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Monthly Archive: May 2023

Food / Kristen Cooks

Rotisserie Chicken

It is weekend and we are blessed with amazing weather. These kinds of days are made for grilling. Low effort, chill on the deck, pups in the yard, drink in the hand kind of cooking! And what says easy grilling, like a rotisserie chicken that, once rubbed and tines are set, you can let spin its way to juicy deliciousness?!

Note that this recipe assumes that you have a rotisserie grill attachment. I put off buying this for years and finally gave in last year. It has proven to be an awesome tool to have, so I have no regrets with the purchase. We went for the NexGrill Universal Rotisserie kit from Home Depot. We have had a Nexgrill for years, and despite the low cost and it being a big box store grill, we have been super pleased with both the grill and all attachments purchased.

The first step to getting your chicken going is deciding what type of rub you want. Here, you are open to doing as little or as much work as you want. If you have a favorite dry rub that you purchase and love, run with it! I typically have a few homemade and a few store bought spice mixes on hand, so I can run with my whimsy on any day. Cavender’s Greek seasoning is super tasty and Goya has a seasoning for every taste as well. But, it is easy to whip up a batch of rub and keep what is not used in a mason jar, so next time, the work is already done!

Quick Chicken/Pork Rub Recipe

1 Tbsp. each of Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sweet Paprika, Brown Sugar

1 Tsp, each of cinnamon, pepper (fresh ground preferably) and salt

This is enough for roughly a 4 lb. chicken. Double, triple or quadruple the recipe to keep some in the cabinet for other recipes. I use this both for pork and chicken, so it does not go to waste!

Prepping the chicken

Grab a baking sheet with shallow sides that will fit into your grill. This will be your work surface for prepping the chicken, as well as the base under the chicken while on the grill. After patting the chicken completely dry, tuck the wings under the body, spice the inside of the bird with your rub and tie the legs tightly together with kitchen twine to get the legs nice and tight against the bird. Some will say you need to truss the chicken in, what I consider, an expert way, but getting the legs tight against the body is enough. Insert the rotisserie tines from both ends, positioning to get the best grip on the chicken. This can take some time and maneuvering. Once nice and tight, tighten the screws to secure the prongs in place.

Generously rub the chicken all over with spice rub. Make sure to get into creases of the legs and wings and full coverage, back and front. You are ready to go!! Put the rotisserie rod into the rotator attachment and start it up!

Cooking

This is the bit that can get a little tricky. Every grill has its’ own personality. Some burn hot and some are shy. In general, you want to keep the temp at about 400 degrees. I recommend starting with all burners on low and check what temp you get with the lid closed. If temp is spiking, turn 1-2 of the burners off completely to maintain steady heat. It is indirect heat, so which burners is less important than getting the temp in the 375-415 or so range. Once the chicken is on, melt 1/4 cup of butter with a 1/4 cup grapeseed or other high heat oil (I do not recommend olive oil). Once the chicken begins to form an outer crust and there is a little sizzle happening, begin basting occasionally.

For a 4 lb. bird, it will take about 60-90 mins total on the grill. The chicken is done when the middle of the breast is at 160-165 degree and thigh is 150-155 degrees F. Remove and let rest on rotisserie rod for 15-20 mins.

Serving

I served with roasted carrots and broccoli. You could also put sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes or onions in the roasting tray below the chicken to soak up the basting and chicken juices. I will warn though that you need to check the amount of clearance you have from the chicken to the tray, may need to add vegetable stock or more oil as you go, and watch for potential burning. However, if you have a juicy bird, these veggies are amazing!

If this recipe sounds good to you, you might like my recipe for weeknight pork loin with plantains and delicious veggies!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

There is nothing better than a recipe that wows and ALSO proves to be incredibly easy. This recipe is both. Once you have gathered all of your ingredients, your slow cooker does the bulk of the work! One of the best parts is that the leftovers can be better than the initial recipe itself!

Ingredients:

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Ingredients

  • 3.75 – 4 pound bone-in pork butt roast. We love the quality of the pork delivered from Crowd Cow

  • 1 Red onion, cut into fairly large wedges

  • 6-8 garlic cloves. In my house, more is always better!

