Homemade Garlic Rosemary chips

Cheap isn't the word... It did require a half cup of olive oil. This meal emerged out of have two ingredients: My roommate's nice olive oil, and my 5 lb bag of potatoes. I threw rosemary and garlic in the hot oil and dusted chips with cayenne powder (not pictured here). Use the long sharp setting on a cheese grater to cut chips thin then fry til crispy (15 minutes)–everyone has good thyme! Warning: this will make a mess.

C.T.D.

Couscous, Turmeric, Dates (3). All ingredients lived out of the left side of the cupbord above the sink. Just add water.

Tussn'Tonic

Feeling a bit under the weather? Try mixing the effectiveness of an over the counter sleep aid with the fun of a mixed drink. 1 part tonic water; 1 part cranberry cocktail; a recommended dosage of Nyquil (30ml... give or take). Garnish with lemon. Think classy sizzurp lite.

Shallow fried Salmon Bake

Baked salmon... Shallow fried in olive oil with rosemary and whole garlic in the oven at 375° for 25 minutes. The salmon was ridiculously good and ridiculously inexpensive. Young Chang Fish Corporation in Brooklyn, sells 1 lb filet for something like $6.99. They can also make you a serious fried fish sandwich on Wonder bread for $5.

Sicilian style ravioli with Anchovies and Dates and Rosemary

It is crucial to plan around thanksgiving... The day before should serve as a primer and the day after should serve as a recovery. The day before thanksgiving I woke up and made some BOMB pasta (ate it), and I don't plan to eat again til the turkey. [Started with Rosemary in some olive oil, dropped in a few chopped dates and some anchovies, followed by crushed tomatoes (ala can). The Ravioli was on sale at MET Foods.

Risotto Americano

This exaggeratedly American risotto is topped with homemade potato chips, sliced razor thin and baked on a sheet with olive oil, and garnished with avocados. The Risotto was reduced in a vegetable stock and infused with velveeta "cheese product" and spring onions. Unfortunately it wasn't quite enough for a party of 6, so an XL anchovy pizza had to be ordered from Pizza Box.

Grilled chuck steak and lamb leg steaks in chimichurri sauce

Grilling beef and lamb steaks in the summer time is an urban legend, in the sense that it is legendary. These were marinated and finished with a chimichurri sauce made with grille limes, grilled leeks, and cilantro pureed in the magic bullet.

Brew Dog Hardcore IPA

Extremely Hoppy

Extremely Floral

High ABV

goes excellent with the brunch special at Cafe Himalaya * a notable BYOB on first avenue, 1st street, manhattan.

Narragansett Amber Bock

A really refreshing and sharp hoppy ale; $1.99 for 16 oz of %7 ABV goodness

Salmon and greens (and other colors)

Throwing a shit ton of meat* and vegetables on the grill never hurts. Limes, garlic and cilantro made for a fantastic chimichurri sauce prepared by a Mr. Francis. Pork bellies, chicken legs, and breasts were complimented by 1800 Tequila and a homemade Bread Salad.

*and fish (as depicted above).

"Porterhouse for One"

The ideal date; me, myself, and I... and a Porterhouse (rare), good light lager, and a mild H. Upmann cigar. -- Porterhouse was raised in Flemmington NJ and saw the Weber grill for about two minutes each side, non presoak charcoal. I saw a 6 pac of the grolsh while driving balls in the back yard; I wouldn't recommend swinging anything heavier than a 3 wood on a full stomach.

Traditional mothers day raw meat plate

Dear mom,

You had me, so in return please have this huge plate of italian sausages, lamb chops, and veal.

(to be continued...)

In honor of the royal wedding

I drank a historic english beer, was a very dark and nutty pale ale.

Breakfast 2112

Get my 4.20 breakfast right with a vitamin, oatmeal with bananas and maple syrup, and a poached egg. Always eat breakfast--

Indian coq au vin chicken leg "Chana"

One left over chicken leg braised in some really old bordeaux turned vinagre, onions, various currys, bay leaves, and cloves, then baked at high heat re braised and baked again quickly (the braised reduction was added in the last baking). The indian spice acted as an excellent counter point to the intense acidity of the wine vinagre.

Mac & Cheese Pizza

Homemade Pizza with tomato paste, small bits of chorizo and an entire box of instant mac & cheese. I wanted to make a banh-mi pizza, but the ingredients were too expensive. Needless to say this $6 personal pizza offers maximum carbohydrates for minimal expenditure.

