I'm hitching a ride with my girlfriend to a conference she's attending in Florida this week.  Timing couldn't be better as I'm getting completely fed up with the snow here.  Usually I don't mind the winter too much, but it's just been completely relentless this year.

Unfortunately, that means this blog's going to be updated even less than it has been lately.  So, please be patient, my faithful readers.  Maybe if you're good, I'll bring you back a present!  :)  I'll try to at least bring back a culinary adventure or two. 

Yes, this did taste as good as it looks.  Maybe even better.

Our local flagship Wegmans has started stocking a little refrigerated box of products by D'Artagnan, a company that I first heard about on someone else's food blog (sorry can't remember which one now).  They sell a lot of high quality, hard to find, gourmet ingredients at what seem to me to be fair prices.  Anyway, I'm thrilled that some of their products are so readily available now.  So far, I've tried their andouille sausage and Duck and Veal Demi-Glace.  I've been very pleased with both.  The andouille helped turn this breakfast into "The best home fries I've ever had".  I'm always a little suspicious of myself in making that type of claim, but I did try hard to search my memory for better home fries with no luck. 

This recipe made enough to leave two people craving more.

3 medium yukon gold potatoes about 1/3" dice
1 small onion sliced thin
1/4 lb Andouille Sausage diced same as potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Hot Sauce
Paprika
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and briefly start cooking.  Add potatoes, butter, and some salt and pepper.  Cover for a few minutes so that the potatoes can steam a bit.  In your best Homer Simpson voice say, "steaming in butter, ummmmmm".  When the potatoes have softened a little bit, take the lid off and turn the heat up to med-high.  Add the onions, hot sauce, and paprika to taste.  Cook and toss frequently until the potatoes are crisp on all sides.

Top with a poached egg.

...it seems to me like Bobby Flay got, how do I put this, ripped off! From a new New York Times article in which Mr. Flay's cooking steak:

"If truth be told, even Mr. Flay seemed taken aback by the price of the beef. The porterhouse had cost $55; the strip, $38.50."

Does anyone else out there pay that much for steak from a butcher? We had a couple gorgeous Delmonicos from BJ's Wholesale Club last night, they cost an order of magnitude less, and tasted marvelous. Tender, great marbling and texture, I couldn't ask for much more. The article also mentions that he's cooking dinner for his actress girlfriend. But I'm sure the price of the steak, and his desire to impress her are completely unrelated.

Forget angelica root and calendula scented candles.  If you're looking for some aromatherapy try grinding up some toasted cumin and coriander seeds by hand in a mortar and pestle.  Of course, I'm not sure if the exotic aroma or the act of grinding is more therapeutic.  Whatever it was, afterwards my shoulders were less tense, my chi was focused, and I was ready to cook some ground lamb.

I was adjusting the seasoning for the stuffing of this dish so much that I really have no idea of the quantities.  But what we have here is 1/2 pound ground lamb, diced pancetta, garlic, onions, mushrooms, fresh ground cumin and coriander, thyme, cilantro, and breadcrumbs.  I sautéed these all up in the logical order and stuffed the mixture into a orange bell pepper and halved Italian sweet pepper.  These were topped with sliced and diced tomatoes.  I put them on a foiled baking sheet with a bunch of halved and trimmed baby zucchini coated with olive oil, salt, pepper, and more of the cumin and coriander.  These all went into a 350F over for about half an hour. 

I served these on top of some couscous that I cooked to package directions and then tossed with sautéed onions, mushrooms, butter, cilantro, more of the ground spices, lemon juice, and a bit of truffle oil.