tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86631082012-02-01T19:53:20.443-08:00ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.comBlogger4641100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-88172773258581044952012-02-01T19:15:00.000-08:002012-02-01T19:53:20.479-08:00

We're having a very mild winter... today it was in the 60's! That's downright balmy by February in St. Louis standards. With this dish I was going for something light and bright, but still seasonal. Fennel and salmon are one of my favorite combos. The beans add a certain creaminess and extra protein. The use of lemon juice brings the sunshine! I'll bet that this is going to make a good cold pasta

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-46482362271199117142012-01-25T18:01:00.000-08:002012-01-25T19:14:37.891-08:00

Yup. More soup/stew. It is January, after all! This actually started out as a soup recipe, but the addition of potatoes thickened it up enough to count as a stew! Like last week's Thai coconut soup, this comes together relatively quickly... it works for a weeknight. And like most stews, this is even better the next day!Chorizo Garbanzo Stew-12 oz. chorizo (not the smoked kind, the loose kind),

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-22667170563773774372012-01-20T07:12:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:51:20.430-08:00

They say January is National Soup Month. Makes sense to me. January is cold. January is worn out from the holidays. January needs warmth and comfort... soup is just that... a big bear hug for your tummy.Some of my favorite soups take hours to make properly. This flavorful Thai soup cooks rather quickly, and still offers that warm snuggly feeling. Because tummy cuddles shouldn't be reserved for

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-37492440213569891612012-01-10T20:27:00.000-08:002012-01-11T10:39:16.634-08:00

2012: Year of the Balls. You heard me. Meatballs. They are getting trendy, and it's a trend I can get behind. Who doesn't like meatballs (or bean balls for vegetarians)? Easy to make, flavorful, endless possibilities, and FUN! Kelly sensed my ball obsession before I did, I think, because she got me a whole book of them for Christmas! While I am sad that this title is already taken, so I'll never

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-2352476798718368052012-01-04T18:24:00.001-08:002012-01-05T06:47:04.486-08:00

Happy New Year Everybody!! It's that time of year to look forward... resolutions, new starts, goals, hopes... but also to look back, fondly, on 2011. It was a good year for this blog (8 years!!) and for me personally. A year full of good friends, good food and good fun! • I was able to cook for my first Friendsgiving. I made "cheat" turducken instead of a turkey... a much easier and more

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-37686358404150871402011-12-29T11:08:00.000-08:002012-01-03T16:50:46.700-08:00

Last week I entered a giveaway on Sauce Magazine's blog. They were giving away Ferran Adria's cookbook, The Family Meal. Adria is know for his ultra-fancy molecular gastronomy cooking... recipes very few home cooks could make at home. This book, however, is aimed at the home cooks. Simple recipes that anyone can make, complete with step-by-step photos! It's a great book. So great, that I actually

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-25363133717012738762011-12-21T18:51:00.000-08:002011-12-23T04:22:33.944-08:00

I've had meatballs on the brain lately. Made some good old-school spaghetti and meatballs a couple of weeks ago. Tonight I decided I wanted to go a bit crazy and come up with a new meatball. As is my tendency, I went for Asian flavors. I found some Chinese and Korean meatball recipes on-line, took some ideas from those, and came up with these bad boys, which give a nod to American Chinese

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-12382587162493332212011-12-13T21:24:00.000-08:002011-12-14T20:05:09.170-08:00

Last week's English Hot Pot left me with some leftovers. Like the loaf of pumpernickel bread and a big hunk of ham. I made some simple croutons with the bread so it wouldn't go to waste (chop bread into bite-size squares, toss with olive oil, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt, pepper, and bake in a 325ºF oven until crispy). Now, how to utilize pumpernickel croutons and ham? Somehow, this happened.

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-17568420225998429432011-12-06T20:33:00.000-08:002011-12-07T10:04:26.264-08:00

I've had this Jamie Oliver recipe in the back of my mind for months. Well, flurries started falling this week, so I figured it was the perfect time for this warm, hearty meal. This is really a meal for a Sunday... it's simple and easy but not fast. Be prepared for your house to smell like ham... I think ham stock is my new favorite thing. I want to cook everything in it.Jamie Didn't have garlic

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-90207803741788077992011-11-29T21:15:00.000-08:002011-11-30T15:43:34.662-08:00

A couple of years ago, I made a Turducken. No no no, you don't understand... I MADE it... 3 stuffings from scratch, 3 birds, deboned... it was a feat that took 3 days and cost a bunch of money. It was worth it... I fed a good lot of friends, and felt like I climbed a culinary mountain. I am asked if I will ever do it again. I might, but not for years.A little while after the epic Turducken, Feast

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-31486398250307490412011-11-21T18:58:00.000-08:002011-11-22T20:24:54.916-08:00

My good buddy Kelly got a new stove. To celebrate and christen the new appliance, she had some friends over for a dinner party. I love going over to Kelly's to help cook fun stuff (see: Paella, pretzels, pork buns, for example). We chose Osso Buco for this party. Kelly did most of the research and shopping... mostly I just came over and chopped a bunch of stuff up. So why am I posting about it?

