Do you have certain foods that just baffle you?  Maybe you’ve tried to recreate them and flopped big time, or maybe it just seems so overwhelming you won’t even try.  I have foods like that.  Sponge cake used to be on that list.  Homemade pizza, too.  I know, I know.  You’re saying, “Pizza? What’s so hard about pizza?”  Well, it’s not that I couldn’t make a pizza.  I just couldn’t make a good pizza.  I wanted that crisp, crackery crust but with a nice flavor and some good chew, if possible.  And although I don’t have a pizza peel, I wanted to use my pizza stone.

Yet pizza after pizza was a sticky doughy mess.  It was impossible to shape.  It stuck to the pan.  It fell apart.  It was thick and bread-y in some spots and torn and holey in the others.  So I avoided it.  Good homemade pizza was not for me.  Yet Melissa felt my pain-and came to my rescue!  We pow-wowed over recipes and techniques and when it was all over I did the happy dance all around the kitchen.  (...)
Click here for the recipe Spicy Sausage Pizza

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

There are two kinds of fast food that I generally eat.  Sandwiches, subs, and to-go salads are my first choice, followed by a distant second-Taco Bell bean burritos (proof that I am not the only one who feels this way… ).  I try not to eat them often because they are NOT good for you, but there is something so comforting in the texture of the soft, warm beans and cheese accented by at least three packets of hot sauce.  This is coming to you from a person who wouldn’t eat a bean to save her life before the last year or so.  Yet bean burritos have become comfort food to me.  They are a cheap and very filling hot meal.  One can of beans and two cups of shredded cheese, plus tortillas, can yield 8 burritos.  They’re great for breakfast, keeping you full for hours.  They transport and keep well when made ahead.  It’s a perfect food!

Of course you don’t have to eat these beans in a burrito.  They are great as a side dish, or served inside tacos.  If I find myself short on meat and large on crowd, whipping up some beans will generally help fill the gap.  Below is my recipe for quick refried beans-because generally if we are having beans with/for supper we want them now-but you can also use cooked or canned pinto beans and mash them in the fat with a bit of the cooking/canning liquid.  (...)
Click here for the recipe Refried Bean Burritos with Hot Taco Sauce

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

When we barbecue we don’t use barbecue sauce except as a condiment for serving.  Yet a good barbecue sauce is as important to the final product as a good rub.  Our favorite sauces are spicy and just barely sweet-and we’re still looking for the best one.  We made three sauces for our last brisket and all three were delicious and easy, although they were all just a tad sweeter than what we were looking for.

The first sauce we made was posted by Jen on use real butter.  Big Bob Gibson’s Memphis-Style Championship Red Sauce was delicious and complex and by far the sweetest of all three sauces.  This was the sauce all of the kids wanted for their plates.  It also makes a ton, which is great for serving chopped beef sandwiches to a crowd.  Jen has so many barbecue sauces in her archives that I will definitely be back to sample more of them!

The next sauce was a copycat of a local barbecue joint, Rudy’s.  While not exactly Rudy’s sauce, this sauce was the best compliment to the brisket.  It was the least sweet with plenty of spices.  This sauce was the one most of the grown-ups chose to pair with their sliced beef.

Rudy’s

• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp course black pepper
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot.  Simmer until slightly reduced.

The third sauce we made was my favorite-a sweet, slightly vinegary, spicy blend that I was content to eat with a spoon.

Texas Style

• 4 cups ketchup
• 1 bottle beer
• 1/2 cup  butter
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp (or to taste) cayenne pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a large pot and simmer 45 minutes.

We’re still looking for the perfect sauce, but all three of these sauces are fantastic (especially if you like a sweet sauce) and I highly recommend trying one for your next barbecue.  Homemade barbecue sauce couldn’t be easier and tastes so much better than the store bought stuff.  If you are going to buy your sauce, this is my favorite.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Is it summer yet?!  I am ready to grill!

At the chaos house, we all love ribs.  In fact, one of my favorite foods to feed a crowd is baby back ribs because they are so easy and yet people are so impressed.

When I make ribs I cook them low and slow in the oven.  The result is tender meat that falls from the bone.  If you want to make restaurant style, melt in your mouth ribs, that recipe is here.   My better half, on the other hand, makes the smoky, chewy barbecue joint kind of ribs.  Both are delicious, and this rub works equally well for either cooking method.

Rib Rub

• 2 tsp paprika
• 4 tsp garlic
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp coriander
• 2 tsp ancho chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 tsp marjoram or oregano

1. Combine in a small bowl. Rub ribs all over with seasonings.

For chewy, barbecue style ribs, cook over indirect heat in a covered grill or smoker for about 3 hours at 225°F to 250°F.  Here’s a good tip, if you don’t have a rib holder for your grill use the rack from your roasting pan.  Just flip it upside down and fit the ribs in between the slats.  Presto!

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

I never ate cranberry sauce as a kid, it was only as an adult that I recognized it’s sweet-tart flavor was a great foil to the piles of savory starches on my Thanksgiving plate.  Cranberry sauce is super easy to make and keeps well in the fridge.  It’s as easy side to make a day or two in advance just don’t forget it a serving time!

Classic Cranberry Sauce

• 1 pound fresh cranberries
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup sugar

1. Combine all three ingredients in a medium pot.
2. Bring to a boil and simmer until cranberries burst and liquid thickens.
3. Strain, if desired, and chill.

If you like it chunky you will get about 3 cups of sauce.

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh