Seriously, it’s been sheer insanity around the CbsoP household. I’ve been in the middle of courts, paralegals, paperwork that does not get where it’s supposed to get … [visit site to read more]

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Post tags: dev, Personal, testing

In the mean time, thanks for your understanding.  CbsoP is very much still here, just a bit sidetracked at the … [visit site to read more]

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It’s not often that I can say I wish I had less fish in my diet, but this week that’s what I’ve been saying.  My kids went fishing over the weekend with their brother and brought home a gallon-sized freezer bag of fresh rainbow and brook trout.  Even for a fish lover like me, that’s an awful lot of fish to go through.

Luckily all of the fish came to me cleaned.

With fish this fresh, I didn’t have the heart to do much to them at all.  The flavor of freshly caught fish is something that requires little or nothing to make it perfect.  Because trout can be eaten in its entirety, I simply floured the fish and fried it in a nice hot wok.

The boys didn’t even flinch.  The fish was gone in minutes.

It really does taste better when you catch it yourself.

As for the rest of the fish in my fridge, you’ll just have to come back in a few days to see what direction I’m going with them.  I’m sure you’ll like it.

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Post tags: fish, Flour, Fried, Recipes, simple, trout, wok

I receive a lot of emails from PR firms here at the CbsoP kitchens.  Most are simply requests to publish press releases or to offer trials of products that I quite honestly have no interest in.  I get these two to three times a week on average.  The politely worded requests … [visit site to read more]

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Post tags: Events, news, professional cooking

I love any dish that you can just pick up and pop in your mouth.  In fact, I think that appetizers and Tapas or Meze top my list of favorite foods.  I love little bites that can be served to guests without fuss, muss or the need for utensils.  This dish is a perfect little finger food with a blast of flavor that won’t soon be forgotten.

This is not a complicated dish, but it does involve a little work.  Stuffing tiny peppers is fairly labor-intensive and a bit messy, so definitely allow the filling to cool completely before attempting to stuff the peppers.  I recommend the use of an iced-tea spoon or a piping bag for quick and simple results. (The back of the spoon is great for thinner peppers.)

When all was said and done, my oldest son and neighbor loved these.  My middle (aged 9) thought they were a bit too much, but I’m sure he’ll love them when he gets older.  As for me…  Well, I ate all the leftovers myself.

What’s your favorite finger food?  Are you a fan of tapas and meze?  Do you have a favorite stuffed pepper recipe?  We’d love to hear about it.

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: appetizers, feta, lemon, Mediterranean, meze, Peppers, Recipes, thyme

One of the ways I cope with my wife being in Turkey for her grueling 15 month tour of duty is to try my hand at Turkish recipes from time-to-time.  It helps the family feel somehow connected to her through food, knowing that she can probably purchase many of these recipes in the shops right off base.

It doesn’t hurt that most of the recipes I’ve tried are fabulous. The flavor combinations sometimes seem odd, but the end result are dishes with flavors that can best be described as both ethereal and haunting.  Turkish food so far has been a wonderful and enlightening journey for my family, and one I’m glad we’ve taken together.

This particular dish is my favorite so far. This is no mean feat considering how much I and my family adored both the Havuçlu Haydari and Nane Limon that I’ve written about previously.  This dish just somehow surpasses them.

Tasting this was like discovering the soul of Turkish cooking.  The flavors are simple, but surpassingly complex on the palate.  This is the kind of perfection that Anthony Bourdain says can only come from peasant food.  In this case, I agree. (Do you hear that, Ruhlman?)

The over the top part of Turkish soups is the use of a very thin custard in their making.  This adds a mouth feel unlike anything I have previously eaten.  It is both creamy and sumptuous, yet light enough for an extremely hot summer day.  In fact, I find that I lack the words to properly describe it.  You’ll have to try it to see why, but I assure you it will be worth it.

Do you have a favorite lamb dish?  A favorite dish from another cuisine?  We’d love to hear about them.  Drop a comment and share.

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: eggs, lamb, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Turkish Cuisine, yogurt

This is less a serious recipe and more an ode to summer in all it’s blast-furnace glory.  Basil season is at its peak here in Northern California and has been on my mind a lot lately, even though it hasn’t been finding its way to my plate.  (This is something I plan to remedy very, very soon.)

A very large basil plant inhabits my kitchen but this isn’t about that plant or really about fresh basil at all.  It’s about pesto and simplicity.  I’ve had a jar of pesto waiting for my attention for a while and this dish was made using that ready-made pesto, but if you want to make your own, take a look at this traditional pesto recipe by Elise at Simply Recipes or This pesto recipe by the always amazing Lydia of The Perfect pantry.  Either one will get you up and running in making your own fresh pesto.