  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

  • 2 Tsp. course ground pepper

  • 1 Tbsp. dried oregano

  • 2 Bay leaves

  • .75 cup Pineapple or Apple juice

  • .75 cup cola (made with cane sugar, rather than corn syrup, if you can find it). Coca Cola now has their old style cane sugar cola in the bottles!

Instruction

Here is the best part…the simplicity! Trim a bit of the fat cap off of the pork butt. There should be a significant amount left, but I find removing about 1/4 of the fat has best results. Score what is left of the fat cap and place roast into the crock pot fat cap to the side. Add balance of the ingredients, close and seal lid and set to low temp for 7.5 hours. Your job here is almost done!

Once the slow cooker is done, you should have an amazingly browned top and fall-apart roast sitting in some pretty amazing juices! Remove the roast to a cutting board and let rest for 15 or so mins. Using your hands, or 2 forks, pull the pork apart into chunks, leaving some chunks larger than others (this just makes the texture more interesting! Remove any excessive fat that is left, although most will have rendered into the juice that flavored the roast! Yum! Do not toss the juice just yet…

Transfer pork to very lightly oiled sheet pan and spread out. Pour some of the juice over top just to put moisture evenly. Crisp under the broiler just until crispy at edges and beautifully browned all over! If you intend to only use a portion of the pork right away, you can broil only what you will be serving and store the balance (with some of the juice) to broil or to pan fry at the point that you intend to use.

Serving

So…many…options. Tortillas, salsa, chopped onion, cilantro, diced tomato, salsa verde…sky is the limit! For this meal, I went simple with flour tortillas, some diced tomato, serrano chilis, leafy greens and cilantro. Leftovers this morning were super crisped in a pan and were as, if not more, delicious than the first go around!

If you like this recipe, you may also like my amazing recipe for Carne Asada lettuce wraps!! Give it a try!!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Authentic Pho

I love the broad variety and depth of flavors that you get from many of the ingredients used in Asian recipes. This authentic Pho (I say authentic, trusting the many recipes that I used to combine and create) is not for the staunch 5 ingredient fix fans (I am a fan there, as well, but sometimes love a more complicated challenge), but if you can work with a few more ingredients, this recipe pays its’ weight in gold! If you are a straight 5 ingredient type of cook, try Jamie Oliver’s 5 ingredient recipes for free on his site. You will not be disappointed, but you will not be making Pho! hahaha

Making use of the ingredients

I have had so many people mention to me that they do not want to test into these types of recipes because once they buy the ingredients, they just sit and go bad in the refrigerator or cabinet. To that, I say, look for more recipes that will excite you to use those ingredients up! Planning ahead is key.

My advice: if you are planning to buy x amount of new ingredients and you are not sure you will use them, dig around on Allrecipes or on another recipe app first, searching by ingredients. You will find other recipes with that some of the same ingredients to see if you may be able to re-use for something else. If nothing appeals to you…move on. You will find something else in your wheelhouse! If you can find 2-3 recipes you can make within the next 10 -20 days that use some of the same, new, exciting stuff you are buying, go for it! I am not about waste, so only buy, if you feel you will actually use!

Why try to cook Pho from scratch?

Well, why not? It is not something that you can get easily in the area that we live in in New Hampshire, so recreating something I tried in Boston, Amsterdam or some other cosmo city seems to make sense! What is better than a bowl of deliciously flavored broth, with rice noodles, vegetables and super thinly cut and very tender beef? Here is where I will put a disclaimer that this will, in no way, be a dish that can be converted to a vegetarian or vegan dish. The flavor and heart of this dish is in the flavor that you get out of the beef bones, collagen, marrow and all. And, if you are a beef eater, this is something that will have you smiling weirdly, smacking your lips, and even dancing…the sprinkler maybe or for those with more flexibility, perhaps there is a twerking session with noodle spoon in hand! Send pics please!!

Another disclaimer here…this recipe will take between 6-8 hours, based on how you decide to cook it. The time invested is worth it…stay with me on this one!!

