Guinness Braised Corned Beef

Found a nice recipe for a unique spin on corned beef.

Mirepoix, thyme, dijon and Guinness. Added potato, more onion and carrot, as well as kale and swiss chard to the braising liquid. Then made a little gravy from the liquid as well. Delicious!

Here's a link to the recipe I was inspired by:
http://www.food.com/recipe/ale-braised-corned-beef-with-horseradish-gravy-swedish-style-215890

I used Guinness instead if their recommended Killians Irish Red. And instead of cabbage, I used kale and chard.

I also went freestyle on the gravy on account if not having horseradish or milk.

Boil, Butter, and Bike

The Miller-Lo's hosted a wonderful Memorial Day get-together which was aptly called, "Boil, Butter, and Bike." We started with a bike ride from Campbell Park through Vasona Park. We enjoyed a nice picnic of build-your-own sandwiches and spent some quality time in the park. After a ride back to the Miller-Lo's, we started boiling a couple pots of water and everybody pitched in to make the crab boil happen. We boiled up some clams, black tiger prawns (pictured in front), dungeness crabs (piled up in the background), corn, potatoes, hot links, artichoke crostini, and quinoa salad. For appetizers and dessert, we had Tracy's dark chocolate brownies.

Since I am allergic to shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp, and crawfish), my contribution was a nice tri-tip roast with my Cajun rub (pictured below). Overall, the event was a hit. We enjoyed a beautiful day with some good friends, got some exercise to work up an appetite, and all pitched in for a glorious Memorial feast.

Braised Short Ribs w/ Celery Root Mashers

Braised Short Ribs served with Celery Root Mashers and Curly Mustard Greens. The short ribs are braised with a blend of onion, celery, carrot, garlic, ketchup, and red wine. Browned first, and then into the oven with braising sauce for a few hours.

This is one of my favorite recipes when I have time and the reason. Its a derivation of Anne Burrell's recipe.

The meat just melts in your mouth, and the braising liquid makes for an excellent gravy over the celery root mashers. If you're looking for a change-up from your run of the mill mashed-potatoes, try boiling a few skinned celery root bulbs and mashing those with your potatoes. Here's Anne Burrell's FoodTV clip on making celery root mashed potatoes. She uses a mill to get them real smooth-- I don't have such fancy equipment, so I mash.

Bon Appetit Fool!