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-30786660764339462032011-11-15T20:36:00.000-08:002011-11-16T10:00:16.221-08:00

I've gained some weight lately. It wouldn't bother me, but it seems a beer belly drains a lot of of my energy. So, I'm back on the workout wagon. I don't do dieting (don't deny me the delicious foods I want, dagnabbit!), but I have been keeping an eye on portion size, and how nutritious my meals are. Since my main goal is to have more energy, I am always on the lookout for "Super Foods" (dooo

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-16511061266279021092011-11-08T21:42:00.000-08:002011-11-09T09:48:35.545-08:00

I think it might finally be upon us. After a mild fall, the leaves are almost all changed now, and the air is getting colder. Time for roasting chickens and drinking cider and making soups and stews. This is a combo of all 3 of those things! I roasted a chicken over the weekend, and made some stock from it's bones. I also had some apple cider in the fridge that needed to be used. Chicken, chicken

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-58746215683983207132011-11-02T17:43:00.000-07:002011-11-03T10:12:30.297-07:00

I follow up a post about how to take better food photos with... this weird blob? Yup. I gotta keep you on your toes, readers... this joint is a roller coaster! So what's the weird blob pictured above? It's my attempt at a homemade St. Paul Sandwich. For those of you not from St. Louis, let me explain. A St. Paul sandwich is an egg foo young patty, but instead of putting mysterious brown gravy on

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-38400253358324426172011-10-28T04:44:00.000-07:002011-10-28T09:59:33.557-07:00

A Couple of weekends ago my good friends Kelly and Woody (damnit, Corey... people call him Corey now...) taught a Food Photography class at Kitchen Conservatory. Photos are super important in food blogging, and you can never have too much knowledge, so I thought this was a great idea! I was surprised that only 3 of us who took the class were bloggers! The rest of the pupils just loved food and

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-14758979961163572512011-10-19T20:29:00.000-07:002011-10-20T09:52:24.635-07:00

A couple of weeks, my sister-in-law texted me from her lunch at Cheese-ology, a macaroni & cheese restaurant here in St. Louis. She was having their seasonal beer cheese and bratwurst version, and insisted that I needed to either go get some or make some. Now, I've never been a huge fan of mac & cheese. Even as a kid, I refused to eat the stuff (yes I was a strange child, and I knew it, and I

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-78405643076565134022011-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:002011-10-13T10:12:25.987-07:00

I was craving pizza ALL DANG DAY yesterday. So when it came time to head home and make dinner, guess what I made? Pizza. Due to lack of planning (okay, laziness and hunger.... you got me) I used a store-bought fresh dough and sauce. How does this qualify as a blog-worthy post? I'll tell you... I was quite excited about my toppings choice. Fennel and Bacon. 2 of my favorite things (see the list of

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-22512459676560939362011-10-04T19:02:00.000-07:002011-10-04T19:46:57.081-07:00

While enjoying a pineapple upside down cake made by my friend Kelly, the idea of a chicken upside down cake came up. While this started as a joke, I quickly decided I needed to make it a reality. This is what I came up with... great fall flavors, like roasted chicken with cornbread stuffing, almost. I was actually surprised that it worked! Fun and yummy!Chicken Upside Down CakeChicken bottom/top:

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-46737121844128040652011-09-30T06:13:00.000-07:002011-09-30T06:27:41.881-07:00

I was out of town most of the week, and when I got back, I was sick. So I did zero cooking this week. But you know I wouldn't leave you postless! I recruited my... well, my hand, Knuckles Handerson (follow him on twitter!), to do a guest post. Take it away, Knucks!Being the hand of a foodie, I myself have grown quite fond of the adventure, culture and fun of food. Here are some links with

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-69614405970583751002011-09-21T18:05:00.000-07:002011-09-22T05:52:04.819-07:00

It's sweater time!! Open windows, warm sunny days, cool nights, shorter days. The perfect time to make this autumn chili. It is one of my favorites! The corn "smudges", as I've dubbed them, were an attempt to make cornbread flavored crackers... they tasted great with the chili, but be warned, they aren't crispy crackers. They were crunchy when fresh, but not the next day, and not crispy. They

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-88056511636113872242011-09-16T06:16:00.000-07:002011-09-16T10:12:34.297-07:00

With a lot of food blogger participating in Food Outreach's Hunger Challenge (See my friends Stef and Kimberly's experiences for info), I thought I would revisit one of my favorite cheap recipes. I actually blogged this years ago... see the post here if you're into not-good photos.It's barely even a recipe! This time I used chicken legs, but you can use thighs as well, and probably whatever your

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-76013579585300933952011-09-08T20:29:00.000-07:002011-09-09T07:25:08.974-07:00

Ahh, childhood. I had a great one (despite my mom's obsession with perms and my dad's penchant for short shorts). Tastes and smells are a big part of our memories. I can't claim to have grown up with lots of home-made, wholesome meals... there were many many taco kits, Manwiches, boxes of Hamburger Helper and cans of Spaghetti-Os consumed. Now, my dad could cook, and would try to make meals from

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-73550199342839686962011-09-01T18:04:00.000-07:002011-09-02T06:18:57.482-07:00

Did you notice a difference in the photos in my last couple of posts? Well, you may not have, because I'm still learning my new camera. That's right, after 6 years I bought myself a fancy new camera! All of the photos you are used to seeing on Iron Stef were taken with my trusty, well-used, well-loved Sony DSC-H2. While this camera has served me well, the addition of an adorable niece warranted

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-53412120308138076692011-08-25T19:19:00.000-07:002011-08-26T10:00:17.234-07:00

I was in a sake-drinking mood the other night. I like to plan meals based on what wine or beer I am drinking, so why not plan a meal to go with sake? I already had miso in my fridge, and when thinking sake my mind immediately goes to seafood because of the sushi connection. So there we have it. Miso marinated salmon with a crunchy daikon radish slaw. Yum. Miso Salmon with Daikon Slaw Salmon

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-31358855134206156482011-08-18T19:17:00.000-07:002011-08-19T05:29:16.228-07:00

I spent last weekend in New Orleans! It was my first visit to the city, and it won't be my last. It is as charming as I hoped. When I told people I was going, there was a barrage of "You MUST eat at..." Yeah, New Orleans is a food town... Cajun food. Po Boys, Jambalaya, Gumbo, Eggs Sardou, Bignets, crawfish, oysters, etoufée, etc. etc. I didn't get to try everything, but we sure put in a good

