Technique: Bridging

THE mussels recipe in this weeks Date Night calls for 2 cups of white wine. Mussels pair exceptionally well with a crisp sauvignon blanc.

To get the most out of your wine in a dish like steamed mussels its a good idea to use a technique called "bridging."

All you need to do to "bridge" is serve the same wine you cooked with. That way the flavors in the food already go with the flavors in the glass. It's really that simple. And you thought it was going to be a complicated technique.

My advice: pick up two bottles of the same sauvignon blanc when your shopping for your hot date. No need to spend a lot of money on the wine, you can find some great sauvignon blancs for under $12.

Wines from the Sancerre region in the Loire Valley of France

are some of the best examples of sauvignon blanc in the world.

Photo courtesy of Stock Food

If you want to get a fancy, more expensive bottle -- a Sancerre perhaps -- go for it, Tex. Just cook with a cheaper one, don't blow your bank roll for cooking wine. While not technically bridging, it does the trick, too.

Cheers!

Some Friendly Mussels, eh?

THIS WEEKS Date Night recipe is about the simplicity and elegance of mussels. They are remarkably quick to prepare, which is great for date nights. I mean, who wants to be stressed out about cooking before a date arrives?
Time is probably better served trying to figure out which Air Supply album you're going to play.
P.E.I. mussels are great to use for these date nights. These canadian mollusks -- they hail from Prince Edward Island, but you knew that -- keep true to the friendly image of our neighbors to the north. They have established their reputation on being incredibly consistent and have a large amount of plump meat for the size of the shell. New York Times columnist Mark Bittman has a great blog on P.E.I. mussels here.
Also, I have found them to be incredibly low-maintenance. Just rinse them well with cold water and pick through the bag for broken shells. Give the scrub with a scouring pad if they look dirty. If their shell is noticeably broken, they're dead. Rest assured, all other dead ones will be found after the cooking process.
They do still need to be de-bearded. No sweat, it's an easy process.
The mussel's beard is a small patch of what looks like hair -- or, beard -- that is poking out from the between the shells. Simply, grab hold of it, and pull down toward the bottom of the shell. It should rip off easily. Use a paper towel if it helps you grip the beard. Sometimes you won't find a beard, that's okay, too.

Mussels are alive when you buy them (ideally) and by removing the beard you kill them. So you shouldn't remove it until your ready to cook.
Cheers!

Enjoy Some Love Mussels

OYSTERS HAVE ALWAYS been considered an aphrodisiac, but their cousins the mussel are frequently overlooked.

This is a shame.

Mussels and bread? A match made in heaven.

Mussels are sophisticated, their plump morsels of meat briny and delicate. Steamed in a wine broth and finished with butter and parsley they approach perfection.

This Little Piggy

Decorate your desktop with some pig.

A long time ago, in a better time, a man smarter than I -- a ladies man, and Founding Father to boot -- Benjamin Franklin once famously stated that, "Beer is proof that God loves us."

Cheers, Mr. Franklin. I'll drink to that.
But, I have to say, while you were on to something, you were wrong. I offer my humble correction:
Pork is proof that God loves us.
Now, I'll EAT to that.

It's summer time and chances are you're wearing flip-flops. Here's an honest question for you. Can you name all the piggies on your foot?

One stayed home, one had roast beef. One used to go "wee-wee-wee" all the way home.
Well, it seems that this time, the little piggy is here to stay.

A post-Avant Garde superstar, emerging from the gastronomic embers of the molecular machines at El Bulli, WD-50 and Moto, the humble swine has shed the curse of being the "other white meat".

Bursting into the foreground quicker than a pop-star changes costumes, pig is suddenly the newest old thing restaurants and chefs have discovered.

It seems as if the molecular gastronomy wave has finally broke, and pig trotters, porchetta and even a bacon explosion are left swimming in the tidal pool.

The bacon explosion: fresh pork sausage wrapped

in a bacon weave. Can you say, heart attack?

While the rest of the world has been concerned with foams, engineered "caviar," and has been too busy toying with the idea of what food is existentially, the humble swine has stuck its snout back into the heart of chefs who want to celebrate what food is naturally.
There is nothing that a pig can't do well. For a simple reason: Pig is delicious.

It's nothing new. In fact, it has long been rumored that if Italians could catch the oink, they would find a way to cook that part of the pig, too. It is a recession after all.
Hell, you can even cook the skin and its about the tastiest thing you've ever eaten.

While nose to tail eating had been a necessity for most of human civilization, it has come back into vogue for the past 10 years.

Sure, it's been blasted for being high in cholesterol. Not to mention being high in fat and high in sodium. It's been lauded as a diet buster for years. But, there is truth to the statement that it makes everything taste better.

It does a body good: The bacon bra. Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Photo courtesy of.

Welcome!

Sup, dude--
Chances are, if you've found this blog you like to eat. Well, belly up to the keyboard 'cause you'll be in good company.
Welcome to "Dude Food." This is a place all about eating good food, nothing fluffy or overly pretentious here. Just food for the modern guy. Now, that doesn't mean every recipe is going to be steak and potatoes, and it's not going to always feature something grilled.
It's going to be all about food that guys should know how to cook. Or something you can cook, or something you might want to learn to cook. Recipes will cover anything. One day it might be something to make for the big game, or something sophisticated to cook for that hot date.
There will also just be posts about food to make you think. Some good, old-fashioned food for thought. In fact, just about everything posted here will be food related to the modern guy.
Why?
Because I am one. I'm just an average guy who likes to cook. Mostly, I like to eat and write about it, and they always say to write what you know.
Sure, I've graduated from culinary school. But, this food isn't going to be pretentious or "chefy." It'll be straight forward man's food with an everyday accessibility. Don't worry, I'll walk you through techniques you might need to learn or just want to add to your culinary judo.
I firmly believe that the modern man should know how to cook. No fear, regardless of your cooking ability, or your culinary know-how, you'll find something that you like here. It's just food, dude.
Come back soon, and feel free to leave a comment. Let's talk.
Cheers!

-- Big E