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Ingredients

  • 4 pounds soup bones

  • 1.5 Vidalia or white onion

  • 1 inch of fresh ginger, sliced

  • 1 Tbsp. kosher salt

  • 2 pods star anise

  • 2.5 Tbsp. fish sauce

  • 4 quarts water

  • 12-16 ounce dried rice noodles (extra noodles can be reused in other recipes)

  • 1.5 lbs. flank steak or sirloin – thicker cut of meat, sliced almost paper thin https://www.crowdcow.com/ranch/pastures-cattle-co—pasture-raised

  • 1 .5 cups bean sprouts

  • .25 cup hoisin sauce

  • .25 cup Sriracha sauce

  • Handful of cilantro

  • Sliced green onion

  • Various radishes for garnish – red, daikon, etc.

  • Jalapeno, serrano or other hot chili – sliced

Instruction

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
  • Place the beef bones onto 1-2 baking sheets and roast for 1-2 hours, or until all show signs of the marrow being just about melted
  • With 45 mins left on the bone roast, place onion halves onto sheet and brush with oil. Continue to roast
  • Put both the bones and the onions into a large pot. Add the ginger, star anise, salt, fish sauce and water
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce and let simmer on lowest heat for 6-8 hours
  • Strain the broth in fine sieve
  • Place noodles in a large bowl and pour boiling kettle water over to cover. Let sit for 4 mins and then drain in a sieve. Rinse and set aside
  • Place noodles in bowls with the thinly sliced beef. Ladle the super hot broth over top and stir until thinly sliced beef is cooked through
  • Garnish with cilantro, green onion, hot chili pepper, hoisin, bean sprouts, sriracha and any other desired vegetable or condiment! Bok choy or thinly sliced savoy cabbage would be awesome as well!

If you cook, save this recipe and plan to wow a loved one. If you do not cook, send this to the one you want to cook for you and make their plan easier, by knowing what you want! Either way, ENJOY!

Note:

If you like this recipe, try my recipe for Vietnamese Caramel Chicken. This is something that will blow your wig off!!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Basil, onion salad

Spring has sprung and I am enjoying all of the posts with folks using spring vegetables in their kitchens and getting into the dirt in their gardens. This is the best part of the spring in New Hampshire. Those weeks after the real “mud season” has passed and the weather is teasing the upcoming summer days!

Basil is the craze

I have been noticing a lot of posts out there having to do with basil; how to grow it, how to trim, and when to water it. Personally, I think this herb is used mostly as garnish, and that is a shame. It is a bigger, bad ass of an herb than that! In thinking on using basil in a bold way, I remembered a recipe for basil salad that I had seen months ago on a Nigella Lawson show, that I knew would be a hit with my husband, John. And it was! He loved it as much as I did!

If you do not follow Nigella on social media, take a look. She cooks simply, but turns out stunning food.

Check out this Instagram post about how to grow basil. This woman knows her stuff! Also, check out the author, @cookiterica, she has some amazing recipes and content!

About the recipe

The best thing about this recipe that you will not need to look up, search or commit it to the home recipe book. It is super simple and so flexible in the amount of ingredients, based on your own preference, that you can make it completely your own. Here is my take:

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Ingredients

  • 3 large red onions – diced into eighths

  • 1 large bunch of basil (think whole bunch with large leaves) – large stems removed

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tsp. fennel seeds

  • 2 tsp. coarse sea salt

  • Good quality balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Instruction

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Put cut onions into roasting pan, preferably sized to keep the onions snug

Cover onions with the olive oil and sprinkle with the fennel seeds and salt. Toss to coat

Roast for 60 mins, tossing occasionally. Set aside once done and let cool until just warm

Toss basil with onions and drizzle with balsamic to your taste

Voila! Salad is served!

Note: I could envision adding prosciutto or cheese to pump this up into a heartier dish.

Food Hack / Kristen Cooks

Mason jar fruit

I have dozens of mason jars. I use them for everything. Storage of sugars, rice, spice mixes etc. Most every year, I can something, whether it is fruit jam or tomatillos to be used throughout the winter for salsa verde.