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-36463757852236056262011-08-10T01:08:00.000-07:002011-08-10T13:18:10.484-07:00

When my good friend from college, Julie, told me she started a blog, I was very excited. You see, Julie and her husband, Scott, go on fantastic trips all over the world. Julie is an amazing writer and Scott takes gorgeous photos. This makes for a fantabulous travel blog, My Roving I. Like a new parent, Julie did not want to leave her blog unattended while they were on their latest trip to Italy,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-26936901071979526742011-08-02T19:19:00.001-07:002011-08-03T06:15:01.997-07:00

Hottest day of the year was today. So my goal for dinner was minimal stove-time. Seafood is perfect for that... it cooks fast! Especially mussels. Plus? mussels are cheap as chips. And they go good with beer. Cold beer. Shiso Miso Mussels-2 Tablespoons vegetable oil-1 shallot, chopped-1/2 red onion, sliced thin-2 cloves garlic, chopped-1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped-3 Tablespoons soy

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-80091567319115186962011-07-26T21:52:00.000-07:002011-07-27T13:28:28.605-07:00

I had a strong craving for chick peas last night. Is that weird? I won't question it, because chick peas are delicious and healthy and an easy meal option. But how would I prepare them? I decided to go with a stir fry, and after a survey of my cupboard I went with sesame as the flavor base. This turned out so good! In fact, I can't wait to eat the leftovers!Sesame Chick Pea & Tofu Stir Fry-1

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-42318969268574502042011-07-22T06:15:00.000-07:002011-07-22T10:09:59.926-07:00

A few weeks ago on a road trip gone awry, we ended up at the Lincoln Cabin Historical site in Illinois. We went on a whim, not expecting much, but were pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic educational experience... complete with a museum and reenactors! As a souvenir, I bought the Cookbook they had put together. It has some historical recipes and some modern (I'm fairly certain they didn't

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-44668103045279821702011-07-12T19:36:00.000-07:002011-07-12T20:35:17.893-07:00

It's all about friends, right? I have friends who hunt mushrooms. It's chanterelle season now. A baggie of them was left at my desk at work yesterday. Boo. Yah. Chanterelles are one of my favorite spring/summer delights! Rich and woodsy, these seasonal wild mushrooms are best used in ways that highlight them. I still have risotto fever from when I made this green garlic risotto (and some aborio

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-79702938706659429522011-07-08T06:19:00.000-07:002011-07-08T10:35:35.699-07:00

Photo From My Roving I travel blog.I have no recipe for you this week... it happens sometimes. I have been busy posting elsewhere on these interwebs, though.The photo above was taken by my friend Scott, who is married to my friend Julie, who recently started an AWESOME travel blog called "My Roving I." Scott and Julie are my heroes when it comes to travel. They take very interesting trips. You

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-19769362354875278172011-06-28T22:08:00.000-07:002011-06-29T10:09:43.195-07:00

Yesterday I had a very strong craving for cheese ravioli. When thinking about how to make them interesting, my thoughts turned to spring (yes, it's technically summer, but the weather has been springy lately), and the classic combo of peas and mint. To dress these spring ravs, I chose to toss them with bacon and more peas. I love peas and prosciutto or bacon with pasta dishes. It's another

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-31060573473933696982011-06-24T06:34:00.000-07:002011-06-24T09:23:36.654-07:00

Smoked salmon is expensive. However! Look around at your grocery store and you may find that they sell the trimmings/scraps. These taste as good as the pretty slices of lox that come on your bagel... they are just not as nice-looking. I usually use them in one of my go-to cream cheese spreads (cream cheese, salmon, capers, red onions... spread on rye bagel chips... yum!). Last night I used them

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-88414556661012701872011-06-12T10:31:00.000-07:002011-06-14T05:36:06.292-07:00

At the Farmer's market this weekend I nabbed not 1, not 2, but THREE different kinds of radishes! I love radishes... so crunchy and refreshing and spicy. I love eating them just as they are with either a dab of good butter or a sprinkling of course salt. They are also great as crudites with hummus or your favorite dip. Radishes rule. Will a radish be my next food tattoo? Hmmmm.Daikon radishes....

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-28363098437959367242011-06-08T20:32:00.000-07:002011-06-09T10:46:06.459-07:00

I saw this recipe on my friend Stacey's blog, Every Little Thing, a couple weeks ago, and bookmarked it. I sounded like a really nice summer weekday kinda meal. I didn't veer much from the recipe she posted.. I used more shrimp (it was on sale and I can put away some shkrimps), and I didn't have dill so I used basil. I also added chili flakes for a kick. I was really happy with how this turned

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-47159702134751093552011-05-31T18:45:00.000-07:002011-05-31T19:41:51.190-07:00

After a 3-day weekend, going back to work makes for a rough day. I was cranky. I wanted pork fried rice. But I also knew I had lots of fun stuff waiting for me at home from a recent visit to an Asian grocery store. Considering my pork craving, I knew I had to include Pork Sung into my dinner. Pork Sung is dried, shredded pork, also known as Rousong, pork thread, and (my favorite) Pork Wool.

