Southwest Mac and Cheese

The first time I made this dish I called it “Mexican Mac and Cheese.” However, after tasting it, I realized it was more reminiscent of the American Southwest (from Arizona to Western Texas) than of Mexico, so I changed the name. The inspiration came to me while trying to put a Mexican spin on traditional comfort food in honor of Cinco de Mayo. In a way, I guess it’s fitting that the dish is more American than Mexican since Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more in the U.S. than in Mexico (with the exception of Puebla).

I chose to cook my own beans, and to roast the peppers and the corn myself, but feel free to purchase canned versions if you’re interested in saving some time. The corn and the peppers can easily be roasted in the oven together (25-30 minutes at 400 degrees, tossing/turning as needed), and if you start with canned beans, it will only take you 20-25 minutes to simmer them with the correct spices (I used my recipe for Cuban black beans, but feel free to use canned).

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: About 30 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Notes: You can cook the bacon while the water boils and the pasta cooks, or you can use some leftover bacon from this morning’s breakfast.

Ingredients:

3 ounces bacon, cooked and cut into pieces (about 3 thick slices)
2 Anaheim peppers (or two small cans fire-roasted green chiles), roasted and chopped
6 oz prepared black beans (or 2/3 of a store-bought can)
6 oz corn (about one ear of corn), roasted
8 oz Macaroni pasta
8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
5 oz evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup panko
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Procedure:

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, render the bacon in a sillet placed over medium-low heat, stirring as needed (about 15 minutes). Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it back in the same pot and place over low heat. Add the evaporated milk and stir to combine. Wait about 5 minutes for the evaporated milk to come up to temperature, then add a handfull of the shredded cheese at a time and stir until it’s combined. Once all the cheese is incorporated, stir in the beans, corn, and peppers. Cover and set aside.

Melt the butter in a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Toss in the panko and toss to coat. Stir the panko every 30 seconds until the butter is absorbed and the bread crumbs are toasted. Remove from the heat and set aside. Plate the mac and cheese, then top with toasted panko, chopped cilantro, and bacon pieces. I forgot to top the plate with bacon before taking the picture, but I did add it before eating it (believe me, it’s much better with the bacon).

Buen Provecho!

NY-Style Pizza in Durham: Randy’s Pizza

Two slices from Randy’s Pizza: one Pepperoni and one Meatball

Let us start with a philosophical question: what is New York-Style pizza? Ask 100 people and you will get 1001 answers, but I seek to boil it down to the basics. In my world, the New York style of pizza is represented by three main things: hand-tossed dough, sold by the slice or whole, and the slices are big enough that they need to be folded in half to eat. It’s that simple.

If I have one pet peeve about NY-Style pizza (outside of NY, that is), it’s that everyone seems to have an opinion as to which establishment is more “authentic,” or who makes the best representation of a NY pizza, regardless of where you live. Those that have visited/lived in NYC know that there are probably tens of thousands of pizza joints, and they vary from amazing to downright disgusting. The important thing to remember is that you’re arguing over personal preference and taste.

As far as I’m concerned, Randy’s Pizza, a local chain, makes great NY-Style pizza. The slices are huge (as you can tell from the picture), and the crust is thin without being cracker-thin. The edges can have a bit of chew to them, but I’ve come to expect that from NY-Style pizza, so I’m OK with it. As most places in NY do, they make a lot of cheese pizzas and then top your slice with your preferred toppings and re-heat it in the ovens when you order it (this helps to keep costs low, so I can appreciate that).

Randy’s will make a custom pie to order, and at around $12 (with coupon), you really can’t go wrong. But, the best value on the menu is their combo #1: two one-topping slices and a 22oz drink for $6.26 (plus tax); you can’t beat that with a Yankee-Autographed Bat! Be warned, the restaurant can be a bit overcrowded during the lunch time rush hours, but that just means that you get fresh pizza.

Grade:

Taste: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Would I eat it again? In a New York Minute!

