food blog part I: beef, it's what's for dinner

cue in western style music while reading the following post. no recipes here, just talk about food. i will post a killer rice pudding recipe in Part II.

everyone likes appetizers, those little things to get the mouth interested in what's coming next. those little nibbles that get the stomach primed.
well, how about as always, click on images for larger options
start with marinated artichoke hearts, some delicious sharp irish cheddar, some english white cheddar, a colby/cheddar from the mid-west, and a sharp tangy gargonzola from a northern california coastal producer, sprinkle on some sweet ripe black globe grapes, add several types of crackers, and there's a party starter!

so what's for dinner? BEEF. that's what's for dinner
build a charcoal fire with brickets and chunk mesquite charcoal, and toss those babies on. hit both sides with your favorite seasonings, in this case it's Montreal Steak Seasonings from McCormick. these are about 1 pound ribeye steaks, after searing the first side. they will get turned two more times, and pulled while still rare inside, but charred on the outside. just the way i like them.

hmmm. what to have with a rare steak? how about field fresh sweet corn on the cob! the wine is a California Central Coast red table wine called Mission Park Red Cuvee. it's a blend wine with syrah, petite sirah, grenache, mourvedre and cabernet sauvignon. it's damned tasty, and i think it's a small run wine, from one of the boutique wineries scattered throughout northern california's wine regions. my buddy 'dwardo and his lovely wife the golden one brought this over sunday. i made huli huli chicken for dinner sunday, and it was good. damned good.
anyway....
how good the meal was can usually be determined by the condition of the plate at the end of the meal.