Tuesday, June 28, 2011

DIY Dino BBQ

Set to the background of Blues music a group of women (and one man) recently gathered to re-create the famed Dinosaur BBQ cookbook. With their individual twists, a multi-course meal was served.

Laura and the Dinosaur BBQ Cookbook: An American Roadhouse

A Thai green curried chili that was the result of cabbage having soaked overnight, spiked with cilantro and flavored with Mae Ploy Sauce, on hot dogs, received praise: “I’m incorporating this salad into my repertoire,” Lynn said. But it wasn’t the “winning” dish.


Slaw and wieners


Mississippi-Style Catfish Strips with Bacon-Fennel BBQ Sauce captured the attention and palates of dinner goers. Dinosaur BBQ originally created the dish for a fiery food show but some of the ingredients were altered. Although it happened to be Lent when Dino BBQ developed the recipe, I don’t think the Pope would mind having taken liberty with it. In the end, it was sinfully good.


The Fish


1-pound catfish fillets

1 egg slightly beaten

½ cup cornmeal

½ cup flour

Old Bay Seasoning

3 cups vegetable oil


Slice the catfish into ¾ inch wide by 5 to 6 inches long. Toss in a bowl along with the egg. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.


Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Fill a bowl with a mix of cornmeal and flour. Pour the oil into the skillet. Slide the oil-filled skillet onto a front burner and get it heating over medium heat until hot but not smoking.


Next, line up the cookie sheet, the cornmeal mixture, and the bowl of marinating catfish. Pluck the catfish from the marinade, drop it in the cornmeal mix, and roll it around in the mixture until coated. Then move the coated strips to the wax-lined pan.


Once the catfish strips are breaded, fry them in the hot oil in batches without crowding the pan. Cook, flipping once, for a total of 4 to 5 minutes until nicely brown. Drain on paper towels. Feeds 3 to 4.



The Sauce


8 strips regular-slice bacon

1 heaping cup slivered red onion

1 heaping cup slivered fennel

Pinch each of sea salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup Dinosaur BBQ Creole Honey Mustard Sauce

Juice of ¼ lemon


Fry the bacon over medium-high heat just until crisp and brown. Pull it out of the pan, drain it on paper towels, crumble and set aside.


Pour off all but 3 to 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Dump in the onions and fennel, seasoning with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sizzle over medium heat until brown and caramelized. Stir in the sauce and lemon juice.


Pour the sauce over the fish


Back to the meal



Beer was on tap and so was a Trilogy Red wine from Black Willow in Olcott, NY


Ending the meal with Julie’s Peanut Butter Pie with an Oreo crust (she used graham crackers and Cool Whip instead of Heavy Whipped Cream) was a perfect conclusion to a summer BBQ.





Sunday, June 19, 2011

Spicy Summer Lovin’

Blame it on the long summer nights that cause us to throw caution to the wind, make a move on that crush you’re smitten about, and try new things; but while embracing the few short months of tempest bliss, why not open your mind and mouth to another temptress . . . the hot pepper.

The spicy snap of a hot pepper is enough to make anyone wonder whether his or her stomach is in danger after eating just one. Fortunately for those of us who crave the appeal of hot cuisines and their ingredients, adding a little spice to your diet, and life, is good for you. According to a study by Dr. David Y. Graham of Baylor College of Medicine suggest that capsaicin, found mostly in the white pithy ribs and seeds of the pepper is actually helps protect the stomach lining.


Serious spice is not lethal


The hotness of a pepper is measure using the Scoville heat scale. The sweet bell pepper has zero Scoville units, while the hottest pepper in the world, the bhut jolokia, has a whopping 1 million Scoville units.


According to ehow.com, eating hot peppers can speed metabolism, which helps to burn extra calories. Hot peppers can also act as an appetite suppressant. Additionally, they can help alleviate respiratory problems when eaten because capsaicin causes the body to release fluids that wash away irritants.


The hottest peppers from Southeast Asia can be found, almost in your backyard


In Western New York, there is a section of Amherst where spice seekers can find the hottest spices around. Super Bazaar (3218 Sheridan Dr. 14226) supplies the best in South Asian grocery. After challenging your taste buds there, try the below recipe to tempt the senses.


Spicy Indian Side


Spicy Indian Side

5 ¼ cups of water

3 cups Basmati rice

2 10 oz. jars of Hot Mango Relish

½ cup almonds, silvered and roasted

Red pepper flakes

Japones (Dried Chiles) Hot

½ fresh orange

Bring the water to a boil

Stir in the rice, cover and reduce heat to a summer for 20 minutes or until all of the water is absorbed.

Add the Hot Mango Relish and almonds and stir.

Completely cover the top with crushed red pepper flakes.

Season with broken Japones

Squeeze fresh orange juice over top and use the rind as a garnish.