I have noticed lately that mason jars are being used not just for canning and jarring to store on the shelf, but also for fresh fruits and veg. The claim is that the produce keeps quite well, if washed, dried and then stored in the airtight mason jar.

The verdict:

I have tested storing mason jar fruit and am 1.5 weeks in, ate a jar today (grapes, blackberries and strawberries) that was still fresh, with no sign of browning or mold growth. So, this food hack has my gold star! It appears to be completely legit! And, not only does the fruit stay fresh, but the presentation is amazing! I love the idea of grabbing the jar out of the refrigerator and grabbing a seat on the deck, fork in hand, with this beautifully colored sweet treat! I selected monotone colored fruit, but could imagine mandarins, gooseberries or other fruits adding absolute WOW factor! Give this hack ago!

If you like this hack, you may also like my post about making fruit trays pleasing to the eye here!

Renovation

Renovation – Demo at the Brick Beauty!

So we have been sidetracked with work to be done at our cabin in the lakes region of NH. We are back now, and the home renovation is ON at this brick pain in the ass of a home! Pics and video of the amazing work John has been doing at the cabin is to come at a later date. But let’s focus here on the Brick Beauty and the exciting news that DEMO has commenced! If you have not followed, check out the start of our renovation journey here

The toilet office

I am totally embarrassed to show this part of our house, but will say that we bought the house with these crazy elements and still loved this bitch with all her detractors! The “toilet office”…dear Lord, what does that mean..? Let me show you…

So, there you have it. An office with a weirdo toilet, a very, very basic sink that looks to have been a construction site stand in, as well as a shower that defies all logic in terms of the size, the dueling shower heads and shower control that is at the far end of the shower, so you have to reach all the way in to turn on the water. This means that you get sprayed directly in the face with the cold water in order to get the shower on. Brilliant! I am putting us out there for ridicule on this one, but pics of the actual shower…this is where I draw the line. Insert laugh track here! The great news is that anything we do will be an improvement!

So, we are off to the races with the toilet office renovation. This is the part of the process that I love most. What to do for lighting? Themes and color selection and all of that fun stuff! Is this a masculine office and bath, or something softer? Over to https://www.houzz.com/ I go to begin searching through office and bath ideas. I am excited to be making progress. And I am open to ideas, if anyone cares to weigh in on design etc.!

Some before pics

Some progress pics over the last couple days

Next Up

Bath demo is up next, as well as design of the clearly defined and very separate office and bathroom space! Stay tuned for progress and John’s video recording of his thought process and steps for making this all happen!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Tunisian stuffed bell peppers

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of working with many colleagues from the country of Tunisia. Some of my best working experiences and friendships have this lovely country to thank. Tunisians, in my experience are authentic and persistent in the best of ways. They are passionate about their culture, and that of other North African countries, and fiercely proud of their food. Visiting Tunis in 2022, I was not surprised to be welcomed warmly and to enjoy every meal shared, both for the amazing food, but also the amazing company.

Ya Amna

Back in 2021, I went on a search to find a cookbook that would allow me to learn a bit more about Tunisian cooking. I stumbled on a book called Ya Amna, From Djerba to Israel. It is more than just a cookbook, but a story of a woman born in Djerba, a Tunisian island, who grows up in Israel. Her mother (Amna) manages to keep their Tunisian heritage alive by keeping the aromas and tastes of their Tunisian food ever present in their home. The book is a beautiful journey for its’ author and has been a challenge for me to try new dishes and flavors. Djerba has a rich history worth reading about, and is on my list of places to see, as I am told the best Tunisian food and beaches are on the island of Djerba.

What makes these stuffed peppers different?

I have made stuffed peppers many, many times over the years. There is always rice and beef and some sort of tomato involved, baked in the oven. These peppers amp the flavor by using numerous vegetables, herbs and spices, and are cooked on the stovetop in a sauce. I was not sure about this method, but they came out amazing! I made a few recipe tweaks, but this will be my go-to stuffed pepper recipe for evermore!