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-64885519008382835332011-05-24T19:31:00.000-07:002011-05-25T10:55:46.355-07:00

I was very excited to find green garlic at my local Farmer's Market this past weekend. You may have guessed that I am a big fan of garlic... and I have the tattoo to prove it! I had heard of green garlic, but this was my first time trying it. I wanted to do something simple that would let it be the shining star. At first I thought a simple pasta, but then I realized I don't make risotto nearly

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-70651322197535378872011-05-19T19:43:00.000-07:002011-05-20T06:51:21.172-07:00

When I come up with things to cook for this blog, I usually have an ingredient or flavor in mind. This week I started by looking in my fridge for anything that needed to be used before it went bad. And I realized I have a crazy stockpile of all kinds of mis-matched goodies in there that HAD to be used. Between camping, parties and changes-of-mind, I seemed to have amassed a very random collection

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-70205038246837034552011-05-13T12:42:00.000-07:002011-05-13T13:06:43.773-07:00

While sampling the array of deliciousness at my favorite buffet, Ryce Oriental buffet, I found something surprisingly tasty in the dim sum section. Surprising because it was simply called "turnip cake," and while I'm a big fan of turnips, "turnip cake" doesn't sound all that appetizing. But, oh man, as soon as I tasted it I knew I had to try and recreate it. So last week, while eating at another

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-56814546569710422632011-05-06T16:54:00.000-07:002011-05-06T17:51:58.216-07:00

Yesterday was Cinco De Mayo, so you may be saying..."well isn't it a day late for a Mexican food post?" Heck no!! It's never too late for Mexican food posts. Tacos are timeless. For real. My newest place to eat here in St. Louis is called Milagro Modern Mexican (also, get the Horchata martini and thank me later). They have this "Street Corn" which is completely off the hook. See, Mexican street

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-83167279729603693432011-04-26T18:33:00.001-07:002011-04-26T19:33:25.296-07:00

It's morel mushroom season!! If you are not familiar, morels are wild mushrooms that come out for maybe a month-month and a half every spring. They are serious business... morel hunters have their spots and they are very secretive about them. At markets, morels fetch big bucks... like $40 a pound and more. I've tried morel hunting once, last year. It was terribly unsuccessful, resulting in

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-52903663427314281662011-04-18T14:44:00.000-07:002011-04-19T18:18:32.550-07:00

As I mentioned in this post about the mussel recipe from Table Three restaurant, when I won the RFT web award, my very good friends John and Cathy (T3's chef and Maitre De) offered to have an Iron Stef - inspired dinner at the restaurant. This happened last week, and it was GLORIOUS. I sat down with them a month or so before to discuss the menu... all of the courses were based on some of my

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-21938703259405657962011-04-11T10:08:00.000-07:002011-04-11T10:38:28.668-07:00

My maternal grandma died Friday evening. I am crushed, to say the least. She was an amazing amazing woman. My grandpa died when I was 12... also an incredible human being. Together Patricia and Louis built quite the legacy. 12 kids, 27 grand kids, 5 great-grand kids, and some on the way. All together the count of people who would not be on this earth if it weren't for my grandma and grandpa is 47

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-2730707837526066542011-03-29T18:45:00.000-07:002011-03-30T10:19:58.488-07:00

Spring is still teasing us. Snow keeps rearing is cold, wet head, then the next day you will hear the birds chirping, see the daffodils blooming, and feeling the warmish spring sunshine. I saw this chicken stew from Jamie Oliver in a Food & Wine magazine and thought it would be the perfect kind of dinner for this period of spring peek-a-boo. Warm and comforting, while being somewhat bright and

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-43545239265731110852011-03-22T19:30:00.000-07:002011-03-22T20:01:34.161-07:00

One of my BFFs from highschool, Cathy, married a chef, John. Currently he is head chef at Table Three Restaurant in Wildwood, MO, and cathy runs front-of-house there. When I won the RFT award, they came up with an awesome idea to celebrate... let me help plan a menu for one night at Table Three. Seriously, y'all, I have some of the best friends a girl can ask for. I don't know how I got so lucky!

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-8659998540223347682011-03-16T21:52:00.000-07:002011-03-17T10:17:20.888-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's day! Here in St. Louis we started the week with snow. Blech. So, even though the weather started to get warm and spring-like yesterday, I had already planned to make a nice, hearty, soul-warming meal that would pair well with Guinness. Shepherd's Pie! I made Shepherd's Pie for the first time a few weeks ago when I took a pie class at Schnucks Cooks Cooking School with one of

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-45265801253666220922011-03-11T06:00:00.000-08:002011-03-11T15:19:09.477-08:00

What up, peeps? Skank Ham here. Seems miss Iron Stef is being a slacker this week, and she asked me to come up with something. Seems lazy to me, but it is her birthday week, so I'll oblige. Now, I don't cook much... so I don't have a recipe to share with you. I am good at knowing what's hilarious, though, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite funny (and punny) food-related websites.Bread

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-21792837312304359122011-03-03T21:10:00.001-08:002011-03-03T21:54:24.524-08:00

For a few weeks a friend of mine has been obsessing over a sandwich he read about... a fish Reuben, supposedly served by one of the 2 Schlafly beer brewery restaurants. First we went to the Bottleworks, which we learned does not even have a fryer, so, no, they did not have a fish Reuben. So we went the Tap Room, which has fish and chips, but no fish Reuben. Apparently the elusive sandwich was

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-50361797872985700782011-02-22T21:44:00.000-08:002011-02-24T05:53:54.974-08:00

This year marks 15 years that I've been with my company. For this milestone they gave me a catalogue of prizes to choose from. I chose to get a gift card. With that gift card I got a WAFFLE MAKER! I love waffles. Whenever I stay in hotels, the first thing I as is "Does your breakfast include waffles?" Hotel waffles are one of my favorite foods. So I've been wanting a waffle iron forever, I just

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-16952880190717116722011-02-16T21:45:00.000-08:002011-02-21T09:39:34.818-08:00

I work for a grocery store chained based in St. Louis called Schnucks (out-of-towners seem to think this is a funny name...). I am a graphic designer, but the company has been really good the past few years encouraging ALL of it's employees to become "food experts." One way they help is by offering free classes to us, usually taught by co-workers or vendors. I've been to many of these classes,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-51021466378677768282011-02-09T20:10:00.000-08:002011-02-10T06:29:33.198-08:00

