Saturday, February 16, 2013

One of These Things is Not Like the Others


Should I throw out the mayo? I fear it may be ruining my street cred.






V-Day Delay

Happy Valentine's Day everyone.  Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm late.  However, as much as I would like to view myself as omnipotent, I can't be everywhere at once.

What did I serve for Valentine's dinner, you ask?  Oh, we'll allow me to share my menu with you -

Bruschetta
Grilled sirloin steak with chimichurri sauce
Creamed cauliflower
Pan roasted garlic potatoes
Peanut butter & chocolate pot de creme

The pot de creme recipe was an adaptation from another recipe that needs some tweaking. It was yummy, but there were textural issues that I need to work out. Once I get it where I want it, I will share the recipe, cause it was mad tasty.  In the mean time, I will share a pic to whet the appetite for all things creamy and chocolatey.

Hope your Vday was wonderful and full of tasty adventures!


Sunday, February 3, 2013

Crack is Back

Hello? Are  you listening? Because I'm about to get all confessional up in this bitch.

Thanks to a trip to the Tuscan Hills last year, I have developed a jones so powerful that nothing, not distance, not practicality, not plain old common sense can keep me from my drug of choice.  The drug that keeps me warm at night is Profumo Del Chianti.

Profumo Del Chianti is the product of Meat kingpin Dario Cecchini.  Cecchini, the famed Tuscan butcher known for his spectacular Bistecca Fiorentina and his evangelical dedication to all things Tuscan, turns out a small number of spectacular products.  These products are available in his Panzano butcher shop and at a small number of online retailers.  Thanks to oliotogo.com, I got my fix in the mail a couple of days ago.

Profumo Del Chianti (aka my crack) is a finely ground blend of tuscan herbs and sea salt and although the label is not specific as to what the herbs are, a little investigation as well as my own taste buds tell me that it's bay, fennel pollen, rosemary, thyme, sage and probably a few other addictive substances, expertly blended into a fine powder.   This has become my go to seasoning for all meats as well as the best friend that olive oil ever had for dipping bread and raw vegetables.

Cecchini himself is as compelling as his products and is written about in fabulous detail in the fascinating book Heat, by Bill Buford .  At some point, when I have a little more time, I will dedicate a post to Cecchini and will post my pictures from my visit to Panzano.  In the mean time, you can get a taste for his intensity and the vibe of his shop here and here.  While you do that, I need to slip into the dark recesses of my kitchen and get my fix.  If I don't emerge by Wednesday, send a search party, because I'm in deep.


You can find this and other this and a host of other deliriously  delicious products at this location:

Via 20 Luglio, 11, Greve In Chianti, Province of Florence
+39 055 852020