fat (anything more than about 2 tablespoons).

Fry each piece of chicken in the bacon fat, skin side down first, until browned, but not cooked thoroughly. While this is happening, strain the vegetables from the liquid - reserve both.

After you've browned your chicken, remove it to a plate. Add vegetables to pot and brown up for 3-4 minutes. Then add about 1/4 cup flour and stir for 1-2 minutes. Then add your reserved wine-marinade and stir, scraping up sucs from the bottom of the pot. Add 1-2 cans of chicken broth (I use Swanson's canned), and continue stirring, bringing to a boil. Add chicken, reduce heat, cover and place in 350 degree oven for at least 2 hours, but even longer is good.

When your chicken has about 20 minutes left, start making your mushrooms and pearl onions. You can use frozen pearls, so long as they're thawed first. As for mushrooms, I prefer the combination of Oyster and Crimini, but you choose what you like. I used about a brown paper sack full of mushrooms, and about 1 cup of pearl onions. Season both with salt and pepper.

Add 1/2 stick of butter to smoking hot pan and fry up mushrooms for 5-7 minutes. Remove to bowl. Add pearl onions and fry up 2-3 minutes. Remove to same bowl.

When your chicken is done, remove pieces and set on plate. Strain the liquid into a large bowl, and then put the liquid only back into your dutch oven. Add mushrooms and onions and heat on medium, add some fresh herbs like tarragon, thyme and Italian parsley, add chicken and reduce heat to low for another 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.

Serve garnished with small pieces of bacon together with mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

Drink wine with this!

Enjoy!

~ Brock

Seared Mahi Mahi with Beurre Blanc, garlic "chips" and spring peas with Champagne Vinaigrette

I love sauces. I also love fish. And yes, I love Mahi Mahi. I've caught it, I've had it many, many different ways, and it never really gets old. Sure, I like variety, but this is sort of a staple for me. In the seafood arena, salmon, mahi mahi, shrimp and scallops are usually in my fridge and/or freezer.

You may or may not know, but in Southern California, when we go deep sea fishing, we go for Dorado...that's the same thing as Mahi Mahi...also known as dolphin. It's a beautiful fish with intense colors that change when they come out of the water.

Back to the menu...

So I've had a need to expand my repertoire of sauces. Actually, I have a need to expand all my recipes. It's not that I'm bored or anything. It's more that I want to always push myself. I want to know 15 ways to cook anything and everything. I want to walk into someone's house, open their fridge, and come up with a menu of amazing dishes.

But still I digress...

Seared Mahi Mahi

This is straight forward. Thaw the fish, pat it dry, give it ample salt and pepper, then pan fry it in a lightly oiled pan for 3-4 minutes per side (depends on thickness). For the piece you see in this picture, I did about 4 minutes on side one and 3 on side 2...that left it good for me, maybe undercooked for you.

**Chef's Note: Many people add dried garlic (garlic powder) on everything they cook. Not that I'm opposed to the practice, but keep in mind that the garlic powder in a high heat situation like this is likely to burn or at least give an off taste from being burned. You can always add garlic powder after you cook (although you may see granules, which is very unattractive on the dish). Alternatively, you can season the fish with garlic powder while it's resting before cooking, and before you put it in, wipe it with a paper towel or rinse it off.

Beurre Blanc

2 tablespoons minced shallots
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons vinegar

Put all the foregoing into a small saucepan and boil for about 5-7 minutes, until only a few tablespoons remain. Lower heat, and add tablespoons of butter, one after the other, letting each one come close to melting entirely before adding the next. Maybe add 5 of these? Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain and use.

Garlic "Chips"

This one was purely experimental (not that everything else isn't, but you know the deal). Slice 1 potato about 1/4" thick slices. Meanwhile, mince or crush 5 cloves of garlic. Rub that into the potatoes and let sit at least 15 minutes. Wipe or shake off garlic. Heat small amount of olive oil in pan and lay out the potato slices in single layer. Shake ample salt and pepper over the potatoes and fry until starting to turn golden on first side. Flip and salt and pepper the other side. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then lower heat to low, sprinkle 1 tablespoon dried garlic all over, add 2 tablespoons water, and put a lid on it for maybe 5-8 minutes. Remove lid, pour off liquid or increase heat to evaporate liquid, being careful not to break up chips. Lower heat again and toss in small pieces of butter (pea size) and let melt and flavor. Serve.

