Crustaceans on the Big Green Egg

Zero Carbs!! - Shannon

Home Brew - take one

  The very helpful and friendly team at Beer at Home on Broadway in Englewood Colorado are helping me with my first attempt at home brewing. We are going for a Pale Ale. This is something I am totally out of my element with. These guys make it sound pretty easy so keep your fingers crossed. My good buddy Kelly O'Conner will also be helping me with this undertaking. My wife is to be thanked in advance because I have a funny feeling their is going to be a pretty serious mess involved at some point as well as some filth mouth ringing from the kitchen if everything isn't just perfect. Thanks "Hun"

  Tomorrow I will be picking up the concoction that Steve and Ben dream up. I'm totally placing the recipe part of this in their hands. These guys seem to really know their stuff. If it taste like crap it will be my fault for sure. If you ever get a chance you have got to stop by and talk to these guys. I love the fact that they have such a passion for this stuff. Everyone I have met there is the type of person you could rap with for hours about beer. I have that kind of passion for cooking and making people laugh so this beer thing is the perfect tie-in. I can totally see myself really getting into home brewing. - Shannon - Grubs and Suds

Dinner time!

A couple weeks ago I cooked dinner for Shannon, Darcy, Erin and Kirk, and my wife of course. I had recently gotten Ming Tsai's East Meets West cookbook so I was anxious to try some dishes from it. Here's what I made. -- Drew

Blue Ginger Crackers with sake

Spicy Crab Cake (boy, they were spicy!)

Blue Ginger Black Pepper-Garlic Shrimp (awesome!)

Las Tortas in Denver

This is a Torta Ahogada. A Torta is like a Mexican Sandwich with a lot of the same meats and fillings you would find in a taco or burrito. I can't even begin to tell you how insanely good this thing was. It was voted one of Westwards Top 100 dishes in Denver. They take this awesome bread, fill it with all kinds of fillings of your choice. Then it's smothered with a sauce that is delicious. Las Tortas is a small little hole in the wall of a place but it's worth the trip no matter where you are in the state. Try one of the Las Torta Specials like the La Macha, It has Chorizo, Steak Milanesa a hot dog and a frickin' FRIED EGG!!!!! all on one sandwich. The people are nice as can be and very helpful to us Gringos who don't know a whole lot about Tortas. Take my word for it, this will be your new favorite thing to eat and you will crave it at some point shortly after your first visit. Thanks - Shannon - True Grub Lub

Cheese and Beer

Ok sometimes even I don’t feel like cooking. I found this great Cheese shop in Centennial. It's called Fromage to Yours. It was awesome. Jackie the owner knows cheese. It was very educational for me and just a great little place. Unfortunately she will be closing her doors for the summer but she can be found at farmers markets around town. Keep an eye on her website for times and places and also check out some of the great events she is involved in. Back to the Cheese. They specialize in American made cheese only. I have always served wine with cheese, did you know beer is a much better match? And the hoppier the better when it's served with a good strong cheese. The bubbles cut through the fat on your tongue and the bitterness of the hops really complements a good Bleu Cheese. I had one from my wifes home state of Minnesota and it was top notch. It was called St Pete's Bleu and it is rated as one of the top one hundred cheeses in the world. Also serve it with a little fruit and a great fresh bread and your grubbin'. I also got a big hunk of a black pepper cheddar called Marco Polo by Beecher's Cheeses out of Seattle. They actually have a store on Pikes Place near the fish market. I had the Marco Polo with Upslope Pale Ale and it was perfect. Next time you have a get together serve beer with the cheese tray and have a nice variety of Colorado beers  - Shannon - Say Cheese

Don't fear the Hops

AVERY MAHARAJA

If you would have asked me a year ago if I like Hoppy beers I would have said "not really"

Man has my taste changed because this one is very Hoppy and I loved it. This is a Grubology Must Try - Shannon

My First Time

My first time cooking a brisket, that is. I've always been more attracted to high heat cooking, but I was determined to try my hand at "low and slow" since I bought my Egg. So I bought a 6 lb brisket, rubbed it up and put it in the Egg on Saturday morning around 9am. The Egg maintained 200 degrees almost perfectly for the 8 hours that I had it in there. I probably could have left it in there a couple more hours, but we were hungry!

I was happy with the way it turned out. The rub and smoky flavor from the Egg were just right. I didn't use a water pan or chips, because, well, I forgot. But I don't think I really needed it. The charcoal I use has a smoky flavor already and the Egg acts as a convection oven so it's really good at keeping the moisture in there. -- Drew

I served it with a traditional horseradish dip and my mashed potatoes.

Horseradish Dip - just the right amount of heat
3/4 C Mayo
3/4 C Sour Cream
1/4 C + 2 Tbs jarred, grated horseradish
1/2 tsp lemon zest
Salt and pepper

Mashed Potatoes - Drew's way

Iwayama - round 2

We had an unbelievable lunch today at Iwayama Sushi and da big kahuna bistro. This was my third time there and Shannon's first. Lee made us quite the feast. Everything was outstanding. Well executed with fresh ingredients and virtually everything is made in house. Lee is the MAN!! Hey, don't just take our word for it. The Denver Post Dining Critic liked it as well (review). You need to check this place out!

Buckley Bay Oysters

(could have had a couple dozen of these!)

Tuna Poke Bowl (not on menu)

Nigiri... Saba (Mackerel) with Japanese powdered sea salt, then torched

White tuna with ginger, scallion pesto

Nigiri... Salmon and Tuna

Da Big Kahuna Burger and Fries

(up there with some of the best burgers and fries in town)

Tuna on Acid roll

(spicy tuna roll with tuna on top and a sliced jalapeno)

Tempura fish tacos with mango salsa

Lobster, Frank's way

Frank Bonanno is a great chef and a Grubology favorite and when I saw that he updated his blog with how to cook a lobster, I had to post it. Here is the link to his blog... Lobster by Frank or a printable version.

The boy got skills

Our good friends and Grubology supporters Kirk and Erin Seabold had us over for a dinner meeting for the grilling competition coming this summer. As it turns out Kirk has some mad skills in the kitchen. Not only did he make what was probably the best chicken sandwich I have ever had ( seriously boneless skinless breast was perfectly cooked and that's not easy ) he also made this stuffed chili with shrimp and chorizo which was frickin' awesome. GREAT JOB SEAB'S