Knock Out Tikka Masala

This is the best ever chicken tikka masala recipe. If you don't know what that is then I will make you feel foolish and tell you that it's the most popular food in the 'ole of England it is--even more so than fish and chips or blood pudding.

There are a few changes I like to make to deaden the spiciness so that it doesn't make cry when I eat it. This version is mild and is one of Felix Jr.'s favorites.

With the marinade, add 1 tsp. black pepper instead of 2. Also, I cut out the red pepper in the marinade.

Other than that, be sure to take out the seeds of the jalapeno.

This recipe has such a great flavor that would rival what you would get at most Indian restaurants. You can also get great naan at grocery store delis to go with it. The kind I like is at Dan's in Salt Lake City.

Ode To Thee, O Frosty Mug

If you haven't had soda in a frosty mug, you are missing out on one of life's great pleasures. The ice from the mug floats into the drink and it's a melange of slushy, cold, refreshing goodness.

You can buy glass mugs like this many places, I got some at World Market for about $4 each. Check out restaurant supply stores. These are nice but a little more pricey at Crate & Barrell.

Keep these in the back of the freezer, the colder the better. The soda you use is best when chilled. I've tried about every kind of soda. Root beer and birch beer are incredible. Vernors ginger soda is great as well.

Jive Turkey

This recipe produces the best turkey you will have ever eaten.

Giving me this recipe is about the only good thing my sister's turkey of an ex-husband ever did.

It's from a fancy pants restaurant in Berkley, California called Chez Panisse.

CHEZ PANISSE'S TURKEY BRINE

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 gallons cold water

2 cups kosher salt

1 cup sugar

2 bay leaves, torn into pieces

1 bunch fresh thyme, or 4 tablespoons dried

1 whole head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled

5 whole allspice berries, crushed

4 juniper berries, smashed

INSTRUCTIONS
Place the water in a large nonreactive pot that can easily hold the liquid and the turkey. Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or two until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Put the turkey into the brine and refrigerate for 24 hours. If the turkey floats to the top, weight it down with a plate and cans to keep it completely submerged in the brine.

This is how you bake it:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spread 2 tablespoons of softened butter over the skin and sprinkle 4 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground pepper over the skin and in the cavity. Tuck the wing tips under, loosely truss the legs and place the turkey on a v-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Tent the breast with foil and place the turkey in the oven.

After about 1 hour, remove the foil and baste the turkey with 1/2 cup stock. Re-baste it with pan drippings and more stock, if desired, every 20 minutes.

Roast the turkey until the internal thigh temperature reaches 165 degrees, 1 3/4-2 1/4 hours.

Avant-Ski at Stein Eriksen

When you roll like me, you go to a swanky Deer Valley lodge BEFORE ski season (when they are desperate to get people in the door).

Even though we went there on the cheap, the experience was unbelievable.

Everything was just right, the servers were there when you wanted them, but they left you alone most of the time.

I had a quail breast appetizer. If you haven't had quail, you really must try it.

I've never been so intrigued by such tiny breasts--they were the size of silver dollars, but fell off the bone and it was some of the best fowl I've ever eaten.

I had a Tasmanian trout for the main course and Mrs. Fabulous had the steak. Both were spectacular.

The Stein Eriksen was unbelievable, I would definitely recommend it.

Give Your Tastebuds a Brazilian Wax!

So, for people who've already spent time in Brazil (half of the dudes in Utah), this post is likely the equivalent of someone blogging about a crazy new cola called Coke.

I picked up a can of Guarana Antarctica at the grocery store. I guess it's the number one soft drink in Brazil and one of the most popular in the world.

For good reason, it was delicious. It has a mellow, cream soda-type flavor then it hits you with a tangy zing at the end.

In a very minor way, it gets me one step closer to my dream of sitting on a Brazilian beach sipping exotic soda while my investments make me lots of money . . . kind of like the end of the movie Fletch.

Wings Not Breasts

It's football season and the time of year when any man worth his salt will eat his weight in chicken wings.
I present to you the Hooters wing recipe, the oven-baked version.
These wings are fantastic, you don't have to deal with hot oil and deep frying them and they are crispy and fall off the bone.
Even Mrs. Fabulous, who doesn't usually like wings, devours plates of these babies.
You can have great wings that the whole family will enjoy without having to go to Hooters.