Randy’s Pizza
Various locations
Randy’s Pizza RTP and Randy’s Pizza

Jalapeño Popper Grilled Cheese

I’ve been out of the “game” for a bit, so I thought I’d come back with something bold: a grilled cheese sandwich that tastes like a jalapeño popper. I’m sure most of you have ordered jalapeño poppers at a restaurant, or bought some frozen version that you can bake/fry at home, so the flavors and textures should be familiar. Most poppers are cheddar and/or cream cheese-filled jalapeños that are then breaded and baked/fried, some of them even have bacon. I decided to roast the peppers before placing them in the sandwich because I thought the crunch of the bread would be more than enough crunch for the sandwich. To roast the peppers, just toss them in some olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and roast them in the oven (400 degrees for 30 minutes, turning as necessary). You can then peel, seed, and slice them.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 plus 7-8 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: Feel free to add some bacon, if you wish.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter (melted)
Cream cheese (just enough to smear on one piece of bread)
2 Slices Cheddar cheese
2 Jalapeño peppers, roasted and cut into strips
2 Slices Sourdough bread (or your favorite type of bread)

Procedure:

Build the sandwich by smearing the cream cheese on one piece of bread, place the jalapeño slices over the cream cheese, then cover with the cheddar and top it with the other slice of bread. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Coat the skillet with some of the melted butter, then place the sandwich in the skillet. You can place a weight over the sandwich if you’d like (a brick, panini press, or a heavy skillet will work), but this is optional. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip once the bread is toasted to your liking, about another 3-4 minutes (just butter the skillet right before flipping).

Cut in half and enjoy!

Arancini

Arancini (Italian for “small orange”) are small rice balls, usually stuffed with mozzarella, that are breaded and deep fried. I’ve also seen them called Suppli al Telefono, due to the long strands of mozzarella resembling telephone cords (no joke!), but that is more of a northern-Italian name. Traditionally, cooks would use left over risotto to make the arancini because, try as you might, it’s impossible to get reheated risotto to taste as good as when it’s just been made. I guess you can say they were invented more as a way to enjoy the leftovers than by a stroke of genius (though some may argue that point).

I was first introduced to arancini in the winter of 2000, when I spent four months in Sicily as part of a military deployment. We stayed in a town called Motta Sant’Anastasia, and there was (literally) a hole in a wall in town where you could walk up and get whatever the cook (an old Sicilian woman) had made that day. Though the menu varied daily, she always had arancini ready to be flash-fried and served piping hot! I found arancini all over Sicily, but I never had a better version than these. Most places would serve a side of tomato sauce with their arancini, but the old Sicilian woman would place both the mozzarella and the sauce in the center of the arancini, which made them divine!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 minutes
Difficulty: Medium
Notes: I suggest you only stuff the arancini with the mozzarella and serve the marinara sauce on the side, as it tends to get very messy if you try to stuff both in the risotto balls. Also, don’t use shredded cheese, as this will make it almost impossible to stuff into the arancini.

Ingredients:

2 cups left over risotto
4 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 cup marinara sauce, warmed

For the breading:
2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp of water
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Canola oil for frying
Salt

Procedure:

Place enough oil in a heavy-bottomed pan so that it will reach about half-way up the arancini and heat it to 350 degrees. While the oil comes up to temperature, use an ice cream scoop and divide the risotto into portions, then roll each portion into a small ball (they should be about the size of a golf ball). Take one piece of cubed mozzarella and place it in the center of each ball, then re-shape them if necessary.

Prepare your breading station in an assembly line. Roll the arancini in the flour (removing any excess), then in the egg (making sure to let the excess drip off), then in the bread crumbs; set aside until all the arancini are breaded. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, fry the arancini in batches (3-4 at a time) for 3-4 minutes, moving them around so that they brown evenly. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels for draining and sprinkle with a bit of salt. Serve hot with the marinara on the side.

Buen Provecho!

Review: The Pit, Raleigh NC

The in-laws were in town for a few days so we decided to have lunch at The Pit in Raleigh. The Pit is owned/operated by Pitmaster Ed Mitchell, who is well-known around these parts and even beat Bobby Flay in a rib throwdown. If you’re lucky, you will even see Ed roaming around the restaurant, stopping to talk to people eating at his restaurant (he even gave me the “secret” to his ribs on one of my visits there). The restaurant is exactly what you wouldn’t expect from a place called “The Pit,” as the restaurant is clean, modern, well decorated, and appropriately lit. If you ask people in The Triangle area (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) for a recommendation on which Eastern North Carolina BBQ restaurant to visit, you will probably get quite a few of them that will suggest Allen and Sons, and quite a bit more that will tell you to avoid The Pit. Personally, I think The Pit gets a “bad” reputation because it’s “fancy.” Ask a person who complains about the Pit to tell you what they don’t like and you’re likely to hear the same thing: it’s too expensive or it’s not authentic (or both). But, even with it’s detractors, the restaurant is hugely popular and it was packed on our visit, with a 45-minute wait for a table at 1pm on a Saturday (reservations are suggested).