Stuffed Peppers (Felfel Mahshi)

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Ingredients

  • For the filling

  • 2.5 cups uncooked rice

  • 2 carrots grated

  • 2 zucchinis grated

  • 2 onions chopped

  • 1 bunch parsley and 1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

  • 1.2 bunch mint, finely chopped

  • 1 lb. ground beef *(see note below)

  • 1/2 tbsp. each, sweet paprika and cinnamon

  • 1 Tbsp. salt

  • 2 Tsp. black pepper

  • 1/2 cup oil

  • 2 tomatoes, diced

  • For the sauce

  • 4 Tbsp. tomato paste

  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly

  • 1 Tsp. salt

  • 3 cups water + more, if needed

Instructions

Soak rice for 1 hour and drain

Combine carrots, zucchini, onion, herbs and tomato in large bowl. Add in the rice, beef, oil and spices and combine thoroughly, without overworking the mixture

Cut tops off the pepper, remove seeds and large veins from inside

Fill the pepper with rice/beef mixture, leaving 1/2 inch at top for expansion. Rest top of pepper back on top

Arrange peppers tightly in large pot

Prepare the sauce, by mixing last 4 ingredients and pour over the peppers. Add additional water, if necessary to just cover the peppers

Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer. Cook until most of the water has been absorbed and beef and rice mix is cooked through, roughly 45-60 mins

Tips

The original recipe called for 1/2 pound of beef. I upped this to a full pound, to get a beefier mixture. The recipe also called for 3/4 cup of oil, which I reduced to 1/2 cup with success. Add until you think the mixture looks homogenous.

I used 7 bell peppers, because that was all I could fit in the Dutch oven that I used. Recipe calls for 10 peppers. Note that once stuffed, because I used fewer peppers, and also added a 1/2 lb. more beef, I had mixture left. I put aside and used to stuff grape leaves on another day.

I used a food processor to “grate” the zucchini and carrot and then squeezed a lot of the moisture out before adding to the rest of the ingredients. Likewise, the onion and other herbs can be chopped in the processor together to make quick work of it.

ENJOY! If you like this recipe you might also like my recipe for Polish Stuffed Cabbage

Food / Kristen Cooks

Homemade, Chewy, Chunky Brownies

I am not a super sweets fan, so when I go through the trouble to bake or make something sweet, I have great expectations! A couple months ago, I made a triple chocolate mousse cake that was an absolute stunner! Will share that in the coming days. After that recipe, what I was left with was a larger appreciation for the work that bakers and other cooks put into the perfecting of bakery items, but also a cabinet full of Dutch Cocoa, espresso powder, and various chocolate bars, not meant to be directly consumed, but cooked with. This led me to a search for a chocolatey recipe that would use my ingredients, challenge my skills and ultimately, make my husband happy. He has a true sweet tooth!

Behold, the Brownie

After digging through numerous cookbooks, I settled on what America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) calls “Chewy Brownies” and decided this was the recipe to tackle. Truth be told, I did not grow up a brownie fan, but after having ordered a brownie fudge sundae with friends at a local Irish Pub some years ago, I realized that there is something about a chewy brownie with some crunchy edge that cannot be matched. This recipe pulls out the stops, in that not only is it chewy with amazing crunch at the edges, but within, some of the chocolate is left as 1/2 inch chunks, lending some inner crunch. It is perfection!!

Ingredient list

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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa – preferably Droste

  • 1.5 tsp espresso powder – this is optional, but I highly recommend

  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. boiling water

  • 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped or shaved

  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

  • 2 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks

  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

  • 1.5 cups white sugar

  • 1.75 cups all purpose flour

  • .75 tsp. salt

  • 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate cut into 1/2 inch chunks

Instructions for Cooking

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set the oven rack to the lowest position. The original ATK recipe indicates to use a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. I chose to use a a smaller glass pan, which was 11.5 x 8.5, because I wanted a little bit taller brownie in the end. Create a foil sling by setting foil in into the pan in both directions with at least a few inches of excess hanging over the edge of pan. This is in order to be able to lift the brownies out of the pan, once they out of oven. Push the foil into corners of pan firmly and grease liberally. You can do this easily with canola spray or baking spray, if you do not want to hassle with a stick of butter melting in your hands!

