Yeah, I know...

We've been slacking, real hard. December was a pretty hectic month, and as you can tell, writing posts got put on the back burner. Also, after crushing out a calendar full of recipes, we were a little pooped. But, we did sell a ton of Movember Calendars though, so thanks everyone for supporting our philanthropic endeavors. While you may have thought we were being lazy (we were), you needn't worry as we were still feeding ourselves and taking some photos along the way. So, look forward to some new posts that will be up real soon like, but in the mean time, check out Epic Meal Time.

These guys are from the city of hopes and dreams, Montreal, and they throw together a pretty entertaining food video. As their name quite obviously displays, they make Epic Meals, and use lots of bacon, which we at D2D quite enjoy. Best enjoyed with a bowl of salad, if you catch my drift...

All I gotta say is, great minds think alike, we got some chili on the stove right now.

THOUP!!!! Potato and Leek with Prosciutto

I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan of soup. I couldn't even tell you why. I had a relatively normal childhood that frequently included eating classics like tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle with soda crackers. As I got older, Moms switched it up to more grown up tastes with a very memorable homemade beef and barley soup, and turkey soup always after holidays. Somewhere along the way though, I just sort of gave up on soup. I never ordered the soup du jour at restaurants, you couldn't find me buying cans of Campbell's at the grocery store, and I'd be hard-pressed to make a soup from scratch at home.

I do recall a time in university when one of my bests came down with a terrible bout of the "itis", and I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle from a whole bird we had in the fridge. At the time it seemed like an appropriate remedy to help a brotha out. It turned out to be the best damn soup any of us had experienced up until that point. Even after that, I still wasn't too stoked on soup for some reason. Until a few weeks ago, it had been a long time since soup hit my lips. Miss Jones whipped up a concoction from some fresh market veggies while I was at work. She just cooked up some onions and garlic, threw in chopped up veggies, some chicken broth, a bold dash of chili powder, and a scoop quinoa, simmered, and then POW! She had fashioned some goodness and inspiration in the form of a warm, spicy, simple and flavourful bowl party. But seriously, what is there not to like about soup? There are so many different varieties and people have been eating it before history remembers. I bet the cavemen made some pretty badass saber-tooth consommé.

I encourage you to shift your view of soup from a condensed liquid in a can to a medium for culinary creativity. Start with some classics, then add your personal twists, throwing in whatever ingredients you love or might have kicking around the fridge. I made some simple Potato and Leek soup, and threw in some prosciutto that needed some love. You could easily use bacon or pancetta, which might even pack even more flavour when it is cooked up then simmered.

You will need:
- A few strips of bacon or prosciutto, sliced, or a handful or two of cubed pancetta
- 2 large leeks, sliced thinly
- About a pound of potatoes, cubed (about two big handfuls of baby potatoes or 2-3 large potatoes like yukon golds)
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup milk

- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup sharp/extra old cheddar cheese, crumbled or grated

Throw the cut up bacon-like meat in a cold stock pot (big ass sauce pan, usually has two handles), turn your burner to medium heat. Get your bacon cooking so the meat starts to brown and the fat starts to render and melt away.

Once, your bacon is looking sexy and starting to crisp, throw the cleaned and sliced leeks right into the pan. You want to get the leeks softened a bit and to mingle with tasty bacon flavour. Don't drain the fat, much of the flavour is derived from the drippings.

Once the leeks are starting to smell real nice, throw in the potatoes and give them a good stir, let those cook for a few more minutes. Then stir in the stock, throw in a few pinches of sea salt, and a couple grinds of fresh pepper. Put a lid on that shit, turn the heat down to a simmer and let the flavours party together for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Mix in the milk and turn the heat back up if you'd like, but don't bring it to a boil!. 