When it comes to BBQ, just because a place isn’t a pit, a joint, or a dive doesn’t mean that the food won’t taste good. My wife ordered the chopped BBQ plate for $7.99 (dinner price is $11.99), and it came with two sides, hush puppies and a biscuit. Sure, the dinner price is a bit more expensive than other places, but it’s not outrageous. For instance, a plate of ‘cue at Allen and Sons will run you $9.90, and it only comes with one side (fries or potato salad) and some hush puppies. The Pit gives you an extra side (plus a bigger selection of sides) and a biscuit for about $2 more, which I don’t consider anywhere near outrageous.

As for authenticity, The Pit is the only location in The Triangle that cooks the whole hog over wood/coals (most other locations use gas). Even Allen and Sons isn’t whole hog, as they only cook the shoulder. Whole hog BBQ is superior to any method that only cooks a part of the pig due to the combinations of flavors and textures that you only get when you mix in every part of the pig (belly, loin, ribs, ham, skin, etc.). So, for my money, it’s more authentic than all other BBQ restaurants I’ve tried here in The Triangle. Just to be clear, I love Allen and Sons, and I’m not picking on them; they’re my second choice when it comes to ‘cue. I’m merely trying to shoot down the erroneous ideas regarding The Pit, not bring down Allen and Sons in any way.

As for what we ordered on this visit, we started with the Vidalia Onion Rings as our appetizer. They were big, crispy, and oh-so-divine, with a wonderful black pepper flavor that went well with the crunch and the mustard remoulade they were served with. What I couldn’t taste was the sweetness that comes from a Vidalia onion and they might as well have been regular onions. If you like onion rings, you have to try these when you visit. Here’s a pic of the onion rings:

For my entrée, I decided to break from tradition and try the fried chicken (everyone else got the pork). Not that I think the chopped ‘cue isn’t great, nor is it that I didn’t feel like dealing with the ribs (that, by the way, are amazing so long as you order them unsauced and add the sauce yourself), but I just felt like I wanted something different (and I’m glad I ordered the chicken!). I received three pieces of chicken (one breast, two drumsticks), along with my two sides (mac and cheese and mashed potatoes), which was more than I was expecting. The breading was thick (just how I like it), and very crunchy, and the chicken remained moist and tender. I’m normally not a breast guy because I think they tend to dry out too quickly, but this one was perfect. And, for $7.99, you really can’t beat the price, either!

However, I do have one complaint: the dish is called Mother Mitchell’s Fried Chicken, which (in my mind) had me expecting chicken cooked in a cast iron skillet using lard or shortening. Now, I couldn’t tell if the chicken was cooked in lard or shortening, but I do know that it wasn’t cooked in a cast iron skillet, as the chicken was browned evenly, with no darker spots to be seen (chicken fried in a skillet will get darker where the chicken touches the pan). I don’t know if this is how Mother Mitchell used to cook her chicken (in a deep fryer), or if this was changed for the quickness/convenience of restaurant operations, but it was the one little thing that I wish were different.

Grade:

Taste: 9/10
Value: 9/10
Would I eat it again? It’s only my favorite Eastern NC BBQ restaurant!

The Pit
328 West Davie Street
Raleigh NC, 27601
919-890-4500
thepit-raleigh.com

New Job + New Work Hours = Less Posting

Sorry for the lack of posting recently, but I just started working from 3:30pm to midnight and that makes it more difficult for me to cook as much as I used to. I’m whatever the polar opposite of a morning person is, so I usually wake up only to go plop down on the couch for a few hours, before finally having enough energy to make lunch (usually something out of the freezer). I need to be better about making time to cook.

Nando

Review: Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse

If you’re in Durham, NC, and you’re in the mood for a good Po Boy, make sure you stop by Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse on Route 55. Their fried shrimp Po Boy is the best one I’ve had, and that includes the ones I had all over New Orleans. The shrimp is barely breaded and it’s fried just long enough to crisp the breading and perfectly cook the shrimp (if I had to guess, I’d say the breading is a mixture of corn meal and flour). Adding a bit of Crystal hot sauce makes it that much more authentic and gives just enough cayenne flavor and heat to complement the ingredients.