If you are new to poaching eggs, check out this article by Deb at Smitten Kitchen or check out this video on egg poaching from Slashfood.  It may seem daunting at first, but it really is easy once you get the hang of it. And remember, fresher is better for poaching!

It’s been hotter than H. E. Double-toothpicks around here lately, so instead of using sausage or chicken as a protein I chose to top the pesto with a poached egg, both for the lightness of it and for the creaminess of the yolk mixing with the pasta.

The combination is nothing short of amazing.  The dish couldn’t be simpler and if you’re not feeling the urge to cook for a long time in the heat, this is one you have to try.

Do you have a favorite pesto dish?  A favorite variation on traditional pesto?  If so, let us know in the comments because, as always, your feedback fuels this blog.  I’d love to hear your faves!

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Basil, eggs, Pesto, pine Nuts, poaching, Recipes, simple, summer

If you asked me what my favorite ice cream of all time was, my answer might surprise you.  Sure, I’m a fan of chocolate and vanilla.  I love pralines and creme, chocolate chip cookie dough and moose tracks but my one go-to frozen dessert has always been fruit sherbets and lime is at the top of my favorite list for a long time.

So for the second use of the fabulous ice cream maker attachment my wife bought me for my birthday this year I decided to whip up a batch of Lime Sherbet.  The search for a recipe led me to Elle’s new England Kitchen and her recipe for Lemon Lime Crush Sherbet.  Just a few modifications to the base sherbet recipe and we were off!

I chose Elle’s recipe because it didn’t sound too sweet and could be adapted to work with what i already had on hand.  It was the perfect choice.  This sherbet is tart, tangy and wonderfully refreshing. It is now my official go-to recipe for all things sherbet and since it uses equal amounts of milk and cream, can easily be made with half-and-half, which tends to be less expensive.

This recipe was an insane hit with the kids.  It makes about 1 quart of sherbet, which is the perfect amount for Dad and three kids at two scoops each.  The kids loved it and have already requested more.

They can have it when They can squeeze ten limes, which can be a bit of a tedious process, even with a juicer.  I think I burned all of the calories needed to work off the sherbet while I was making it…  But it was worth it!

If you’ve been looking for the perfect fruit sherbet base, this is it.  My thanks to Elle and her delicious recipe.  I’ll be making more sherbets with this base soon.

Very, very soon.

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 4 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Desserts, heavy cream, ice cream, lime, milk, Recipes, sherbert, sherbet

I love Asian flavors.  One of my favorites is hoisin sauce, which is also known as Peking sauce because it’s used in making Peking duck.  Luckily for me, the kids love it too, so I use it often when I want to add a little kick to chicken or vegetables.

The glaze is one of my own creation and stems partly from my mothers Chicken Diable recipe (…Which it seems I have never posted… I have to correct that!)  The glaze is a simple mix of Asian flavors that I love.  For this round I kept the spices minimal, but if I’m making this for myself, I usually add a good dash of hot red pepper flakes as well.

The big question for me was what to serve with the chicken.  After a bit of searching, I found a recipe for sesame mashed potatoes that seemed like they would be the perfect foil for the chicken.

I was right.

This was an awesome meal and enjoyed by the whole family.  It’s simple, extremely tasty and as the Colonel would say, “it’s finger lickin’ good.”  give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love it too.

What’s your favorite Asian chicken dish?  Any that I should try?  let me know so I can keep ‘em coming.
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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Asian inspired, chicken, Potatoes, Recipes, sesame oil

I’m partial to any recipe that starts with “open two bottles of beer.”  In my case this may not indicate that the beer is actually going to be used in the recipe, but it almost always indicates a fun meal.  In this case it’s my tried and true method for making the ultimate bratwurst.

I learned the method from an episode of Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello and I want to thank the chef personally for giving me the ultimate method for perfectly tender, juicy and flavorful sausage every time.  His method of poaching the sausage first and then simply grilling them for flavor has never let me down.

Another plus to this method is that you get to introduce whatever flavors you choose in the form of the poaching liquid.  In the case of these brats I used a Summerfest Ale, but you can easily swap that out for stock, water or wine with amazing results.

So here you have it; The ultimate bratwurst for your backyard BBQ or tailgate party.  But don’t limit yourself to bratwurst!  this method works wonderfully for any uncooked link sausage in a natural casing.  The slow poach at the beginning locks in the juices and leaves the meat moist and tender, even for sausages that are usually on the chewy side.

What’s your favorite grilling sausage?  I personally have no preference.  I’ll grill or smoke anything I can get my hands on, but I’d love to hear what you prefer and why.

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 10 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bratwurst, football, Onions, Recipes, Super Bowl Recipes, tailgate