If you want a smooth, creamy soup, blend it for a few seconds with a hand blender or rock it old-school with a chunky steeze. Obviously, as it is a soup, serve it in bowls, with a dollop or swirl of sour cream if you got it, and a generous amount of cheese on top. Throw some fresh chives or parsley on top for a little extra sumfin-sumfin. Makes for a good starter in a small portion, or a hearty meal with a chunk of nice bread. Note that I don't have a pic of the finished product as I was too hungry to take photos and the soup too delicious. Make it for yourself, it's super simple, and very delectable. If you're of the vegetarian variety, omit the bacon and saute the leeks in a hunk of butter for flavour, also use vegetable stock. Or make an exception in your ethical choices for things as tasty as bacon. F'real.

Broke Ass Stew: Beef Bourgondaniel

The idea of peasant food is having a great resurgence in our current food climate. This represents a trend towards less refined, seemingly heartier meals. The North American nomenclature dictates it "comfort food" and it's a huge buzzword from restaurants to magazine recipes. The roots of dining are essentially based on two historic systems: what the rich ate,what the poor ate. The nature of each cuisine evolved culturally throughout history. Certain dishes remiain eternal and show up in many different cultures and societies. Things like stews, soups, and breads remain eternal. Stylings are often based on regional nuance such as altitude, climate, availability of water and other natural resources.

France is a prime example about how differences within a small country can afford a huge spectrum of cuisine. In Northern France you have rich, hearty dishes that reflect cooler temperatures and greater diversity of things like root vegetables. As you move south thinks get lighter, fresher, and decidedly more mediterranean. Fish and shellfish are represented a lot more as well as fresher soft herbs and lots of acidity. Wines as well will follow similar progressions, with more full bodied varietals representing themselves in cooler regions, fruitier, more zesty wines in warmer regions closer to water.

This all lends itself to obvious evolutionary truths about what satisfies our needs. Thus far those at dedicated have been stoked on summer. As we find our regions climate transitioning into the autumnal equinox the innate desire for that comforting, heartier food to warm our cockles is impossible to deny.

From the 17th century and prior hearty food was described as too coarse for a wealthy stomach, and that more refined and lighter dishes were all that the rich should consume. The irony of course is that the food of the peasant was the most delicious and is what now dominates our food landscape.

A prime example of region and social status affecting a dish is with beef bourguignon. A classic dish that originated in the burgundy region, the complex acids in wine were used as a tenderizer for cheap, less regarded cuts of beef. The richness and depth of burgundy perfectly compliment the savoury earthy flavours of slow cooked beef. Although this would typically highlight a large cut of meat cooked whole, it has been modified to provide a quicker execution.

Now then, down to the business of some tasty ass shit.

When I want some tasty ass stew, I fully look to incorporate lot's of super meaty (manly) and intensely savorily flavours. Bacon, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, garlic, beef, red wine and stock. Thats the essential components of delicious bourgonion.

To assemble this masterpiece I bought a few chicken carcasses for 99 cents a pound at my local butcher ( http://tinyurl.com/2ckncko )as well as 2 lbs of cubed chuck. I simmered the chickens for about 3 hours with a rasher of delicious dry-cured bacon and a few small onions. Next I gave the chuck a pat dry, a good whack of seasoning and a hard roast.

The meat should be paid careful attention to when roasted. Not over crowding the pan allows you to maintain a high heat. Caramelization is guaranteed and as caramelization is equal to deliciousness it is definitely worth being patient as your meat parties (it's also good to open your windows cause it may get smoky. Also don't worry about the grease splattering, thats what Vim is for.) Once your meat is good and roasted toss in about 3 tbsp of flour and let it cook for another five minutes. This will thicken your peasant stew later on. Pour off the excess fat and deglaze with a good strong red (ideally a Burgundy but substitute anything red that isn't fucking zinfindel). Let it bubble away until the wine is half reduced. Transfer to a decent sized pot and dump in your quick chicken stock (quicken stock) and a bit of fresh thyme. Allow to cook lid on for 2 hours on a low heat. Good things are happening so chill. Watch The Big Lebowski or go for a bike ride. Check it every now and then, have a taste and enjoy the proper smells. Low boil and fragrant steam mean your killing it old-world style.