I’ve also had their blackened shrimp, “yard bird” (chicken), and hanger steak Po Boys, all of which were very good to excellent, though I did find the potato salad to be a bit overdressed for my taste. The fries were crisp, thin, and wonderfully tasty, and the red beans and rice was flavorful, though I thought it lacked a bit of salt. I’m yet to try the cochon (pig) Po Boy because the fried shrimp is so good that I can’t bring myself to order anything else off the menu, but one of these days I will try it.

The location can be a bit hard to find, as they are in an “L” shaped strip mall and they’re right at the bend. The restaurant itself can be a bit dark inside, but it’s exactly what you would expect from a restaurant tucked away in the French Quarter. The wait staff is prompt and attentive, even when the place is packed, which is a big plus. They also serve Abita beer (local New Orleans brand), a great complement to anything “Nawlins.” I normally stop by for lunch, since I work right up the road, but they are also open for dinner and feature live music a few nights a week.

Now for the most important part: the prices. You can look at the menu online (see link below) and see that it’s not very expensive at all, especially for the quality and quantity of food that you get. I have a healthy appetite, but half a Po Boy and a side is more than enough for me (I don’t normally finish the side), so keep that in mind. If you want a whole Po Boy (a better value), I don’t think you will need a side. Expect to pay less than $10 a person for lunch or dinner, so long as you stick to the sandwiches and a side.

Grade:

Taste: 9.5/10
Value: 8.5/10
Would I eat it again? Every chance I get!

Papa Mojo’s Roadhouse
5410 Nc Highway 55 # Y
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 361-2222
papamojosroadhouse.com

Indoor Baby Back Ribs

I call them “indoor” ribs because they’re braised in the oven instead of cooked in a smoker or on an outdoor grill. They aren’t smoky but, what they lack in smoky flavor is more than made up by the tenderness and the great porky flavor that you get after a long, slow braise in the oven. I don’t say baked because even though no extra liquid is added, the ribs will release plenty of liquid on their own (thanks to the rub) and that liquid will help them braise when wrapped up in foil (I poured almost a cup of liquid from the foil pouch after cooking).

The key is to let the seasoned ribs sit in the refrigerator at least 8 hours prior to cooking. This will allow the salt to denature and firm up the meat. What results is a tasty meat that retains texture even though it’s so tender. One thing you do not want in ribs is for the meat to fall off the bone, so cooking them more than what I suggest will result in ribs that won’t hold on to the bone long enough to make the trip from the plate to your mouth. What you do want is tender meat that pulls away cleanly from the bone yet retains texture, and that’s exactly what you’ll get from this recipe. Once you try these ribs, you won’t want to eat the ones from that place with the awful rib song ever again.

I would normally cook the St. Louis style ribs (baby backs are St. Louis ribs with the ends trimmed off) because I like the extra meat and fat, but they didn’t have any at my local grocery store so I went with the baby backs. If you want to use this recipe for St. Louis style ribs, you should probably add 20 minutes to the braise time.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: Use whatever BBQ sauce you like the most. I prefer Dinosaur BBQ sauce because of the lack of HFCS, but you can use whatever you have on hand. Also, if you think you’ll miss the smoky flavor, try adding 1/4 tsp of liquid smoke to the BBQ sauce before basting the ribs with it.

Ingredients:

One rack of Baby Back ribs
1/3 cup barbecue sauce for basting

For the rub (enough for two racks):
2 tbsp brown sugar
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp oregano

Procedure:

Build the rub by placing all the rub ingredients together in a bowl and mixing thoroughly. Place a double layer of Heavy Duty aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Place the ribs on the foil, bone side up, and take a sharp knife and cut some shallow cross hatches into the bottom membrane without cutting into the meat (just make a few diamond shaped cuts). Place some of the rub on the bone side of the ribs and rub it in. Turn the ribs so that they are meat side up and apply enough rub to completely cover the meat. Wrap the ribs up tightly and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Here is what your ribs should look like after rubbing:

Remove them 45 minutes before placing in the oven. Place them in a cold oven and then set the temperature to 250 degrees. Let them cook for 2 hours and 30 minutes, then remove and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven reaches 350, open the ribs and baste them with 1/3 of the BBQ sauce then place them back in the oven, uncovered for 10 minutes (you don’t have to baste the bone side more than once). Repeat this step twice more, until the ribs have a nice BBQ glaze on them. Here’s what mine looked like right before I cut them:

Buen Provecho!

