Books read so far this summer: 4
Books on-hold at the library to be picked up tomorrow: 4

Plus an additional book at the library for which I'm #8 on the waiting list.

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I absolutely hate the term/phrase 'untimely death'.

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Does no one here use Twitter?! I just searched for everyone I could think of and found only one person. (You weren't last, nor least, don't worry.)

I've been on there for awhile now but I admit I rarely update despite its extreme simplicity. I think I mostly ignore it because no one follows my status anyhow.

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Cooking brisket in the oven is a time consuming process, but also a very rewarding one. When your family and friends take their first bite of your delicious brisket, they will most definitely be asking you for the recipe. This article will make you a brisket cooking pro!

Did you know that at one time, brisket was considered a very poor quality meat? History has it, that two brothers from Germany, back in the 1950's decided to smoke up some leftover brisket they had. They left the brisket inside their smokehouse for an entire weekend. When they returned to work they sliced up the meat and served it to their customers. The meat was so flavorful and tender that it quickly became a hit.

I remember the first time I had the pleasure of eating beef brisket. It was at this fabulous little Barbecue Restaurant in Croton-On-Hudson, NY called Memphis Maes.....

Click here to read the rest of this article on cooking brisket in the oven...

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While I was watering the lawn last night (or, rather, watching the sprinkler water it for me), I was messing around in the driveway, shooting hoops. I didn't even have regular shoes on, just my pair of sandals. But man, I was hitting everything. At one point, I told Tracey that I thought I could hit any shot I took. I walked away from the basket, with my back to it, and flung the ball over my shoulder and it went in -- nothing but net. hahahaha

It was awesome.

(What do you mean this isn't the kind of life update you wanted?!)

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Corned Beef

Before the wonderful invention we so easily take for granted today called refrigeration, people had to rely on other methods to preserve meats. In the past, they used a method called “Corning” which had absolutely nothing to do with corn. Corning got its name because of the corn-sized crystals of salt that were used for dry curing the meat. Today, brines are used to replace the dry corning method. The brine used for corned beef is typically a liquid mixture made up of water, salt, sugar and spices. The ingredients are brought to a boil and then allowed to cool. The beef brisket is then placed in the brining liquid and refrigerated for a number of days, depending on how thick the brisket is...

Click here to learn how to cook corned beef...

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I made this particular dish the other day and it was absolutely wonderful. My wife, who normally does not eat big portions, cleaned off her plate and wanted more, so that is a very good sign.

The thickness of the tuna steak you use really depends on how rare you like your tuna. Because you are only searing the outside of your tuna steak, it will not be in the pan for very long. So the thicker the steak, the more rare the center will be.

I personally do not like my tuna too rare, so I usually make this recipe with thinner cuts of tuna. This is just a preference, not a requirement. Many people, including chefs say the only way to eat tuna is rare. I guess you will have to be the judge.

Let us move on to the recipe shall we?

Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with a Cilantro, Garlic and Lime sauce..

I should mention one thing before we begin this recipe. I do not follow exact measurements in recipes. I measure everything by eye, so the following measurements are only to be used as a guide. So don't get too mad at me!

This is optional, but I like to toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan first before I put them on the tuna. The seeds become nutty and aromatic when you toast them. This is highly recommended if you have the time and is quite easy to do. Simply heat a dry pan over medium heat, then add the seeds shaking the pan occasionally. You may have to do this in batches, depending on how many seeds you are toasting. You do not want to overcrowd the pan. Keep an eye on the seeds and make sure they do not burn. Toast them until they darken a bit and start to become fragrant. Remove and let them cool before adding them to the tuna.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Cup Black Sesame Seeds
1/4 Cup White Sesame Seeds
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 - 6 ounce Ahi (Also known as Yellow Fin) Tuna Steaks
Salt and Pepper to Taste

MARINADE/ DIPPING SAUCE

1/ 2 Cup of Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Who needs the extra sodium, right?)
1 Lime (Juice and Zest - If you want more lime flavor, add another)
1- 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
2 Tablespoons of Honey
1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Cilantro Leaves

1) Prepare the marinade. Add all marinade ingredients to a small bowl and mix well. Reserve half of this marinade in a separate container to use as a dipping sauce.

2) Get a glass baking dish or other non-reactive container to marinade the tuna in. You want the tuna steaks to fit snuggly in the dish so that they are surrounded nicely with the marinade. Pour the marinade into the dish and put the tuna steaks in and kind of swirl the marinade around so that you coat the fish well. Cover with some plastic wrap and refrigerate. Another option is to pour the marinade in a large zip lock bag, add the tuna, and then squeeze out the air. Marinade for 30 minutes to an hour, turning the tuna about half way through.

3) Remove tuna from fridge and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes or so.

4) Remove tuna from marinade, shaking off any excess marinade and dry on paper towels.

5) Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. The oil should be hot but not smoking.

6) While the pan is heating, arrange your sesame seeds on a flat dish. Roll the tuna around in the seeds pressing down as you roll ensuring the seeds are packed into the tuna nicely.

7) Add the tuna to the hot saute pan and shake it a bit to make sure the tuna does not stick. Sear for 30 to 40 seconds on both sides.

8) Remove and serve with the reserved dipping sauce.

For side dishes with this recipe I usually keep things pretty bland as I don't want anything to compete with the flavors in the tuna. So I usually prepare a side of steamed green beans with a bit of butter, salt and pepper or other vegetable along with some lightly seasoned jasmine or basmati rice.

There you have it. I do hope you enjoy this Seared Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna recipe. I am not a big wine drinker, but for those of you who like a glass or two with dinner, I heard a nice Pinot Grigio goes quite well with Tuna. Buon Appetito!

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Happy Birthday, Shesgot!!! Hope you have a great one!!

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Here is a little tip to keep in mind as you are making this delicious ground beef recipe. There is a chance that your ground beef steaks can fall apart while cooking. To prevent this from happening, form your steak patties and put them in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before you start cooking. This will help hold your steaks stay together.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 tablespoon montreal steak seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 small package of freshly sliced portobello mushrooms or by them whole and slice yourself
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock

Directions:

1. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, egg, garlic, onion, steak seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. From the mixture, make steak shaped patties that are about 2 inches thick.

2 Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef patties and cook about 4 minutes per side until the outside of the steaks are nicely browned and the juices run clear. Remove the steaks and cover with foil to keep them warm.

3 Add the rest of the olive oil along with the butter to the same pan. Add your mushrooms and then cook over medium heat until they are tender. Approximately 5 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the flour to the mushrooms, mix and cook for about 2 minutes. Slowly add in your beef stock. Stir and cook until your sauce has thickened.

5. Pour gravy over steaks and serve.�

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I was born and raised in California. I lived there the first almost-24 years of my life.

Living in Kentucky for the past almost-five-years, people have many times assumed that I must be some kind of earthquake expert (okay, we were trained well in school, etc.). People assume I must have lived through The Big One(tm) or at least a reasonable facsimile thereof. People are often surprised to hear that nope, I never so much as felt a tremor my entire life.

Until today.

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