Basic Good Recipes

Who I am: A human / husband / dad / priest who enjoyes cooking for family and friends. Cooking is my favorite hobby and my love language. Cooking is how I communicate welcome, joy, humor, empathy, pride, justice, and so much more.

Who I am not: A food professional, or a former food professional, although I did wait tables one summer, back in the mists of time. This is not a side hustle or a promotional vehicle.

What this is: The world doesn't need is another food blog. There are plenty. But, I often struggle to find plainly presented, good recipes for basic things. So, as I have cooked over the years, I have found and developed the recipes found here. I am not a recipe author, and most, if not all, of these recipes started in someone else's kitchen. I will do my best to give credit where credit is due. When I forget to give someone else credit (or enough credit), please forgive me, allow me to apologize, and let me know so I can correct the error.

What this is not: An exhaustive chronicle of how to cook everything. Others have done that and I am a beneficiary of their work. I will only post a recipe once I feel confident in its quality and feel called to share. Also, you might find more of some types of recipes than others. I am a southerner, I prefer savory over sweet, I enjoy spicier foods, and I am not a baker, although thanks to the variety of challenges we have enjoyed in 2020, I have begun to explore that area. And you won't find pretty food pictures or long exposition before the actual recipe - I am neither a photographer or irritatingly verbose (this primer not withstanding).

Some favorite chefs / cookbook authors / food personalities / resources:

Alex Ainouz / French Guy Cooking

Mark Bittman

Jennifer Chandler

John Currence

Sohla El-Waylly

Food52

The Guardian Food

Marion Grasby

Vivian Howard

Milk Street

Samin Nosrat

NYT Cooking

Paprika Recipe Manager

Deb Perelman / Smitten Kitchen

Andrew Rae / Babish Culinary Universe

Alison Roman (she can be problematic, I know)

Serious Eats

Two Dog Farms

I ♥️ my Sous Vide (no, I am not getting a kickback). It has changed the way I cook meat, especially steaks, pork tenderloin, and other cuts that either dry out easily or you want cooked to a precise temperature (medium rare, duh).

I found this recipe on Nerd Chefs and I was intrigued. And it lives up to the hype - the texture and taste is very reminiscent of prime rib, although do try to find a leaner roast or be prepared when carving to trim a lot of fatty bits. I made some tweaks and simplifications, including using one of my favorite items in my pantry: ground rosemary. While fresh or dried rosemary is available in most any grocery store, ground can be difficult to find. You could grind it yourself or order it, as I do, from the interwebs. I am partial to the Spice House in Evanston, IL (again, no kickbacks).

SOUS VIDE CHUCK ROAST

3 lb. chuck roast, a lean piece if possible

4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground rosemary

2 tablespoon ghee

Set Sous Vide to 135F.

Combine salt, white pepper, and ground rosemary. Season the roast generously on all sides.

Seal seasoned roast in a vacuum sealer bag and place in the 135F water bath. Cook roast for 29 to 36 hours.

Remove roast, hold bag upright, and cut across to open, making sure not to spill the juices. Pat the roast dry with paper towels and let rest for 15 minutes.

Bring a large pan up to high heat. Just before cooking, add 2 T ghee. Next, add the chuck roast to the pan, pressing it into the bottom of the pan to help all surfaces get a good sear. Cook for 60 seconds on every surface. Use tongs to hold it on end, allowing the sides and ends to cook as well. The roast should save a solid sear all the way around.

Butter is a thing in 2020. But, butter can be frustrating when you need to slather it on a biscuit or toast and it is too cold to spread. Waaah.

Hence, spreadable butter. Convenient, but more expensive than regular butter and often, in my opinion, tastes bad.

So here is a homemade solution, based on Amanda Shapiro's "Better Butter" with some additional inspiration from Trine Hahnemann's "Buttermilk Butter."

SPREADABLE BUTTER

Ingredients

1 cup butter - the higher quality the better, salted or unsalted (but if you use salted, use 1/2 the salt)

3/4 cup neutral oil - vegetable, extra light olive, grapeseed, nothing with any flavor

1/4 cup buttermilk, low-fat or whole, but not fat-free

2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon if using salted butter)

Directions