Just found this amazing site...

Going to be spending a couple of hours here tonight!

http://www.food52.com/

The Pizza project

After many attempts at making a good pizza crust I have finally found a foolproof recipe that is easy, delicious, and can be frozen! The link is: www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/pizza. I have been making 2-3 pizzas or flatbreads a week.

The images top to bottom are:
Smoked onion and tomato
Fig and fresh mozzarella
Homemade bacon and goat cheese

All very good!!

Seafood grilling

Found a great and interesting seafood market in Newport Beach.

From the Slowfood OC site (www.slowfoodoc.org)

Pearson's Port

300 E. Coast Hwy., Newport Beach

949-675-6771

"The last floating fish market in California, family-owned for three generations. They have their own fleet of boats bringing in fresh fish."

Bought a few crabs and spotted prawns. Split the prawns and drizzled with fish sauce and lime juice, then grilled. The crabs were boiled and devoured! All very good!!

And to go with the great bacon...

Skillet potatoes

4 cup diced potatoes
one sweet onion diced
4 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat
Rosemary minced
Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil or fat in a large skillet. Add the potatoes and stir to coat in oil. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally so that the potatoes brown evenly. After a few minutes add the onions and continue to cook until all evenly browned. Add rosemary and season with salt and pepper. These are great with a poached egg (chicken or even duck) Enjoy!

The Best Bacon Ever... Rancho Rub Bacon!!

After a number of attempts that resulted in FAR too salty bacon at home I have finally hit on a recipe that works. Starting with my California dry rub and adding a curing salt mix ( see below) I dredged a small piece of pork belly in the curing salt, shook off the extra then covered the meat with the dry run and put it in a one-gallon freezer bag in the fridge. I turned it over daily. By Sunday (day 7) it was set to be smoked.

After first rinsing it in cold water I let it soak for an hour in cold water to get out some of the excess salt.

I then hot smoked it on my kettle grill very slowly over mesquite charcoal and wet hickory chips. At about the 3/4 point of being done (you want to get to 150º) I dredged the meat in a mix of garlic, brown sugar and sumac, then put it back on the grill and covered it. The sugar caramelized nicely, but sure to watch it so it doesn't burn. When it reaches 150º internally pull it off an pop it int the fridge. Once it's cool, slice and fry as usual.

Basic dry cure
1 pound kosher salt
13 oz dextrose
3 oz pink salt (insta Cure #1)

Makes lots and can be stored in a ziploc bag in a dry place.

California Dry Rub

Tried a nice dry rub for grilled meats:

Pulse together in the food processor:
3 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp salt
2 dried chipotle peppers
2 dried ancho peppers
2 dried hot chiles (more if desired)
1/2 c brown sugar
3 tsp sumac (middle eastern spice)
tbsp porcini mushroom powder

These are rough amounts. You can certainly adjust to your tastes. You want everything to meld together and have no one taste stand out. Store in an air tight container. Great on chicken, pork, steak... I'm even drying it as the seasoning on some homemade bacon.