Life of a Bombchelle: 2015

Sunday, July 05, 2015

Guilty Pleasure: Honey Barbeque Pork Riblet Recipe

Skip Applebees and make these pork riblets at home!

3 pounds of pork riblets, cut to individual ribs
1 tablespoon of oil (canola, vegetable, olive)
Salt & Pepper
1 small red onion, diced.
1 can of beer (lager, not dark beer)
2 1/2 cups of ketchup
1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar
6 tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 a cup of worcestershire sauce
4 teaspoons of liquid smoke
Equipment: Skillet, Pot, Crock Pot/Slow Cooker

Cut pork riblets between the bones into individual pieces. Salt and pepper.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to large skillet, brown riblets on both sides. If skillet is not large enough to handle all the meat, brown in batches (add oil as needed).
Remove riblets, set to side. Add diced onion to skillet and sautee until golden brown.
Add beer to skillet with onions, bring to a boil then simmer, stirring to get the "brown bits" up off the skillet into the onions for flavor. Reduce until onions are carmelized. Remove from heat.
In a separate pot, combine ketchup, brown sugar, honey, worcestershire sauce, and liquid smoke. Whisk together and simmer for 20 minutes. Add carmelized onions to sauce.
Add riblets to crockpot. Pour in sauce, give a stir to make sure all the ribs are sauced up. Use crockpots auto setting if you have it, otherwise cook for 2 hours at high, 3 hours at medium (or 6 to 7 hours at medium).
Remove from pot, serve with your favorite BBQ sides. Enjoy!

Monday, June 15, 2015

Diner en Blanc Packing Checklist

The Diner en Blanc, aka White Dinner, is a flash picnic held in cities throughout the world. It is not your ordinary picnic; it is an elegant evening where everyone wears white, eats on china, drinks fine wine from crystal, and candlelight everywhere. The following checklist is helpful when planning for the dinner in white, or any over-the-top picnic:

White Outfit
Table
White table cloth
Chairs
Plates
Utensils
Serving utensils
Water/Wine/Beverages
Glasses
Lighting (candles/candlesticks, lanterns, battery powered whatever)
Table decorations/centerpiece
Mosquito control
White napkins (preferably cloth; the dinner officially starts when the napkins twirling begins)
Sparklers
Lighter/matches
Trash bags
Paper towels
Corkscrew/bottle opener
Hand sanitizer
Cigars
Croquet Set
Street Performers (know a friend who is talented and needs tips, bring 'em along!)
Flashlight (helpful when cleaning up to make sure no trace is left behind!)
Wagon, hand trolley, cooler on wheels for schlepping stuff

For Diner en Blanc inspiration, visit my pinterest board.

Monday, January 05, 2015

2015 52 Recipe Challenge

The 52 recipe challenge is a way of bringing together our friends far and wide who love to cook and share their successes and failures in the kitchen. The challenge; to make 52 new recipes in a single year. This is our fourth year of sharing food, recipes, kitchen catastrophes, and culinary creativity with friends far and wide.

2015 Top 5

52. Beef Wellington

52. Beef Wellington: Impressive visually and tastes even better. Great special occasion dish.
37. Arugula, Strawberry, and Blue Cheese Salad: Amazing flavor combination. Became a summer go-to salad.
44. Short Rib Ragu: Comfort food.
45. Hot Fudge: Tastes like it came from the ice cream parlor.
40. Kale and Sausage Soup: The best Italian restaurants in the world couldn't do this dish better.

Honorable Mention
15. Samoa Cheesecake: Visually impressive,

15. Samoa Cheesecake

20. Chicken Tortilla Soup: My quest to find the perfect Chicken Tortilla soup came not at a restaurant, but this recipe.
51. Julia Child Garlic Mashed Potatoes: Don't let the number of cloves scare you, this is a beautiful side, and the garlic is mellow.
33. Key Lime Pie in a Jar: First attempt at dessert in a jar, very tasty, and cute idea for a party.
43. Balsamic Roasted Beet Salad: If you like beets, you will love this salad.

Grilled Cheese Bar

Maple Cinnamon Glaze

Spicy Chocolate Ice Cream ++

Crispy Chicken with Arugula Parmesean

Strawberry Sorbet

+ denotes a dish we'll make again

- denotes a dish we didn't like or wouldn't make again

2014 52 Recipe Challenge

2013 52 Recipe Challenge
2012 52 Recipe Challenge

Friday, January 02, 2015

Make Your Own Grilled Cheese Bar

Who says grilled cheese is just for kids? A group of our friends gathered for a New Year's Day recovery brunch complete with a Bloody Mary Bar, Mimosa Bar, and a new party idea for us; a Grilled Cheese Bar. Everyone got to make their own gourmet creations with dozens of different cheeses, meats, and toppings. We broke out a cutting board and pizza wheel so everyone could cut their sandwiches in quarters and get the opportunity to try all the different flavors. We did provide some recipes and suggestions, but most people just had fun using their imaginations to create their own grilled cheese masterpiece.

Provide cutting boards, cheese graters, and shredders so everyone could choose how they want the cheese on their sandwiches (and to cut down on your work)

We chose to have braised short rib meat and prime rib since we had it in the house from the holidays. We also included sliced turkey, bacon, and pepperoni.