Temperatures here in St. Louis have been frigid... most mornings are in the single digits. Blech. We have not seen grass or non-salty sidewalks in weeks, it seems like. I needed a good, hearty soup to warm my tummy and my soul. This soup totally does the trick. It is warm, substantial and just spicy enough. It's even the better the next day! Coconut Peanut Soup2 Tablespoons olive oil1 medium red

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-54952959808607615962011-02-01T19:21:00.000-08:002011-02-11T07:12:43.621-08:00

Oh man, you guys. What an exciting couple of weeks this has been for little 'ol me. You see, last week I won Best Food Blog in St. Louis, according to our local news/arts/entertainment paper, The Riverfront Times. While I certainly don't do this blog for fame and fortune, it made me so very very happy and giddy to win this. It's amazing to be recognized by your peers for something you love doing

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-9096800474578888852011-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:002011-01-25T17:53:13.243-08:00

First of all, big huge thanks to The Riverfront Times for voting Iron Stef Best Food Blog in St. Louis 2010! Holy cow! What an honor!! More on that in later post. First, I felt that, being that this may bring me some new readers, I should get this delicious salad up so that people aren't immediately confronted with my Slut's Spaghetti post. Not that I'm prude, but... First impressions and all....

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-81849032871039165942011-01-18T19:07:00.000-08:002011-01-18T20:34:05.831-08:00

As I mentioned in my 2010 recap post, I went to a Nigella Lawson book signing in November and *SQUEEEEE OMG Holy eff*...met Nigella. As you can see from the bright ruby hue of my face in the photo, I was a teensy bit excited to meet her. She's amazingly gorgeous, and I love her cooking/food style. She doesn't claim to be a chef, she simply claims to be a home cook. A woman who loves food and all

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-3548365734807076592011-01-11T23:24:00.000-08:002011-01-12T06:12:14.609-08:00

Salads in the winter are a challenge. You want to use seasonal produce for fresh, crisp salads, but lots of produce isn't that great in the winter months. Turnips and apples are both available and good in the colder months. This salad combines the peppery, earthy turnip and the tart, fruity apple for a crisp, yet timely side. This would go great with some grilled wild duck breast, or a pork roast

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-44457798796536444332011-01-04T21:47:00.000-08:002011-01-05T19:16:04.992-08:00

Oh man, you guys. 2010. What a year. I have seen lots of facebook and twitter posts down on 2010. I know some of my friends did not have such a great year. That makes me realize how lucky I am that my 2010 was so wonderful! As far as 2010 in Iron Stef terms... *deep breath* here goes...The year of the MafiaWhile technically we started the Food Blog Mafia in 2009, Kelly, Kelli, Annie and I were in

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-7643118653521713112010-12-28T21:56:00.001-08:002010-12-29T06:36:50.607-08:00

A friend of mine who is an avid duck hunter asked me if I wanted one of his kills. Heck yeah! I told him I wasn't sure how I was gonna cook it... I wouldn't mind attempting a whole roasted duck again, but wasn't sure I'd have the time. Because I was so unsure of what I wanted, he just went ahead and brought me a whole duck... and by whole duck, I mean, head, feathers, et al. SQUICK!! I remained

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-4566031223992914832010-12-20T07:49:00.000-08:002010-12-21T06:25:20.351-08:00

I've done tater tot tacos. It's only natural that I attempt to make those little golden nuggets of trashy deliciousness work on top of a pizza. I mean I've made potato pizza before. Tots are potatoes. Right? Right. Oh. So. Right. This turned out better than I expected! Seriously. Tots rule. Tater Tot Pizza-3 Slices of thick cut bacon, cut into bite-size pieces-3-4 Tablespoons flour-2 Cups milk-1

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-67634470798482605672010-12-16T06:52:00.000-08:002010-12-16T15:10:17.809-08:00

I had a rabbit from my pals at Yellowtree Farms. I kept referring to it as a bunny, which, considering I was always referring to it as food, made me sound sinister. Bunnies are cute. And they are delicious. Sorry, bunnies!! I told a chef friend of mine I had a bunny, and that I had never cooked rabbit. His girlfriend recommended this recipe from Cooking Light heartily. I love that it's filled

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-43050003081060068212010-12-07T19:53:00.000-08:002010-12-08T09:39:55.550-08:00

I had a bowl of chopped cabbage and carrots that I had meant to use for a stir-fry, but ran out of room in the pan, so I stuck 'em in the fridge for future use. Fast forward to tonight... driving home from work I started obsessing about that bowl of carrots and cabbage. They are not expensice ingredients by any means, but I hate to waste food, and I spent time chopping them! While getting my hair

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-38680722695322195822010-12-02T06:32:00.000-08:002010-12-02T09:48:50.717-08:00

I am a big big fan of savory bread pudding, especially on cold winter nights. The toasty, crunchy bites of the bread on the top and corners, and the custardy delicious middle. Ultimate comfort food. With a long baking time, bread pudding is not exactly feasible on a weeknight. But I figured out a way to make it work. You can prepare all the ingredients one night, and do the assembly and baking

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-91846199298647174782010-11-26T12:15:00.000-08:002010-11-26T13:08:42.401-08:00

"if you inhibit the body's pleasure, you provoke disease."Yesterday I came across this article, The Case Against Health by Richard Klein. It is a fantastic look at food/eating/drinking philosophy, and how the current view of what's "healthy" in our country is actually quite unhealthy. Basically, we are so obsessed with all the numbers and the hype, that we are forgetting to live and be truly

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-23657759851102823102010-11-16T19:48:00.000-08:002010-11-16T20:43:18.838-08:00

