Steve Irby

Trying to expand my okra repertoire. Fresh okra, corn and poblano pepper sauted until "al dente" with tasso/poblano cream sauce. Served over jasmine rice with a smoked chicken thigh and fresh tomatoes.

We've been getting really delicious, fresh corn the past couple of weeks. Makes the decision for dinner real easy. I cooked the first ear and added it to batter for the Mexican cornbread.

I checked my triglycerides mid-week and they were only moderately elevated. I felt kind of bad for passing up the PopEyes Fried Chicken earlier so I prepared a nice dinner of fried oysters and catfish with a greek wannabe salad to bring the cholesterol levels into historic ranges. Our cat was evaluating a slightly larger box at the same time and ultimately decided the previous box was fine. Tonight was a little home cooking Italian style -mushroom ravioli with ricotta and baby bella's. Last week I made a green casunziei with vidalia onion, ricotta and potato filling. I going to prepare a stuffed pasta tri-fecta for a derby party next weekend.

Really looks tasty. lots of nice char as a base. Were the greens a second trip into the oven?

Somebody didn't finish their vegetables in that second photo

Great oysters today prepped a few ways. My brother-in-law was in town and I always try to have oysters in one form or the other. I thought grilled oysters would be safe given the time of year so lunch was grilled oysters with a few other dishes from a great Vietnamese grocer. Gulf Coast oysters can be all over the place taste wise but the oysters today were primo-salty and fat with that mineral taste. Prepped three ways for lunch loosely on the style of Rockefeller, Casino and Drago. Lunch morphed into dinner with the oyster'straight off the shell, suck-em down.

Outstanding!

After a rough week on the road, lined with chain restaurants, it was nice to be home and eat a little home cooking. I made a Greek style salad last night with really good Romanian feta. Tonight was a combination of a prepped food from the freezer which included sausage stuffed SV chicken thighs, homemade andouille sausage and with a fresh KC strip. Buttery pommes anna and a simple romaine to accompany.

Guanciale wrapped turkey tenderloin and chicken skin wrapped around a tarragon chicken sausage. I used meat glue and sous vide in the prep of both items. A quick pan fry and finished in the oven. I was going to cook them over the weekend but ran out of steam late yesterday. Served with the usual culprits plus pan charred fresh vidalia onions. Topped with a simple tarragon infused cream sauce.

I bought the Campari's at WD on Sunday and they were $3.49/#. Definitely on the high side but the other four types/brands were not in the best of shape. I had my heart set on a greek salad that night so I bit the bullet bought them. The salad was great and the tomato premium turned out to be worth it.

A not quite ready for prime time dinner to start the week. I had a couple of sous vide duck breast tucked far-far away in the freezer that I liberated from the gloom. Other than the light from the incandescent bulb they hadn't seen the light of day for awhile. Served with a balsamic vinegar, chicken stock and homemade fig reduction. A little sweet potato hash browned up in the duck fat and re-purposed asparagus completed the food pyramid.

After three days of sub-par food in the FL panhandle tonight's offering was as much therapy as dinner. I had a couple of decent shaped potatoes that I prepped in the spirit of Francis Mallmann and roasted up the trimmings with cherry tomatoes, oil-cured olives and capers. I had too much liquid from the tomatoes for the potatoes to bind but the dish was delicious! De-boned some chicken thighs, simply seasoned and forgot about the preceding days. Finished all preps with a splash of olive oil and fresh herbs.

Not quite dinner yet but just a few hours away. Boston Butt, porchetta style, with knife pockets stuffed with thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary, garlic and fennel pollen. Gilded the lily so to speak by finishing the pockets with guanicale strips.

Fresh Pompano caught by neighbor this morning. Two preps, but the brown butter, sage, and pistachio was my fav.