Whisk the cocoa and expresso powder and then pour in the boiling water. Whisk until combined. Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until it is fully melted. Add the butter and the oil, whisking while you go. Once fully combined, add the eggs and yolks, as well as vanilla. Note that my eggs were not what I would consider large, so I went ahead and added in an additional yolk.

Add in the sugar and whisk until fully combined. And in the salt and grab a rubber spatula. Begin slowly incorporating the flour until is is totally combined. Fold in the bittersweet chocolate pieces until spread throughout the batter. This is the magic bit of this recipe!!

Scrape the brownie batter into the prepared pan and get it into the oven. Original recipe indicates that the cook time will be 30-35 mins. Because my pan was glass (conducts heat really well) and the pan was smaller, creating a thicker brownie, my cook time was roughly 50 mins in the end. Be prepared to begin checking at 30 mins, either way, to ensure you do not overcook. You will be looking to insert a toothpick, not in the center, but about half between the edge and the middle, with only a bit of moist crumbs on the toothpick when removed.

Cooling

When brownies are done, lift brownies out using the foil sling and place on a wire rack. Let cool for 1 hour. Note that foil may appear to stick a bit to bottom of the brownies. Be patient and slowly peel the foil back. It will come away with no issue if managed carefully.

Serving

I love something creamy to cut the intense chocolatiness of these brownies. I opted for Talenti Coffee Chocolate Chip gelato and some berries!

Tips

As mentioned, I used a smaller pan to get a higher rise on the brownies. This takes a little bit of watch and see, as you need to make sure you check once you hit the 35 min mark (they will be undercooked at this point), to make sure you know how far you are from done and then check periodically until done.

It seems a bit scary putting the bittersweet in at the end in chunk form. If you are the type to not want chips in your ice cream or brownie, I would recommend shaving these more fine. Otherwise, these chunks, in my, and my husband John’s opinions, make this brownie damn remarkable! Moist, chewy, chunky and chocolaty!

Go for the Droste Cocoa Powder. It does not disappoint. I have spent years over the course of my life in the Netherlands and can bona fide recommend their chocolates as well! If you stumble on them, or are a chocolate fan, get an order in for those babies!

Food / Kristen Cooks

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

I am always looking to add culturally interesting recipes to my bag of tricks. This is one that intrigued me, just based on the name, Vietnamese Caramel Chicken. I had seen it on Christopher Kimball’s PBS show, “Milk Street” and was able to find the full recipe on his Milk Street website.

What I love about this recipe

Personally, I am very interested in trying new Asian recipes. This has been the case for years, and probably started with watching Anthony Bourdain traipse around Vietnam, falling in love with the country, the people and the food. He spoke so emphatically about the fact that the country, and the food, in particular, has been influenced by many foreign cultures, while keeping it’s own sense of unique identity. That sounds complicated and interesting, making Vietnamese cuisine immediately appealing to me. I also liked the fact that a bowl of noodles with broth could have numerous additional elements, such as pork meatballs, and dipping sauces, lettuces and other vegetables to personally add as each eater wants. The making of a perfect meal for all.

Of course, I also remember Bourdain having an instance where he could not figure what was in his bowl, only to find that it was porcupine. I will leave that recipe, and others of that nature for someone else to share!

The ingredients

This chicken recipe combines heat and sweet and that, to me, is a perfect combination in a dish. So, the name, Vietnamese Caramel Chicken, spoke to me about what I could expect and what some of the ingredients might be. Not surprisingly, chilis, lemon grass, ginger, fish sauce and lime are included in this Vietnamese recipe. Sugar, of course, is the element that makes the caramel sauce and therefore the name.

Tips

This recipe calls for boneless chicken thighs. I had breast on hand, so used it. It will turn out a lighter looking dish than on the Milk Street site, but was still delicious.

