A Hungry Bear

brisket and butternut squash chili

Monday, November 16, 2009

Last winter I made a double beef chili recipe that was inspired by something I saw on the cover of October 2008 Bon Appetit, a Texas brisket chili. I still remember how hearty that chili was, but I wanted to try the original version this time. The chunks of brisket really fall apart, [...]

stout-braised brisket

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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To use up the rest of the stout I got for the chocolate stout cupcakes I made last week, I turned to Epicurious. I’ve always thought of brisket as a vehicle for barbecue sauce, so the depth of flavor this dish had without any tomato-based sauce was pretty surprising. Next time I make [...]

homemade beef stock

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

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Cooking my own chicken and beef stock is something I’ve known for a long time I *should* be doing, but it has taken me a couple of years to actually come around to it. But now that I’ve made my own, I can never go back (at least, I hope my schedule never requires [...]

double-beef chili

Friday, January 9, 2009

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Chili is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you’re trying to plan a healthy dinner. But if you’re careful not to pile on too much cheese and sour cream (ahem), it’s actually a good balance. There’s a ton of protein, in this case from both the ground sirloin and [...]

our little secret: easy but impressive leek & ham quiche

Monday, December 15, 2008

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If you’re having dinner guests on fairly short notice, or want to prepare an easy make-ahead brunch that won’t require a lot of fuss while you visit with your out of town guests, let me tell you about this quiche. Growing up, it was always my mom’s staple “fancy” food - we made it [...]

football sunday marmalade meatballs

Monday, December 1, 2008

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We’re officially in my favorite sports time of the year - NFL is in full swing, and college basketball is just getting going. I start planning my meals around the games, since making sure you’ve got some great snacks is just as important to me as making sure you’ve got your jersey on (for [...]

football sunday onion dip

Sunday, November 23, 2008

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A loves french onion dip: the gnarly, plastic-y “helluva good” brand french onion dip in a can. I can barely stand to look at the stuff, not to mention taste it. The label includes about 57 chemicals and “powdered” flavoring. Needless to say, I don’t buy it unprompted. When I saw [...]

scalloped potato and herb gratin

Friday, October 31, 2008

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From Bon Appetit’s Thanksgiving 2008 issue, this is a rich, flavorful, impressive yet easy to make side. I made exactly half (original recipe is below - serves 12), and it was a perfectly indulgent accompaniment to steak - go figure.

cheesy baked penne with cauliflower and creme fraiche

Monday, October 13, 2008

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The full page photo of this dish in October’s Bon Appetit pulled me in - I’m always a sucker for a new mac-and-cheese recipe. This proved to be the most complicated m&c dish I’ve ever attempted, but also the richest and most flavorful. The different cheeses are all pricey though, so it won’t [...]

chicken pot pie

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

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It would be really unfair to judge this chicken pot pie by the photos. Here’s what happened: I saw some great pictures of a chicken pot pie in Bon Appetit, then did some research in my New Best Recipe book. I made a sort of hybrid of both recipes, a full batch - [...]