Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Welcome to the New Blog!

Well, I never thought it would happen, but perhaps hell froze over, or at least it got real chilly down around Dante town, because it seems I have broken down and decided to do a blog. It wasn’t easy. I resisted as long as possible. While I love to write, and love the gift of gab as much as anyone this side of the Blarney Stone, I just couldn’t bring myself to write a blog...for several reasons. 1) I just didn’t think I had anything to say in blog format. 2) I felt whatever time I had to write could be better spent working on something more important than a blog; i.e. a script, or a story, or something to further my writing career. And 3) Even though I’m a ham, and often the guy with the proverbial lampshade on his head at a party, I am also somewhat shy. What if you don’t like my poor little bloggy?

What changed my mind?  Food.

Yes, I love to cook, and I love to eat, and of late it seems I can’t resist posting pictures of whatever I’m cooking on Facebook. Also I've been reading and enjoying several excellent food blogs in the last few months.  All these things have congealed in my head and made me realize I finally had something to blog about.

And so here is my little contribution to the cacophony that is the ‘blog-o-sphere.’ (Wow, never thought I’d say ‘blog-o-sphere’ in my life...now I’ve gone and said it twice)  It’ll be a little bit cooking, a little bit eating. A little bit wining, a little bit dining. A little bit country, a little bit rock and roll.

And since all blogs seem to need a cute, whimsical little name; I give you, ‘An Eat’n Man.’ (Apologies to Jethro Bodine). I hope you’ll enjoy it.

More to come....

Friday, June 4, 2010

Hearts of Palm Green Beans


















Ingredients:

 12 oz Green Beans (Fresh)
1/2 Onion, Chopped
14 Oz Hearts of Palm, Sliced
4 Tablespoons Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper


Directions

Place a 12 inch sheet of foil on top of another
Place ingredients on foil to one side
Wrap other side of foil over ingredients and fold edges to form a packet
Bake at 400F for 20 minutes


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Kung Pao Chicken on the Grill




Ingredients:

1 lb Chicken Breast
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Rice Wine
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 Chicken Bouillon Cube
1 Tablespoon Vinegar
3/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
1/4 Cup peanut oil
1 Teaspoon Garlic, (minced)
1 Teaspoon Ginger (minced)
2 red chili peppers (diced)
2 bell peppers
1 onion


Directions:

Mix Soy Sauce, Rice Wine, Cornstarge, Sugar and Crushed Bouillon cube in a bowl
Add chicken to bowl and marinate for 30 minutes
Heat wok to high temperature on stove or over coal fire
Add peanut oil
Drain chicken and reserve marinade
Add chicken to wok, stir fry for a minute or two, remove chicken and reserve
Add diced onion to wok, stir fry for one minute
Add bell pepper (cubed) to wok, stir fry for two minutes more
Add red chili peppers to wok
Add Garlic and Ginger, stir fry for a minute more
Add reserved marinade and chicken back to wok.  Stir fry until chicken is cooked through
Serve