There is a farmers market near my work place and one of the vendors, Fastachi, specializes in roasted nuts, nut mixes, and nut butters. They let you sample their wares, which isn’t good if you like a good sample because I sampled all seven nut butters. While they are all wonderful (nothing is added; the nuts are roasted and then ground), and after 20 minutes of deciding, I purchased the pistachio and hazelnut butters. And I had every intention of using them for ice cream (although they are fabulous on salads and sliced bread).

I know it’s a stereotype as a child to not to like Brussels sprouts but I actually did like Brussels sprouts. My Grandmother would make them for me, and granted, the lady could cook, so I pretty much ate anything she whipped up. Currently, as a growing adult, I still eat my Brussels sprouts and would rather eat them over broccoli any day.

A reader inquired recently about whether we had any good appetizer recipes for short ribs. Short answer is no. However, this did inspire me to revisit the short rib. This tasty (thank you, fat content) cut of beef should be cooked low and slow (i.e. all day, Dutch oven or slow cooker type of meat) in flavorful braising liquid; almost all recipes I looked at called for dry red wine (like a Cabernet Sauvignon). What’s that? A recipe calling for wine? Sign me up!

Dear Ina Garten,

I want to be one of your fabulous friends. The ones you entertain, feed, and imbibe with at your beautiful house in the Hamptons. The ones you make a picnic meal for and then bring it to the beach. The ones you have housewarming dinners for. The ones you have breakfast parties with. I want in.

Pork is, as Homer Simpson pointed out, “a wonderful, magical animal.” I never met a pork dish I didn’t like, unless it’s cooked to the point of desiccation. In college, when my dorm actually had a kitchen, one of the first meals I cooked was pork chops and sautéed apple and onion. As I am in denial that autumn is right around the corner, I refuse to cook anything with apples in it for the time being. However, can anyone deny that pork ribs are somehow connected to summer (even if they aren’t grilled)?

I am blessed to be living in a state where fresh seafood is readily available. So, why have I not been making ceviche on a regular basis?  It’s a perfect summer dish with bright flavors, and is ridiculously quick and easy to make (the oven and stove can stay off, which is a blessing in 90+ degree weather).

Updated: Spicier Jerk Chicken

Our utmost apologies to our Grumpy Onion readers for not posting a single recipe or an interesting food article in some time. I could run down the list of why we haven’t done so but that’s not why you’re here. No, you are here to read about jerk chicken.

When I visited Maui earlier this year, I wanted needed to find high-quality poke. Turns out, great poke can be had at the supermarket known as Foodland, and luckily, there was one nearby my hotel. I have to say, I was a bit skeptical but when I saw the selection, I was really surprised they had at least six different types of poke. I chose a traditional poke, spicy poke (think spicy tuna in a spicy tuna roll), and poke with avocado. All were so fresh and delicious!

Oh, to be Mango.

Instead of working on a very important Powerpoint presentation for work, I decided to put my efforts into a recipe. This is what happens when I stress – I concentrate on something completely different than the actual task at hand. I believe this is a coping mechanism and it benefits everyone; well, maybe not the audience of said presentation.

I watch a ridiculous amount of cooking shows.  Ridiculous. I DVR them.  It’s almost at 100% capacity because of cooking shows and Oprah (come on, it’s her last season). I love them, although, not all of them. I’m picky.  For example, I prefer cooking shows on PBS rather than the other network. The ones on PBS have actual chefs and not “culinary personalities.” No tablescapes here – just  smart technique and great food.