Boozy Strawberry Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles and the Pursuit of Happiness

Is there any better way to celebrate the birth of our great nation than with these red, white, and sort of blue popsicles? Before you answer, I should mention they’re actually strawberry and blueberry cheesecake ice pops, and also spiked with booze. Like much of our country, these are very simple, and get a little more interesting when you add a few shots of alcohol. I used...

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Next Up: Red, White & Booze

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Pickle Brine Chicken – I Need to Give You Props

The chicken breasts seen herein started off as nothing more than a couple of props for our recently posted “How to Make a Brick Grill” video, but they came out so well, I decided to show you what I think is a pretty neat trick. And let’s face it; there aren’t a lot of great uses for leftover pickle juice. I did hear recently that some people like to drink this stuff after...

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Blackberry Almond Buckle – You May Want to Loosen Your Belt

First things first; this type of rustic dessert is called a buckle because of how the fruit sinks into the buttery batter as it bakes, and “buckles” the surface with its juicy weight. I believe you’ll find my completely made-up explanation in the video a little more interesting, but regardless of the etymology, this blackberry buckle is no joke. I added a handful of...

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Next Up: Blackberry Buckle

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This is Only a Test

Please pardon this little experiment as we slowly doggy-paddle towards full 1080 HD video. I hear it's great, and all the cool kids are using it, so I figured what the hell. By the way, this is the Pacific Ocean, where it crashes into the ruins of the mysterious Sutro Baths. We think it may have been a sacred site for some long forgotten race of wealthy San Franciscans, but no one really knows for sure. Enjoy, and remember, this is only a te...

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Yuba Noodle Salad – Do You Believe in Miracles?

So many things are touted as “miracle foods” these days, but invariably you find out the claims were false, the benefits exaggerated, and that Dr. Oz was full of crap again. I sure hope that doesn’t turn out to be the case with these grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, low-carb, low-cal, and quite delicious, yuba noodles. You can use any dressings/garnishes you like, but...

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Next Up: Yuba

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How to Make Your Own Temporary Brick Grill

Whenever I post a video involving my grill – a common occurrence this time of year – I get a bunch of emails asking what kind of grill I’m using, and the reply is always the same. It’s a charcoal-version of the Weber “Q,” and you can’t buy one because they stopped making them. Sorry, but I think I have an idea. With just a few dollars worth of bricks, and a cast iron grate,...

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Phil Nails the Skewer Genome

A viewer named Phil shared this with me today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Thanks, Phil!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more as needed

3 cups chopped leeks (2 large leeks, about 1 cup sautéed)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cooked rice

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked spinach, squeezed very dry

2 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or other delicious cheese, plus more to dust pan and top

1 generous teaspoon fine salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

pinch nutmeg

- 350 degrees F. for 35 - 40 minutes

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Next Up: Torta di Riso

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Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Calamari – Squid Pro Quo

I usually go out of my way to simplify the recipes we post here, but for some things, like this Spanish-inspired, sausage-stuffed calamari recipe, there just are no acceptable shortcuts to take. However, your efforts will be rewarded with something that tastes every bit the effort it took to make…as long as they don’t explode in your face. If you overstuff these, like I...

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Next Up: Grilled Stuffed Calamari

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Spicy Coconut & Cashew Tuna Tartare – Big "Willi's" Style

Don’t worry; this delicious coconut and cashew tuna tartare recipe has nothing to do with Will Smith, although now that I think about it, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air would have loved this. I’m actually referring to Willi’s Seafood in Healdsburg, where I lifted this version. I tried to stay as close to the recipe as possible, with the one exception. They use lots of thinly...

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Next Up: Tuna Tartare

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Coconut Oil Coffee?

My friends at Allrecipes.com posted this very intriguing video for what they’re calling “Coconut Oil Coffee.” As some of you may know, I’ve recently admitted to having a coconut oil and coconut milk obsession, so I really want to try this, but before I do, I thought I’d find out if any of you have tried this strange brew yet. Well, have you? If so, I’d love to hear what you thought. I’ll probably try it anyway, but thought it’d be fun get some of...

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Mancakes! A Father’s Day Brunch Classic

This amazing bacon, green onion, and cheddar corn pancakes recipe was originally planned as a “breakfast for dinner” post, but when I tasted how incredible they came out, I decided to do them as a Father’s Day brunch special instead. I realize Father’s Day Brunch isn’t actually a thing, but just in case it becomes a great tradition someday, I figured I’d get this into...

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Savory Ricotta Tart – Thin to Win

I got a food wish for a ricotta cheesecake recently, which sounded fantastic, but with bikini season rapidly approaching, my love handles and I thought we’d compromise and do a savory, sugar-free version instead. I love the simple combination of really good ricotta and fresh herbs, baked with just enough eggs to hold things together. I was in the mood for some heat, but...

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Chorizo & Chicken Skewers – Make Some For Your Buddy

At some point this summer, you’ll get tired of grilled chicken. Any grilled chicken. No matter the marinade, or the delivery system, you will have simply reached your limit, and that’s when you need to reach for the chorizo.  Impale a few slices of this famously delicious, Spanish sausage in between your chunks of chicken, and as it grills, it will splatter its spicy,...

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Next Up: Chorizo Chicken Skewers

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