Yes yes, ANOTHER edamame post. What can I say, ever since I made these edamame burgers, I've had an idea. Hummus. See, hummus is made of a bean (chick pea), a nut (tahini, which is ground sesame seeds) and a couple of aromatics (garlic and lemon) blended together into a dippable paste. Edameme burgers had a very similar list of properties... beans (edamame), nuts (cashews), flavorings... all

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-21980340389226884702010-11-10T20:06:00.000-08:002010-11-10T20:31:32.016-08:00

What to do with a big bag of end-of-season green tomatoes? This was my dilemma. After them sitting on the counter for almost a week, with no free time to attempt canning them, I panicked and roasted most of them off in the oven. I cut them up into even sizes, rubbed them with olive oil, salt & pepper, and roasted them at 425ºF for about an hour, stirring a couple times, until they were pretty

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-87744018353722607172010-11-04T08:46:00.000-07:002010-11-04T20:05:01.663-07:00

I don't have an actual recipe to share this week, though I have had a good food week. Last night I went to my FBM buddy Kelly's house for a girls' night of kvetching and cooking. We had decided to make pretzels and rarebit. Neither of us have ever made pretzels... in fact we both have a slight fear of yeast doughs. But together, we overcame that fear and turned out some darned tasty pretzels. So,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-46263195195460837752010-10-26T20:38:00.000-07:002010-10-27T18:20:54.073-07:00

Green Burgers?! Yes. Edamame burgers. Yeah, I know I posted an edamame recipe last week. What can I say? I love those little green nuggets of soy joy. I have been wanting to make these burgers for some time. In fact, they are what I wanted to make last week, I just did not think far enough ahead (you need to let them firm up in the fridge for a few hours before you cook them.) I http://

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-82876796015231594462010-10-20T17:33:00.000-07:002010-10-20T23:06:00.992-07:00

My friend Aims posted this recipe, strawberry-glazed edamame with bacon, and I was so intrigued. I never would have put these ingredients together! So I had to try it. And, wow, it works! The strawberry preserves give the dish a slight sweetness, making the bacon seem almost candied. What a discovery!While I had the bacon going, I cooked an extra piece to make a peanut butter bacon sandwich. This

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-47490666809616400452010-10-12T20:27:00.000-07:002010-10-12T21:36:49.924-07:00

When I was at the store buying the ingredients for this dinner, I looked down into my red hand basket and thought "wow, this is all old lady food!" Smoked herring, pickled beets, prepared horseradish? I may as well have done all my cat food and yarn shopping at the same time! Well, my cat has plenty of food, I have yet to learn to learn to crochet beyond the most basic row, and my hair is not

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-64112153312460671962010-10-05T17:22:00.000-07:002010-10-05T17:52:43.701-07:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe all summer. Unfortunately, I seem to have waited too long, and just missed corn season. Frozen corn is perfectly good, though. So I decided to still make it even though it is October. It sounded good, okay? After I grabbed my frozen corn, I walked past the frozen pierogies. I turned around and got some, knowing I needed to use these instead of plain pasta. Why

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-12513336888133867022010-09-30T18:12:00.000-07:002010-09-30T18:51:51.968-07:00

One of my BFF's, Cathy, and her hubby John, made me a birthday feast for my last birthday. Last week it was Cathy's birthday, so it was my turn to feed them. John is a chef (lookit him on the t.v.!!), so I had a tough act to follow. One of Cathy's favorite places to go is The Scottish Arms, and I have seen her on more than one occasion order the Cock-a-Leekie pie. In fact, local food publication

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-45414672176260827732010-09-22T19:44:00.000-07:002010-09-22T20:39:39.125-07:00

I am very fortunate to work for a company that encourages it's employees to learn about food. So much so that they provide free classes! The other night I attended a beer tasting class, focused on Oktoberfest style beers, also called Mårzens. We tasted six different domestic Oktoberfests (Schlafly Oktoberfest, Dundee Oktoberfest, Great Divide Hoss Rye Lager, Tin Mill Oktoberfest, New Belgium

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-47365491614819525242010-09-16T21:01:00.000-07:002010-09-16T21:16:59.413-07:00

Tonight was a big night for me and my fellow roller derby newbies. We've been practicing for more than a month in our yellow shirts. Yellow shirts mean that we are not allowed to hit or be hit by the more experienced derby girls. Yellow is safety. But tonight, one of the league's best blockers lined us up single-file and clobbered us in order to see if we could take hits and fall safely. And you

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-83254003435793169442010-09-08T18:15:00.000-07:002010-09-08T19:48:08.621-07:00

I love me some Lidia Bastianich! I have had a signed copy of her book Lidia Cooks From the Heart of Italy for months now. I flip through it every once in awhile, getting all lustful for Italy. It's neat how the book is set up. Each chapter talks about a different region of Italy, then has a bunch of traditional recipes from that region! Educational, romantic and tasty! One that caught my

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-25299651764565617992010-08-31T18:42:00.000-07:002010-09-01T19:34:29.844-07:00

One of my favorite ways to spend my evenings (besides in the kitchen) is to go to live music shows. So imagine my glee when I discovered that an awesome local band were selling their very own cookbook at the merch table! The band is Gentleman Auction house, and they are fantastic... they have had some national recognition, and they are all pretty. Seriously. How does that happen? All very

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-32158666473137372082010-08-23T23:11:00.000-07:002010-08-24T10:24:04.400-07:00

I had a hankering to dress up my usual simple (but satisfying) breakfast taco. Usually these consist of corn tortillas (2 per taco), an over-easy egg and Tapatillo hot sauce. However, I had farmer's market goodies this particular morning! Stuff I bought without a particular plan for their use. Tomatillos & bacon. So I combined them to make a sort of hot salsa... which I've named a "pan salsa"

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-74904018821463319742010-08-17T23:07:00.001-07:002010-08-18T11:15:40.273-07:00