Spring Peas with Champagne Vinaigrette

You can use frozen (thawed) or canned peas (drained) for this. You need about 1 cup of peas. Finely chop about 2 tablespoons of red onion. Add and stir. Mince 2 cloves garlic, mix in. Squeeze 1 tablespoon of lemon, mix in. Mince 1 teaspoon Serrano chili, mix in. Make your vinaigrette- 2 teaspoons minced shallots, 2 Tablespoons champagne vinaigrette, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Stir and let sit 10 minutes, then add into pea mixture and stir, let sit another 10 minutes. Serve.

This isn't unhealthy (other than the butter), it doesn't feel heavy, and it's great with a variety of wines. I had a Pillar Box red and it went extremely well.

Enjoy!

~ Brock

The Place that Sucks

You've all been there...you're cruising along, looking for something to eat. Then you see it, like a diamond glimmering in the sea sand. That [quaint, cool, hip, etc.] little place off the beaten path, or maybe it's hid in plain site. Either way, you know from the looks of the place that it will rock your world.

Then you walk in. You've just confirmed everything you thought. This place has all the elements you're looking for. You take a look at the menu, price is right, choices are right, vibe is right. You order.

Then you wait.

Then the food arrives, and you scratch your head. It doesn't look like it matches up. There's something off. Maybe it's not pretty. Maybe there's an odd smell. Maybe it reminds you of something...a cafeteria? A Taco Bell? An outhouse? A public pier? You're trying to figure it out, but something is clearly wrong.

Then you take a bite and confirm that something is definitely wrong.

What's funny to me is most places that hit the food on the money look like crap on the outside. Misspelled menu items. Chipped paint. Dirty forks. But the food, the food is out of this world. But when it goes the other way, you just can't figure it out.

How can a restaurant pull off a look, a vibe, a feeling that pulls you in...and then have food that sucks?? It's not right.

Please, if you're going to have a restaurant and your food is going to suck, at least have your place look sucky too. Otherwise, you trick us.

Foodie Groups

On a recent visit to Northern California, I had a brief chat with a friend about food. He lives in a mid-sized town with a total lack of culinary diversity (the local idea of Mexican food is Chipotle). Anyway, we got talking about how difficult it is to experience diverse cuisine when you live in isolated or small towns (I grew up in Barstow, so trust me, I know), and I asked him what he was doing about it.

My question was loaded. On the trip up there, I was reading an article in a skateboarding magazine and it was talking about kids that live in cities with no skate scene. The advice? Start one.

Well, my friend told me how he had started a foodie group with about 8 people. The goal? To experience a different type of cuisine each week. And, lest they end up at Taco Bell, Panda Express, and Yoshinoya, he said the rules let him take everyone to restaurants they would never otherwise try. True ethnic food, but also true ethnic experience. I love it.

And this is my point. How many of us complain about our access to good food? What are we doing about it?

I live in North Orange County, yet I drive 20 minutes each way almost daily just to have by blessed boba and true Chinese food. Why? No good Chinese food in North OC? Most likely. I've tried many, many places and have yet to find something nearly as good as just about anything I find in Rowland Heights. But it's also price. It's irritating to me to pay $10 for a dish of noodles in Orange County when I can get much better noodles in Rowland Heights for $5. And I'm not complaining about it. I don't mind the drive, although it gets tough to do.

Which is why I cook. I'm not dependent on restaurants to satisfy my palate. But I don't necessarily want to have friends over for me to cook every night of the week, and I also don't want to eat out every night of the week. I break it up and I'm happy with it.

But are you? What are you doing to solve the problem?

Don't know any good restaurants? Collect some friends and plan to visit a new, uncharted restaurant every week. You're bound to find something. Done that and still aren't happy? Start a home foodie group. Switch off houses each week and cook it up. Go through a cookbook.

I'm rambling at this point, but I'm still thinking everyone needs to do their part to enjoy food. It's a bit of a fad now and in some ways, 'everyone's cooking' these days. I've been cooking all my life and don't plan on stopping once the fad passes. But I still find ways to make it enjoyable. Food groups, cooking nights, whatever.

Tell me about what you're doing.

~ Brock