Grilled salmon head

The New School's second annual New Urban Grilling Society Vegetable and Meating was held this past friday. Among many dishes (braised spareribs, bacon/ chorizo/ apple chicken breasts, fillet mignon shish kabobs) by far the most esthetically interesting dish was the grilled salmon cheeks... Kick ass.

Pinto Lamb Masala

Radiating out from center. Gallo pinto, ground lamb, and homemade masala (tomato paste, lentils, and curry powders). Thats what you get when three people bring miscellany to a potluck

shrimp shumai with roasted garlic

Shumai came in a bag of 50 for $9 from Sunshine Mart. Garlic found in fridge... Need I say more.

Lamb burger stuffed with feta and topped with hot pickles

To celebrate the subletting of Stanton street (and the hopeful prospects of a road trip to New Orleans) lamb burgers were made with a fantastic and very inexpensive local feta. The lamb's mild gaminess was excited by the stringent salty feta. Recommendations were also made to infuse the meat with cardamon; however, these were disregarded. No ketchup was needed.

Morning after eggs, sausages, & onions

Morning after eggs have to be cooked to perfection, as these four definitely are. Contrasted against Sausages, bought on clearance at a Dollar Tree in Flemmington, New Jersey last September, brought a syncretic undertone to an already classic dish. Onions browned in olive oil.

Garlic Butter Shells

Attempted return to, (highfalutin ization of), a childhood favorite. Baked Garlic whole and then cut in two; could have baked the garlic for another few minutes.

Pizza salad over easy

Waking up with all your clothes and lights on and a hangover is a situation that makes me want to say its all down hill from here. Thank god left over pizza can easily become the brunch. Hayley's two day old pizza re dressed with olive oil, tomato sauce, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and hot pepper flakes; topped with one egg over easy and baked for 10 minutes is a definite hangover home remedy. It is also good to eat arugula.

Study sesh brunch -- Jalapeño Papaya Tuna salad with Papaya Cayenne pepper bruschetta and greens

A less than productive study session was... complimented, with a spicy, sinus clearing, brunch. Although my friend Jaclyn didn't have her Urban studies syllabus, or any information regarding the Seward Park housing project she did validate my cooking, which was very nice. -- The tuna (2 cans) cost about $5, the bread was left over Francois Payard, the Papaya was another... $3. Totally worth the failed study sesh.

Post Modern Macaroni Salad

In the never ending attempt to push the culinary envelope/ with great lack of funds, the post modern macaroni salad emerged. Ice Berg lettuce piled high with lightly cheesed macaroni and cut up avocados is a brutish dish yet complex in its simplicity and very filling. -- can feed two people sufficiently for just under $5.

Carrot Birthday Cake

For Haley's 22nd birthday Blake home-made a carrot cake, which was enjoyed by all. Big up's Blake.

Coq au vin

Six bottles of wine divided between four people (not to mention the two used to make the chicken) only helped to enhance a midnight dinner prepared by Blake. Coq au vin served with a traditional french rue and a side of potatoes.

Eggs in a basket with bangers and bordeaux braised tomatoes

My friend Ellen and I watched some pretty serious documentaries on people who sleep with inanimate objects (Objectum Sexuality) and (Guys and Dolls) over a noon breakfast. The toast is a sweet milk bread from asian bake shop (Pan Ya) and the tomatoes were braised in (wine vinegar), a bottle of bordeaux opened two months prior.

"Left over" scrambled eggs

A week in a St. Maarten timeshare with my extended family resulted in more than enough left-overs. The last morning there I tried to incorporate them into scrambled eggs for two of my cousins. Left overs include but are not limited to: prosciutto, bacon, turkey bacon, grilled leeks, fried onion rings, potatoes au'gratin, and a diced whole fried fish

Hummus battered Olive Oil fried Onion rings

After spending all my money on rotisserie chickens (Eastside Poultry), beer and groupons I only had a buck left to make a side dish. One dollar for onions, battered in powdered hummus mix (found in the recesses of my food cupboard) and shallow fried in olive oil made quite the side.

Steak and eggs on croissant

Dill spätzle with scottish smoked salmon and sweet creamy horseradish

Carib Lager

The finest Caribbean beer money can buy.

Beef Wellington (smeared with duxelle and goose liver paté)