On a trip to the Ferguson Farmer's market, I noticed something weird looking at the Earthdance Farms booth. What looked like really long green beans, the color of beets. They informed me they were called Red Noodle Beans. I am a sucker for anything with the word "Noodle" in it, so I got a hearty handful of the crazy beans. What to do with them? I also got some of their adorable little fingerling

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-81254265107647875662010-08-12T06:29:00.000-07:002010-08-12T07:00:04.962-07:00

My momma-san's birthday was this week. I wanted to bake her some special treats, and since she's a blonde and proud of it, blondies were the obvious choice. I found a recipe for these Brown Butter Toffee Brownies on Martha's site. Martha always wins. Seriously. These are gooooood. Very rich with an irresistible caramel sweetness, with that touch of je ne sais quoi from the brown butter. Martha

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-7371389559228520082010-08-03T19:17:00.000-07:002010-08-03T20:02:08.610-07:00

Yes! 3rd post in a row using that treasure of summertime, tomatoes! I had a couple juicy heirlooms from the farmers market that had to be eaten STAT. Also in danger of being wasted was a half loaf of bread. Panzanella, naturally, came to mind. If you are not familiar, panzanella is a salad made from stale or day-old bread. Salad made from bread!! What's not to like? They usually include tomatoes,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-27337909945640568652010-07-27T20:02:00.000-07:002010-07-29T06:17:15.127-07:00

Is there anything better than a Caprese salad made with juicy summer tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, garden basil, sweet balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper? It's one of the pure joys of this time of year, and it was the inspiration for this pasta dish. The sauce is made from ripe tomatoes and fresh basil, and it requires no cooking. It has all the flavors of a Caprese salad, making it a great, simple

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-58776299329599867972010-07-21T17:27:00.000-07:002010-07-21T17:55:06.320-07:00

I picked up some goodies at my local farmer's market over the weekend. I had no plans for what to get when I went, so it was sort of random. An ugly heirloom tomato (which I ate by itself with salt and pepper.... one of the absolute joys of summer), a green tomato, and orange tomato and a head of cabbage. I also had 2 more Cayenne peppers from my little garden. Hmmmm. When it doubt, make salsa,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-1697671765079148902010-07-15T19:47:00.000-07:002010-07-15T20:16:15.383-07:00

Once I had Ceviche at a Sushi joint. Ceviche is not a Japanese dish, and the Ceviche at this sushi joint reflected that, with it's jalapenos, lime, avocados. It made sense, though, I suppose, what with all the raw fish laying around. But why not make it with more Japanese flavors? Like a sushi salad, almost? So that's what I have done. And it works! Of course it does! Logical, really. A perfect

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-58908181893114518182010-07-09T16:39:00.000-07:002010-07-09T17:22:34.297-07:00

For tonight's dinner I wanted to use my first ever cayenne pepper from my first ever garden. I was inspired by a dish I had last night at my new favorite place, Bobo Noodle house, lemongrass steak with a spicy cucumber salad, in which the cucumber had been made into fine noodle-like shreds. I decided to get a pork chop and a cucumber and try something similar.My first ever pepper! I grew that!

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-19019106079522753052010-06-30T06:49:00.000-07:002010-06-30T10:20:25.931-07:00

It's been awhile since I have participated in Taste & Create. It's always fun, so I signed up for June. I was paired with Min of Bad Girl's Kitchen. I bookmarked several recipes, but I just HAD to try this Blender Coconut Pie. I hardly ever bake, so I love a good easy dessert recipe. And coconut. Oh man. I love me some coconut. This was really easy, and really tasty. All the ingredients went

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-4479433529426751432010-06-24T05:33:00.000-07:002010-06-24T09:50:48.430-07:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks. Roadtrips, weddings, live music, tweetups. I'm not complaining, I love it. However, I fear it means less time in the kitchen, so I will not have a recipe post this week. I've done posts in a couple of other places recently, though. If you are just NEEDING you some Iron Stef, check these out ;).I went to Baltimore for my Cousin's wedding over the weekend, thereby

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-68558355370223899462010-06-16T16:33:00.001-07:002010-06-16T16:53:16.008-07:00

"Hey remember that time when my favorite colors was pink and green?" That's a lyric from Regina Spektor's song "That Time," a song that I cannot get enough lately. That particular line popped into my head when I plated my dinner tonight. Salmon (pink!) with gremolata (green!) with a salad of pink grapefruit (pink, duh!) and avocado (green!) what a pretty little dinner I had made without realizing

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-74708277735006519642010-06-09T17:24:00.000-07:002010-06-09T17:53:48.818-07:00

I love rainbow trout, so I was pleased as punch to find it on sale and WHOLE! So I got one. I stuffed him with some fennel stalks & fronds, lemon slices, garlic chunks and slices of yellow onion. I rubbed him with olive oil, salt & pepper, wrapped him loosely in foil, and cooked him in the oven at 325ºF for about 20 minutes, opening up the foil tent and adding some butter for the last 5 minutes

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-8068628677172609002010-06-01T20:06:00.000-07:002010-06-01T20:29:07.844-07:00

All I really wanted for dinner tonight was one of my favorite pairings: tater tots and sriracha sauce. Alas, I was not sure when I would have another chance to cook something blog-worthy, and I cannot leave my loyal Iron Stef readers hangin'. But I am also selfish. So I decided to have my tater tots and sriracha. I just put them in a taco! And you know what? Totally works. Brilliant, if I do say

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-33731593925602428152010-05-24T20:48:00.000-07:002010-05-24T21:05:39.109-07:00