Two serrano chilis are used, which sounds like it would be extremely hot, but it ends up pretty balanced, based on the amount of sugar used. So, if you like a little heat, avoid the desire to cut it back. Rather, you can rinse them lightly in a sieve, which will remove just a bit of the seeds

When cooking the caramel, the 12″ skillet seemed too large and the caramel spread too thin before it had a chance to become the desired mahogany color. I tipped the pan and tried to concentrate it to one end to get the right consistency and color

Once the chicken was back into the pan, with the caramel sauce, I continued to stir, which slowed the process. Once I let it do its’ thing and only occasionally stirred to coat, things really came together!

Access the full recipe on the Milk Street site here. If you are not already a fan, take a run through the site. Christopher Kimball was a co-founder and editor of America’s Test Kitchen before he started his Milk Street gig. The show turns out some amazing recipes and a lot of them are available online.

I served up with coconut rice and salad. For the coconut rice, I had leftover basmati from earlier in the week. I simply heated it in a pan with a can of light coconut milk, a few cloves and one star anise until warmed through. Drain and serve.

If you are an Anthony Bourdain fan, and/or a lover of Asian or Vietnamese cuisine, check out this site, that outlines his travels through Vietnam (and other countries) throughout his career as a travel writer and traveler. Very cool site!

Travel

Travel – Charleston 1 day itinerary

Anyone that knows me or John, knows that we both love to travel. Over the years, we have covered a lot of ground and experienced amazing cultural experiences in many, many cities around the globe. I hope to do a better job of organizing our recommended restaurants and activities to better share with friends, family and other adventurers!

Charleston – Our #1 City

Back in 2012, we had our first trip to Charleston, SC. We booked an old Carriage House behind a grand house on Spring St. To say that we fell in love immediately would be an understatement! The food, architecture, history, parks, people…all of it! We have been back to visit at least every other year, hauling friends and family with us, recommending all of our favorite places and meals. Charleston is our gem, our dream for winter time retirement. Let’s see if I can round up our best of the best and share here for you. Because there is so much to share, I will break it down into 1 day, 3 day and week itineraries. Let’s start with a one day itinerary!

With so much to see in Charleston, a one day itinerary can be daunting! But it is possible to plan ahead and get the most out of the hours you have. Here is my recommended plan of action:

Morning

Breakfast on Broad

Make your way to Broad St. to start your day with a proper French pressed coffee and breakfast. One of my favorite, quirky spots in Charleston is a tiny, French cafĂ©, Gaulart & Maliclet, otherwise known as “Fast and French”. I found this gem on our first trip to Charleston and have made it a breakfast staple on every other trip to the Holy City. The croissants and baguettes are outstanding. I am a ham and cheese croissant fan, but have taken friends and family here and sandwiches, cheese plates, pates and soups of all sorts have been ordered and devoured. We typically go for breakfast, but they have a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is small, and quirky and seating can be tricky, but I simply love this place!

Historic Meeting Street Market

Walk east on Broad. Get a photo of Saint Michael’s Church on the right, as you take a left on Meeting Street. Charleston City Hall and Washington Square will be on your right, both worth a gander and photo op. Continue on Meeting until you see the Charleston City Market on your right. It cannot be missed. Wander through the 4 blocks of market stalls. This is a prime spot for finding something truly local to bring home. Every year, I buy what is called a “rice bracelet“, which is a sterling silver bracelet made of beads that look like grains of rice. They are about $22 and easy enough to wear out of the market as a small token of my trip. There are a lot of vendors selling all sorts of baskets that are made of sweetgrass. They are amazing! If you have the cash (they are not cheap) and the space to store one of them, they are truly unique and would make an awesome gift. Ask the vendor about the history of these baskets. They come with a long local, Gullah history that I am sure they will be glad to share!

Historic Downtown Carriage Tour

Once you have your goodies and have walked off some of your breakfast, head to one of the Carriage Tour Companies just off of the market. These tours are typically about 1 hour and will give you a view of some of the main “not to be missed” sights in Charleston, such as the battery, rainbow row, some unbelievable historic homes south of Broad Street and more! Check out this option for tours, but you can rest assured that outside of the market there will be many reputable vendors that are looking to bring in your business.

