Chestnut Street Spare Ribs

I have been trying to post 2 to 3 times a week, but as you may have noticed, it hasn't gone very well. Looks like it's going to be a once a week thing until we stop being busy again. If I get extra up, I'm happy for it.

This is my first entry in a line of food inspired by music. We all know that 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' isn't about baking cakes, but there was a time when some songs about food, really were about food. Many of the songs I'm featuring were written during the Depression and the Second World War. People were hungry and homesick during those times. We sing about what we want. And these songs are about wanting food, and home.

A lot of this recipe will have to do with how you prepare your ribs. I like to slow cook them. The slow cooker also makes the sauce really thick. Feel free to use your favorite cooking method.

Chestnut Street Spare Ribs

4 lbs Spare Ribs
2 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil
4 tbsp Prime Rub Seasoning
1/2 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup Chocolate Balsamic

Rub down the ribs with the seasonings and olive oil. Broil for 5-6 minutes.

Whisk the honey garlic and balsamic together. Nest the ribs at the bottom of your slow cooker and pour the sauce over top. Close the lid tightly and cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high for 8 hours.

Between 18th &19th and Chestnut Street: Bing Crosby

Slow Cooked: Potatoes

I'm discovering you can slow cook almost anything. It just takes a little ingredient alteration and of course, time.

I never would have thought to put whole potatoes in a slow cooker. But thanks to the wonders of the internet, someone's idea floated around long enough to make it to me. I don't know who you are original person, but you are brilliant. Thank you.

This recipe is really for one potato. You just scale it around how many potatoes your crock pot can hold.

Crock Pot Baked Potatoes

Potatoes

1 tbsp Olive Oil per potato

Scrub your potatoes clean and poke them with a fork several times all around. Cut squares of tinfoil to wrap them in. 

Oil your potato on all sides. Wrap up.

Place in the crock pot on low for 5-8 hours or high for 2-3.

Break open and serve with your choice of toppings.

The Double Bacon and Cheese

Rubbed with Bacon Olive Oil and topped

 with crumbled bacon and shredded cheddar

The White Truffle Garlic

Rubbed down with White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil

 and topped with sauteed mushrooms and a

 little Black Truffle Sea Salt.

And the Zesty Onion!

Rubbed with the Zesty Onion Olive Oil and 

topped with sour cream and pickled jalapenos. 

Eyeball Pasta

It's just so much fun to make creepy food! I love this season. This shrimp mix, minus the olives is also really awesome on crackers.

Have a Creepy Halloween!

Eyeball Pasta

12 oz cooked shrimp
4 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup white onion, minced
2 tbsp panko bread crumbs
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
sliced black olives
4 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil, divided
1 jar pesto, at least 8 oz
1 package Squid Ink Pasta*
a few cooked crawfish, optional

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Drain and toss with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Set aside to keep warm.

Take the tails of the shrimp and give the flesh a rough chop. Put in a food processor with the onions and garlic. Blend until mostly smooth. Add up to 2 tbsp of the olive oil and the panko.

Form the shrimp mix into balls and press one olive slice into the side. These do not have to be cooked. Sprinkle with the paprika.

Toss the pasta with the pesto and sprinkle the 'eyes' around the plate. If you want, bury some crawfish so that they peek out of the pasta. They aren't super important, they just look creepy.

*a tip: Do NOT toss the pasta with the pesto and the eyes. Just the pesto. They eyes take on the color of the pesto and you will have green eyeballs in no time.

Squid Ink pasta is avaliable in our store. If you can't get here in time, take regular pasta and add black food coloring to the cooking water. (I haven't tried it yet, but it's supposed to work!) Good luck!

Customer Recipe: Jim's Chicken and Potatoes

One of our customers stopped by to restock over the weekend and showed off his cooking skills with this Instagram photo. He described it thus:

"White truffle sauté chukar, pancetta essence seared diminutive tubers and savoy florets over a bed of fresh spinach drizzled with piquant dressing and a fresh cut of lemon for zest."

Or, as he told me later, "Boneless chicken fried in White Truffle Garlic oil, baby potatoes and broccoli florets seared in Bacon oil. Everything was laid out on fresh spinach with a drizzle of Buffalo Ranch dressing (and a slice of lemon)."

Thanks Jim! It looks divine!

Fridge Soup

I had leftover chicken in the fridge from something my husband made, and a lot of escarole from the pork chop dish earlier this week. The chicken was so good I couldn't throw it away, and I never got to get a picture of it either! He just has to make it again.

Clean Out the Fridge Soup

2 cups leftover chicken, shredded
4-6 cups greens, escarole or spinach
1/2 onion
2-3 shallots
4-6 cups broth
1 pkg mushrooms
2 stalks celery
2 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil
2 tbsp seasoning blends

In a large soup pan, heat 2 tbsp Olive Oil and add the chicken. Saute for a few minutes.

Chop the celery to a fine dice. Slice your greens into thin ribbons, and rough chop the mushrooms and onions. Add them and the broth to your pan. Increase the heat to a simmer.

Everything is already cooked for this soup, what you are doing is letting all the flavors really meld. You could let this simmer until everything is just warmed up, or you can let it go for awhile.

I simmered mine, uncovered for about 45 minutes.

The most important ingredients to this soup are the chicken, greens and broth. I used beef broth, because that's what I had on hand. And I had some of the Hunter's Blend spices, but original would be nice. If you used the Italian Herb or Basil Olive Oil, I think that the Italian Table Blend spices would be nice. You could also make this spicy if you want. Use the Zesty Onion or Citrus Habanero Oil and some of the Southwest Spices to really clear your sinuses. This is just what I had in my fridge. If you have other stuff, go for it! Small pasta would be great, also carrots. Mmmm, carrots.

Truffled Mac & Cheese

This was another snappy meal.

My husband loves all kinds of mac and cheese. He picked up a little tub of it from Wawa on his way home last night. To make it extra special, I poured a tablespoon of White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil in it and stirred it up. It really took it up a notch.

He was very annoyed that I stole some of it to take pictures.

I did give it back.

Truffled Potatoes (with Chicken)

I love roasted potatoes. The outsides get all crispy, the insides are soft and hot.  The chicken, like the parsley sprig is mostly just a garnish here!

Truffled Potatoes

1 lg bag red skinned potatoes, 1-2lbs

2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley, plus extra for garnish

1 tbsp butter

3 tbsp White Truffle Garlic Olive Oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350degrees. Butter your roasting pan. 

Quarter your potatoes and toss with the parsley and the Olive Oil. Lightly dust with the salt and pepper now. You can always add more later. (or use the Black Truffle Garlic Sea Salt)

Roast, uncovered, for 30 - 35 minutes. They should be starting to brown.

Serve alongside chicken or steak. This chicken was previously pan fried in the Roasted Garlic Olive Oil.