After about an 1 1/2 - 2 hours things will be looking up. More so if your safe with the stove knobs. Tender is the goal. In the meantime fire up another pan and chop about a 1/2 lb of bacon into eating size chunks. Chop a medium white onion or man up and peel a bag of pearl onions by first soaking them in warm water. Saute your onion off in a touch of butter on a low heat until they get golden, then dump in your bacon. Let it rock until all the liquid cooks off and the bacon crisps up. Pull everything out but leave the fat, chuck the mushrooms in and let them soak up so much goodness in that devilish little pan.

Once the mushrooms are roasted this fine (I threw in some sliced garlic once the shrooms had colour because mushrooms and garlic are so right) then set them with the onions and bacon. Peek at the stew. What's it like? Pull a bit of meat out and let it cool a touch. Is it nice? No? Fuck. Put it back in and let it go a bit longer, but with the lid off. The stew will reduce and concentrate the flavours. Add a bit of salt and a lot of pepper. Freshly ground black pepper in large quantities has an undeniably savoury flavour that will elevate this broke ass stew quick. Once the meat is almost tender drop in your potatoes, and a few minutes later drop in the rest of the garnish. Let it cook until its all soft, quadruple check the taste for salt (or maybe acid, a bit of lemon juice or vinegar?). At this point you should be fucking hungry. Serve this proper stew with some roased veg, or mashed potatoes, or nothing, or scallions chopped up and soaked in olive oil with some pickled pepper brine. I love the spicy-zesty contrast from the onions.

Suck it bitter cold wind.

One love, daniel

Don't beat your meat

Burgers are one of those categories of foods that have entire websites dedicated to their deliciousness, and many arguments have been made over the different ways and best techniques for making burgers. I don't want to stray into this debate just yet, as I can truly appreciate any burger. After 10 months of being on an island free of a fast food chain, I was fiending for a McDonald's cheeseburger. The thin salty patty, the simple arrangement of dressing, and the melty melty cheese has addictive qualities. Yet a thick, juicy, beefy home-grilled patty is amazing and satisfying in a whole different way. I could wax the poetic all day about all the different varieties of delicious that burgers come in, but thus I digress.

The other night, a man-dinner was in order, and to keep things relatively simple Dave and I decided on grilling up some thick beefy burgers, adorned with some flavourful toppings. My philosophy on burgers of the grilling variety is to keep them simple, and let the fiery-beefy flavour shine through. What I mean by this is, don't fuck with the meat. No breadcrumbs, no eggs, no onions, no garlic, no fillers of any sort. Some might disagree, but I want to let the natural beef deliciousness and the accompanying toppings do the talking. This particular night, Dave and I had some ripe avocado, a sexy pound of thick-sliced maple smoked bacon, white onion, aged cheddar, and some leftover chopped tomato that needed some love. Perfect.

First and foremost, I'll start with making the beef patties. We used lean ground beef, but really use whatever you prefer. I personally like medium ground chuck in burgers because more fat equals more deliciousness, but I've obtained a bit of extra marbling from all the cheap Heineken and fried johnny cakes I consumed in the BVI, so I was cutting corners.

Now you really want to be gentle as possible; caress your meat. Form the meat into loose balls, and gently flatten. Make sure to press a dimple into the middle, as it prevents the burger-ball effect. Don't worry about forming them into perfect shaped, smooth patties. More texture equals more flavour, less beating equals more juiciness. Crack a respectable amount of black pepper over these bad boys and throw them in the fridge if you make them ahead of time, or let them rest up to room temp, we'll get back to these in a bit.

This next little part is very versatile and very delicious. Place the bacon in a large, cold skillet, and start the frying at medium heat. Once getting the bacon to desired deliciousness, drain some of the drippings but reserve a significant amount in the pan and tossed in a large white onion, sliced thinly. Keep the onions cooking over medium to medium-low heat, moving around occasionally. The onions should start to become soft, brown, and smell ridiculously amazing. To caramelize the onions, you need to pay some good attention to them, making sure the heat isn't too high, and be patient. The longer and slower you cook these, the more delicious they get.