I try try try to cook something every week for this blog, but sometimes I am only able to cook at home once a week. The rest is all leftovers, dinners out, etc. So, if I try something and it fails.... I'm left with nothing to share. I'm resourceful, though. This last failed experiment left me with some perfectly good pitas, a can of chick peas, and some Greek yogurt. I decided to make a nice,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-75467172444726219662010-05-13T17:51:00.000-07:002010-05-13T18:23:31.135-07:00

I found some quail eggs at an Asian grocery store, and I had to buy them. So tiny and cute!! I've always wanted to do something with quail eggs. I mean, check out these little toasts that Eric Ripert does, and tell me you are not in love with the adorableness that is quail eggs?!? But what was I gonna do with them? I had them in the fridge for awhile, and was determined to use the tonight. I

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-12886379794797644632010-05-05T18:23:00.000-07:002010-05-05T19:04:55.332-07:00

I went out for Vietnamese last weekend, one of my favorite all-time cuisines. Spring rolls. I need to make spring rolls more often... that's what I took away from that dinner outing. When I was fresh out of high-school, I worked at a Chinese buffet/take-out place. I worked there because I walked up there so often (I even had a "usual" order... Mongolian beef and crab Rangoon...) that I befriended

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-64935332092130574692010-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:002010-04-30T23:26:50.746-07:00

The other night I got a gift from my friend Tracy... Tracy is married to Corey Woodruff, an awesome photographer who is responsible for our Food Blog Mafia portraits. Well, Tracy makes some fantastic pottery, and she made me a little dish that grates garlic!! Have you ever? It's so awesome. The next night I was on a mission to make something that involved grated garlic. Googling "grated garlic" I

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-55275936020445603532010-04-24T09:05:00.000-07:002010-04-24T09:43:14.676-07:00

I had in my possession about 10 ozs. of leftover, perfectly-grilled flank steak. I wanted to do something with it other than just eat it straight. I decided to try an replicate my favorite Thai restaurant dish, Nam Tok beef. Spicy, sweet, sour, savory... Nam Tok beef has so many flavors yet they all work together to make... a party in your mouth :)Leftover Steak Nam Tok Beef-1 garlic clove,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-17528897340686336762010-04-17T18:42:00.000-07:002010-04-17T20:31:13.111-07:00

It's patio-sittin' season! And lately I keep having a hankering for seafood tacos. I was flipping through the latest issue of Martha Stewart Living this morning, and they had sliced tropical fruits, such as mango, sprinkled with chili pepper as a snack idea for a Cinco De Mayo party. This sweet-spicy combo was on my mind as I perused the grocery store. I always have chipotles ready to go in my

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-74456666237548863222010-04-04T18:03:00.000-07:002010-04-04T18:15:54.684-07:00

I needed to make a salad for a family BBQ, but was short on time. I had edamame in the freezer, and decided that it would make a great base for an impromptu salad. It turned out well... quick, healthy and tasty!Sesame Edamame salad with Almonds-3 cups shelled edamame, cooked according to package directions, and cooled.-3 garlic cloves, minced-1 teaspoon sesame oil-1/2 cup sliced almonds,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-79332812119786298062010-03-25T17:55:00.000-07:002010-03-25T18:46:01.629-07:00

Last weekend I visited Maryland, where my best friend Erin lives with her fiance Nathan. My cousin Dan and his fiance Suzanne also live in Maryland, in Baltimore. I thought that I would make a big giant travel post about my visit, as it was a whirlwind trip with visits to all kinds of great sites and restaurants in the DC and Baltimore areas. There is so much to talk about, though, so I am going

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-29503520402672849762010-03-16T21:45:00.000-07:002010-03-17T20:32:15.492-07:00

Spring is here.... but there is still a chill in the air. Therefore, there is still time for roasting!! Roasting may be one of my favorite cooking methods... the ease, the scents, the brown bits! For some reason I wanted cauliflower. And I always want capers. So... I made this "warm salad," which is a weird term, but describes this dish as best as I can come up with.Warm Roasted Cauliflower Salad

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-6886601955682862072010-03-08T19:37:00.000-08:002010-03-08T19:49:59.586-08:00

Spring has sprung. And it's my birthday week, which means much splurging and eating out. So, the Sunday prior, I decided to make something light and colorful. Avocados were on sale, so I came up with this salad, which could also be used as a salsa (this recipe makes quite a bit...). Richness from the avocados and crab, a bit of spice from the pepper and hot sauce, crunch from the bell pepper,

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-1550571762269597042010-03-02T16:18:00.000-08:002010-03-02T16:49:01.522-08:00

Just in case you don't follow me on twitter, here are some other projects I have been working on/involved in recently....• I've mentioned Food Blog Mafia. Well a couple of weeks ago, I was given some Balut, and coerced Kelly's fiance Jerad into trying them with me. Kelly took video... here is the post on the Food Blog Mafia Blog. So very Andrew Zimmern.• Also, in Mafia news, my friend Corey

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-32720533763076137492010-02-23T21:05:00.001-08:002010-02-24T10:21:57.811-08:00

One of my favorite hangouts is a pub called the Bleeding Deacon here in St. Louis. They have an awesome jukebox, good beer selection, comfy, friendly feel and good food. One of their appetizers is grilled chicken served with a jalapeno-peanut pesto. Yum! I thought that was a brilliant idea for a pesto, and decided to try making something similar at home. But what to serve it with? I thought it

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8663108.post-20560582109764042412010-02-15T20:56:00.000-08:002010-02-15T21:19:52.520-08:00

I've explained this many times, but I will keep saying it... I love meat, and I love tofu. I don't like when people try to make tofu a substitute for meat. I think that's why poor tofu has a bad rep! The other day I decided to try tofu's cousin, tempeh. Tempeh is made from soy beans too, but unlike tofu, they are left whole, making a more textured, denser product. It also has a more pronounced

ironstefhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05644393202045488965noreply@blogger.com3