Wings:

15-20 chicken wings (I buy the big bag from Costco)
1 cup flour
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Mix flour, garlic salt and cayenne pepper together. Dredge thawed wings in flour mixture and put in a pan.

Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Place wings on cookie sheet, brush with melted flour.
Cook 20 minutes, remove, flip wings.
Cook 20-25 more minutes (40 minutes total).

Anchor Bar Sauce:

* 6 tablespoons louisiana hot sauce
* 1/4 cup butter
* 1 tablespoon white vinegar
* 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 dash black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

Melt butter, add rest of ingredients and stir together.
Toss wings in sauce.

Garlic Teryaki sauce:

* 1/2 cup butter
* 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, pressed and minced (optional)

Melt butter and mix rest of the ingredients together.

Mormon Ice T?

So as a Mormon, I always felt like I missed out on iced tea.

Here's a faith-promoting story, I've never tried it.

However, I am a fan of herbal tea and came across a good recipe for an herbal iced tea. This does not taste like lightly flavored water, it's got a great flavor.

In honor of the famous Arnold Palmer beverage (half iced tea, half lemonade), I propose calling this the Johnny Miller in honor of the Mormon golf pro.

Here it is, very simple recipe:

* 4 Celestial Seasonings Lemon Zinger tea bags
* 4 Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger tea bags
* 4 cups pure apple juice

Directions

Steep the 8 tea bags in 4 cups of boiling water for about 10 minutes. Discard the tea bags. Combine the tea with the apple juice and refrigerate until cold. Serve over ice.

How Do These Places Make It?

I live in Salt Lake City and as I drive around I am constantly vexed with one question. How do some of these restaurants stay in business when other restaurants turn over so much? Case in point- the Olympian on 7th East and 21st South.

I've never heard anyone talk about it. Never been there. Never heard anything about it. I imagine the food to be your standard chicken fried steak with frozen veggies and a baked potato. The most expensive thing on the menu is probably $12.95. But, it's a sit-down restaurant which requires quite a bit of business to stay afloat. This place has survived trendy restaurants, the recession and I fully expect it will outlive me.

There are dozens of restaurants like this around Salt Lake (don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good restaurants too). On 21st South and 21st East there are three Chinese restaurants next to each other. They have been in business forever, yet I've never heard anyone talk about them.

All these restaurants are from the same vintage, late 60s or 70s. The don't have enough character to be really cool, but they've withstood the test of time.

Have you heard of any of these mystery spots?

Time for Chili

If nothing sounds better than curling up with a warm bowl or chili on a winter's evening, or if you feel like you need more flatulence in your life, here is the perfect recipe for you!

This is an amazing red bean/beef chili. The secret ingredient is cocoa powder. It cooks in a slow cooker all day. This is one of the best chilis I've ever had. Trust me, you shant be disappointed.

1 1/2 cups beef broth
2(14 1/2 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes (with chili seasoning or chipotle seasoning)
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
2 (4.6 oz) cans of chopped green chili peppers
1 Tbsp. chili powder
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons crumbled dry oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-2 Tbsp. sugar
4 (15 oz.) cans of pinto beans
1-3 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 large yellow onion choppen
1 green bell pepper diced
2 lbs beef stew meat cut into small cubes

Sautee onion and green pepper in olive oil
Add everything to slow cooker and stir well
Cook 8-10 hours

Do you like Pina Coladas?

In my many travels to exotic lands I have often enjoyed the tropical blend known as the pina colada. In Costa Rica, I learned the secret at the swim-up bar at an exclusive resort. The bartender revealed his secret recipe only after he was assured I would never tell another soul . . . or it may have been that he wanted to get rid of me because he knew I didn't drink and wouldn't be spending many of my gringo dolares.



Yes folks, coconut cream. It's a lot worse for you than coconut milk, but it makes an incredible drink. All you need is a blender, ice, coconut cream and fresh pineapple.

The key to getting a good pineapple is to follow your nose. A ripe pineapple will smell very ripe at the base.

Blend your pineapple, coconut cream and ice and you've got yourself an amazing virgin pina colada. This drink will be sweet enough and has the perfect consistency.

Enjoy!