Baked Buffalo Wings

It’s NFL Playoff season and everyone knows that nothing says football more than buffalo wings and beer (especially during the Superbowl!). Buffalo wings are normally fried to ensure that they have a crispy enough skin to hold up to the sauce they are then drenched in. Most baked wings become soggy because by the time the exterior gets crispy enough the wings are overcooked and dry. I’ve found a way to bake them and get them just as crispy as fried wings but without adding any oil, which ensures that the wings are nice and flavorful, yet never greasy. This recipe allows you to enjoy your wings and not have to feel guilty about eating fried food.

The key to getting them crispy in the oven is to dry them out and to coat them in a bit of baking powder to ensure the skin blisters when baked. The easiest way to dry the wings is to first pat them dry, then season them and place them in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours (overnight is best). I guarantee you will never fry your wings again!

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Notes: You can make your own buffalo sauce by combining equal parts melted butter and your favorite hot sauce.

Ingredients:

12 chicken wings
1/4 cup buffalo wing sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder

Procedure:

Remove the wings from their packaging and pat them dry with paper towels. Toss the wings in a bowl with the salt and baking powder, then lay them on a cooling rack, placed over a sheet pan, and set them on the lowest shelf in your refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 4 hours. Remove 30 minutes prior to baking.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to ensure the wings don’t stick. Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees and place the wings on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet and then into the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, flip the wings over, and bake for another 20-25 minutes, depending on the size of your wings. Remove them and toss with your favorite buffalo wing sauce. Serve with blue cheese dressing.

Buen Provecho!

Review: Jake’s Wayback Burgers

Jake’s Wayback Burgers is a chain that just opened a location close to where I work; they are known for fresh (i.e. never frozen), hand-formed patties and their hand-spun milkshakes. I’d heard quite a bit of buzz concerning the new burger joint in town so I decided to give it a try.

The location is quite small, with maybe a dozen two-person tables and four stools at a counter. A coworker and I went at lunchtime on a Friday and every seat in the house was occupied and there was a line of 8-9 people waiting to order. After waiting in line about 10 minutes, we finally reached the registers and placed our orders. I ordered the Jake Cheeseburger (two patties and American cheese) with onion rings and my coworker ordered the Jake Burger with fries, plus a couple of drinks. All burgers are served with lettuce, tomato, pickles, raw onions, ketchup, and mustard, plus you can add mayonnaise, grilled onions, mushrooms, and a few other toppings (I went with the included toppings but substituted grilled onions for the raw ones). We found a seat and waited for our food to be brought out to us.

The food came out rather quickly, maybe 5 minutes after ordering it (not bad for a cooked-to-order burger). The patties were about 2.5 ounces each, so the double-patty burger is definitely the way to go. The meat looked like it was smashed on the grill and had a nice crust on it (a definite plus!). To be totally honest, the burger tasted very similar to that of Five Guys, only a lot less greasy. The meat tasted fresh and it remained juicy, even though it was smashed on a griddle. The cheese was a great addition and didn’t overpower the meat one bit. It actually added a layer of flavor that I think is necessary in a burger. All told, it was a great burger and I’d definitely recommend it to any burger lover.

The fries, however, were a different story. They were stiff and undercooked, even though they just came out of the fryer, and you could tell they were bought frozen and not cut fresh at the store like Five Guys. I’m glad I got the onion rings (which were decent, but not great), because I don’t think I could’ve eaten more than five fries, to be honest. As a control experiment, I returned on a Wednesday afternoon with another co-worker and he ordered the fries (there were only four people inside on that day). I asked him what he thought and he said the same thing I just wrote: they tasted undercooked. My suggestion is to stick with the onion rings or no side at all.

The price was a bit steeper than I would expect. The total for my double cheeseburger, onion rings, and medium drink (plus tax) came to $9.68, or about $1.50 more than I normally pay at Char-Grill (my co-favorite fast food burger, tied with Only Burger). The bottom line: if you like Five Guys’ burgers then you will definitely like Jake’s.

Grade:

Taste: 8.5/10
Value: 7.5/10
Would I eat it again? Yes, if I don’t feel like driving to Char-Grill.

Jake’s Wayback Burgers
4104 Surles Court
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 474-9922
waybackburgers.com