Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

Go to Trader Joe's website. They always list stores to open soon. If you don't see it listed then they haven't planned it yet.

1 pkg active yeast
3 cups water (115 degrees)
1 Tbl Salt
1/2 cup olive oil (does not have to be extra virgin)
Bread Flour

Add water and yeast. Allow to sit and bloom for 3 minutes. Add 4 cups of bread flour. Begin mixing. When it begins to blend together well add salt and oil. Continue adding flour in 1/2 cup increments until the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom. If dough seems to pull away and then re-sticks add small amounts of flour until it stops. Allow dough to kneed for 10 minutes. Split dough in half. Wrap half in wax paper and place in a freezer bag. Place the half in the freezer and save for later. With the other half form into a ball and place in a clean bowl. Place a towel over the bowl and allow to double in size. Punch it down and turn out onto a floured surface. Make sure both sides are floured well and place on a sheet pan. Stretch into the desired shape. Add toppings. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes.

Or you can buy good dough pre-made from Trader Joe's for less than $1.50. Comes in regular, whole wheat and herbed.

Buffalo Wings
Lamb Shwarma
Buttermilk Biscuits
Any kind of pork

Everyone is getting so fancy with meatloaf. I come from the old school. This was taught to me by my grandmother.

1 lb ground beef (chuck is preferred)
1 egg
1 cup ketchup
1/4 Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl dry mustard
1 Tbl granulated garlic
1 tsp ground rosemary
1 tsp ground thyme
2 Tbl black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt (the Worcestershire sauce already has a lot of saltiness)
panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl except the breadcrumbs. Mix well. The meatloaf should be loose in consistency. Add small amounts of the breadcrumbs and mix. Keep adding breadcrumbs until mixture forms a ball in the bowl. In a small baking dish add meatloaf mix and form into a loaf. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the internal temp is 160 degrees.

You can add to the meatloaf by wrapping it in bacon, glazing it with ketchup or your favorite steak sauce.

The reason for the panko breadcrumbs is you can use less and still get a quality meatloaf. Enjoy

PETA is the most hypocritical organization in the entire world. They will protest anyone and anything that doesn't fit into their world view. I wish they would stick to those that actually harm and kill animals for no purpose.

This is an old trick I learned from the Breakfast cook at one place I worked.

In a KitchenAid mixer with the whip attached fill the bowl half way with ice. Next slice lemons (6 large ones) and add to bowl. Then add one cup of sugar and 1/2 cup water. Turn mixer on low and allow all ingredients to muddle together. Place in a container in the fridge. To drink in a glass over ice. Fill the glass half way with lemon mix and the other half with either still or sparkling water. Enjoy.

The thing people were looking for with organic milk mainly was that it was drug free. No hormones and no antibiotics. Many believe that the increased amounts in milk over the years has hurt a generation of milk drinkers. Now that bovine growth hormone has been almost disappeared from milk producing cattle people aren't as worried.Look for labels that state hormone free. It is really the best choice in this crappy economy. Buy organic milk if you want to waste money.

BBQ...the great foodie debate.

When it comes to BBQ I am a pulled pork kind of guy. NC style mainly. Living in Michigan it is hard for me to recapture the flavor of an old pit and its master. But I do have suggestions.

Malbon Bros. BBQ in Virginia Beach. Now they maybe located inside a gas station but it is a true bbq joint. They pulled pork, along with ribs and chicken, rings as true NC as possible. Along with your pulled pork try the sauces. They come in regular and spicy. Both are vinegar based.

Jinx's Pit's Top Barbecue in Charlottesville, Va. This hole in the wall again only does pulled pork and ribs. But both are done by one person Jinx Kern. He spent 2 years working with some of the best southern pit masters to come up with a technique of his own. He smokes his meat with hickory. Which gives it an ethereal taste. This is the place that I miss since I left Va. If you want to learn more about this joint see the Wall Street Journal or Maxim for amazing reviews.

whatseatingme----welcome to the world of food suppliers. There is no way for the company that made the bad peanut butter to know what products it is in. They know who they sold it to and thats about it. After that it is up to the individual companies to determine if they bought said lot numbers.

The question everyone should be asking is where was the FDA inspector at the plant. Every plant that I have been to,on a guided tour, has an FDA inspector. They should of caught the infraction.

I will continue to eat my JIF peanut butter without fear.

I love a great hanger steak. My other fave is flank steak. Can't go wrong with either of those.