Afternoon

Once your tour is complete, swing into Henry’s on the Market for a quick refreshment. The bar is large, they have a rooftop and the bartenders are great! The bathroom could definitely be improved, but they are there and for a quick stop, sufficient enough. Now, it is time for lunch! Head to Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B) or Magnolias for a typical southern lunch. I have had the Southern Medley at S.N.O.B and the fried chicken at Magnolias and would recommend both.

Late Afternoon/Evening

Here is where you have numerous choices. If you are staying in the city, this is when I typically would want to head back to the room or AirBnB for a refresh and a bit of relaxation. From there, options are endless. I will highlight a few options, depending on where you are staying.

Not staying, just hanging through dinner:

Drop into Charleston Place and grab a drink at the Thoroughbred Club to get off your feet for a bit. The atmosphere is swanky and soothing. Charleston Place is an upscale retail area that is attached to the Belmond Hotel, so there are bathrooms, shopping, and tip coming at you here…if you need advice regarding where to go, how to get to your destination etc. drop into the concierge (if they are not busy) and you are likely to get the advice that you need. Grab dinner at Meeting on Market, which is inside Charleston Place, facing the City Market, or alternatively, head to Hank’s. Hank’s is a stand up, amazingly beautiful place for southern seafood, fried chicken, steak and other staples. You cannot go wrong!

Staying downtown and are on foot

Follow the above itinerary. Or alternatively, take a stroll to the Pineapple Fountain at the Charleston Waterfront Park and enjoy the swings on the Waterfront Park Pier. For a very upscale dinner, head to the Peninsula Grill, where you will get, not only an amazing meal, but can try their famous 12 layer coconut, vanilla cake! Or, for a more casual meal, meander you way back to Broad St., to the Blind Tiger Pub, one of Charleston’s oldest establishments for a pint, some socializing and a good meal!

Staying anywhere and/or willing to grab an Uber, Lyft, PediCab or drive yourself!

Options are endless!! In addition to the above recommendation, one of my favorite spots would be Chez Nous. This is a place where the menu changes every day. You will need to check Instagram in the late morning to find out what the menu will be for the day, to ensure it is something you are interested in. Each day, the chef prepares 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. That is the complete menu. You can book through Resy and it is typically not super difficult to get a table once you check the menu. Other options would be Little Jack’s Tavern if you want a seriously awesome burger, or one of my absolute, 100% recommendations, Stella’s. This is a super unique Greek place with a winding bar with diner style stools and food that will have you coming back with every visit to Charleston! The saganaki, octopus and whole fish are out of this world! It is lively, fun, quirky and the food is something to write home about!!

Tips and tricks

There is a free bus service called DASH that can get you around most main areas of Charleston for free. This can be convenient when it happens to be at a stop where you are looking to get a ride. Otherwise, it can be a lot of waiting. If you have one day, take the tour and make the best of the amazing things you can see in the main downtown/French Quarter area of the city. If you decide to come back for numerous days, the DASH becomes a handy tool for when it works out in your favor.

Pedicabs are everywhere along King Street in CHS. Take advantage of them! My husband and I felt ridiculous using these, but after 8 hours of walking, eating and drinking, having the pedicab there, without even a phone app needed, can be amazing. And they are there…looking for business!

Once you have an idea of what time you will begin your day, you can roughly plan for timing of the Tour and meals, so you can plan for reservations. Particularly at Slightly North of Broad for lunch. Resy tends to be the most widely used app in CHS for restaurant reservations.

At Little Jack’s, if you are not up for a full meal after a day of eating your way through the city, ask for the “off the menu”, special of 2 burgers. No fries, sides etc. My husband and I will sometimes opt to split this if we are simply trying to squeeze in one of their burgers while in town!

Reach out to me via the “Contact Me” at the Footer of all pages if you want any further advice or recommendations! I am always happy to help, if I can.

Next up, 3 day and weeklong stay itineraries!

Google Map of Charleston Downtown