Steak au Poivre is one of those gorgeous meals that fills the house, is showy to make in front of guests and makes you want to curl into the couch after dinner, completely content and satisfied. Tenderloin filets are pan fried and then added to a rich, creamy pepper sauce. Sometimes you need a showstopper.  Maybe you are trying to impress a date with your cooking skills, maybe you need to show up some food snobs at your next dinner party, or maybe you’re just having an old friend over. ... more

We try to maintain active social lives, and even though the O6 are a busy family, we usually are able to cram all of our family commitments in and still have time for the occasional show at First Ave. , movie with the gang, or random gathering at a local dining establishment.  This was not the case last week.  We were invited to a happy hour at The Lyndale Tap House, a bar in Uptown Minneapolis which specializes in a classic Baltimore cuisine (yeah, I know, that sounds like an oxymoron) – pit... more

Summer is gone. The 42 degree motorcycle ride to work this morning made it official for me. It is October, over a month past Labor Day. This year was an especially good Labor Day. We hosted our first (annual according to the neighbors) Ribfest and it was a great success. The idea has been brewing for a while now. Every time we make real BBQ people want to know how it’s done, and I happily tell them. Unfortunately, that can take over an hour because I really like to talk about BBQ (real... more

You’ve probably read my other posts about beef tenderloin or filet mignon cuts, and as I’ve explained before, this is something that we would buy only on special occasions because of its higher price.  But not only are full tenderloins cheaper per pound than it’s trimmed and cut filet mignon brothers, but there are sales (try $5.88/lb or even $4.88/lb) on a semi-regular basis at our local food mart.  Regular enough in fact, that just about the time our tenderloin stockpile is... more

It’s summer in Minnesota, and that can mean many things to many people.  For me, it’s not really summer until the road side stands pop up offering cucumbers, melons, potatoes and, of course, sweet corn.  Now, it can’t be just any kind of sweet corn.  You see, I grew up spoiled.  My Uncle Duane had a farm in Southern Minnesota where he raised beef cattle, soybeans and sweet corn, and when the corn was ripe, he’d call my dad and we’d grab a stack of paper bags, head... more

I would imagine that for most people the word tuna conjures up images of soggy tuna salad sandwiches made with too much mayo and pickle juice.  Or better yet, a classic Midwestern tuna hot dish (read casserole for the rest of the country) with egg noodles and potato chips on top.  And these aren’t necessarily bad images.  I’m quite fond of a properly prepared tuna melt, but one thing is for sure: tuna is a polarizing protein.  At least the canned variety is, people either like it... more

Followers of this blog know that when it comes to fish, salmon is the family favorite.  It is readily available, affordable when purchased in bulk, and quite versatile as evidenced here, here and here.  We do salmon many different ways and they’re all quite tasty, but in my opinion, this method takes the cake. Smoked salmon.  The words get the kids running towards the table no matter what time it is.  We like it with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, mixed with mayo for a lunchtime... more