Meanwhile, as your onions are coming into their final stages of caramelization, rock your grill up to high heat. When it's piping hot, give your burgers a quick sprinkle of sea salt, and throw them on the grill. Adjust your heat down to medium. The hot grill sears the meat and helps form distinctive grill marks and a delicious outer crust. Be very attentive, you want to on top of putting out flare ups, BUT DO NOT BEAT YOUR MEAT. You may be tempted to move your burger around, squish it, flip it prematurely, but just don't. Get a beer, drink it, and just let it cook for 5 minutes. When the burger releases itself from the grill with little effort, it's ready to flip. Gently flip it, and drink your beer. This side should grill a bit quicker, so have your sliced cheese of choice standing by, and your buns if you like them toasted, which I do.

Before your burgers are done, throw the cheese on top and get it all melted like. Remove your burgers to a plate, and toast your buns. By doing this, you're forced to let your burgers rest up. Like any meat, you should rest burgers for 5 minutes after cooking to let the juices redistribute. 

We dressed these babies up with the caramelized onions, bacon, and avocado, chopped tomato, and a little grainy mustard, but burgers are one of those vessels you can really get creative with. Caramelized onions and bacon are pretty hard to fuck with though. Before the summer truly disappears, definitely try these out. And if you can come up with a flavour combination that rivals caramelized onions, bacon, cheddar and avo, we'd love to hear about it.

Eat up. Party down.

Double Stuff

Remember when you first discovered the double stuffed oreo? Or perhaps more recently, when a friend first introduced your innocent little mind to the McGangBang? (http://tinyurl.com/a2dmlc) You probably heard the critics, stating the "too much icing" or "disgusting amount of meat". But as a proponent of all forms of delicious, you stayed true to your palate, and argued that too much of a good thing can be even better.

Well my friends, I accidentally stumbled upon my own gourmet, pork-inspired rendition of the double stuff Oreo.
With full intention of stuffing two individual pork tenderloins, I lacked the meat span (if that even makes sense) to close the tenderloins up. A friend who I have recently shared a few amazing meals with suggested I make a sandwich-like creation and wrap the two tenderloins together, with all the stuff inside.



It couldn't have turned out better.

Here's what I used:
- Two pork tenderloins
- Bacon (a half pound to stuff with, and a half pound to eat as you cook and drink a few too many cocktails)
- A bunch of green onions
- Goat cheese (sorry Dan, I know you have a hate on for Goat cheese, but it's delicious)
- Salt & Pepper (as with pretty much any recipe)

Now for how to wrap it all into one delicious creation.
Pull the pork out, let it rest a bit at room temperature and trim the little bit of fat off. In each tenderloin, cut a slit lengthwise to open it up, but not all the way through, making it a flatter more easily stuffable piece. This technique is called "butterflying" but I think they should change it to "lipping" because it looks more like a pair of lips than a beautiful little butterfly.

While it's resting, slice up some bacon into 1 or two inch long pieces and fry it all up. Discard most of the fat and add in a few spoonfuls of goat's cheese once the bacon is cooked to soften it. Cut up a few green onions and mentally prepare yourself for the party that is about to happen on your cutting board.

Salt and pepper each tenderloin, inside and out. Add some goat cheese & bacon mixture to the area where you made the cut in the pork and top with a fair portion of green onions. Do it for both tenderloins, and then bind them together. Use your butcher skills to tie them together with some twine.

Set your oven to 350. Poor a bit of that bacon fat into a roasting pan, and drop your creation onto the pan. I lost track of time when I cooked it but roughly 30 minutes should do. The bacon fat will keep constant heat on the bottom and if you're quick enough with the stuffing, the still-hot bacon on the inside will help get some even heat distribution too.
Don't you dare overcook that shit! People have bad opinions about pork because of that old school thinking that it is dangerous to eat if not totally overcooked. You're not working with chicken here and health standards have improved since World War II... Medium is a totally acceptable way to serve pork.

I was planning on serving this with some fruit salsa (chopped pineapple, peaches and cilantro) but the pork so tasty on its own that we made the salsa our desert. Serve it with some in-season vegetables or a simple salad and you're money.

-dave