Veganized Arroz con Pollo

This dish is simple comfort food at its best. Full of chopped chicken-free strips,rice, protein, sautéed veggies enveloped in the smokey flavors of chili and paprika.  Read More

Italian Meatballs

This week we are writing about foods from around the world.  This seems like it should be an easy topic, but once I started to really think about it I came up blank with recipes that I would want to share.  Strange statement, isn’t it?  The reasoning behind this notion is simply because of one thought.  Don’t all recipes come from somewhere around the world?  Unless we are talking about good ole America food such as the hot dog?  Meaty carnitas comes from Mexico, rich chicken vindaloo comes from Indian and pizza is from Italy.  In my opinion our palates are pretty international.
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Bahn Mi Deliciousness!

I admit it….I am obsessed with easy foods that are packed with flavors and Bahn Mi is my new go to dinner sandwich! At first I was a little nervous when using some slightly unusual ingredients and not quite knowing what to do with the sriracha and fish sauce. I was shocked though to find how easy this sandwich was to make and Estus was even more surprised to find out how delicious everything was.  Read More

Not a Chocolate Martini

Chocolate week! People love chocolate. When it come to booze about the chocolate drink you hear about is the dreaded chocolate martini. Which can be a bold slap in the face and downright crass if you ask me. So I came up with something else. CHARTREUSE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Still, CHARTREUSE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is certainly not shy. Its rich, strong flavors are layered with bitter chocolate notes, herbaceous tones of Chartreuse, and a distinctive peat-smudged smokiness. The alcohol forward notes of the cocktail speaks to those who prefer a more assertive drink. It’s also just one of the savory creations in my new book Savory Cocktails, available for pre-order on Amazon. Which might surprise you. Chocolate may not be the very first flavor you think of when you hear savory. However, chocolate wasn’t always candy. Ancient Aztecs ground cocao beans with spices to make a special drink reserved for royalty and the gods. This beverage, known as xocoatl, was a little spicy and not at all sweet. I can’t help but be reminded of this ancient combination when I taste this darkly rich, slightly bitter modern cocktail from David Wolowidnyk, Bar Manager at West Restaurant + Bar in Vancouver, Canada. Read More