Check out this delicious-sounding recipe from a food blogger I follow. If you haven't followed the "Adventures of a Florida Girl in DC," then you're missing out.


adventures of a florida girl in dc...: Sweet Potato Panko Patties

Labels: Food, Recipe

Happy Halloween people! Before you get the slaves kids out the door to fetch candy for you them, it might be a good idea to have a hearty, rib-sticking meal in their stomach. My two-bean chili is a great recipe that keeps little ghosts and goblins full and happy.

It's not often I divulge some of my favorite and best recipes, but I want to share my chili with the masses. This recipe is an evolved version of my mother's "recipe," but neither of us have ever written this down. It's one of those things we just know how to make. So from time to time I make changes, omit something, or add something, but this is the recipe as I made it most recently. 

Justin's Famous Two Bean Beef Chili 

INGREDIENTS
2-3 pounds of 80-90% lean ground beef (you can substitute ground turkey, but you will need to add approximately 3-6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil)
1 Large Red Onion, chopped
3 tbsp of fresh garlic, minced
1 cup of diced green onions (2-3 supermarket bunches)
2 cups of fresh cilantro (1-2 supermarket bunches of fresh Cilantro)
1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups Goya Black Beans (blue label, from the can)
2 cups Goya Red Kidney Beans (blue label, from the can)
1 28-ounce Hunts Whole Tomatoes can (do not use Contadina!)
2 29-ounce Hunts Tomato Sauce cans (do not use Contadina!)
1 cup of Daisy Sour Cream
1 cup of original RO*TEL-brand diced tomatoes and green chilies
1-4 Serrano peppers, cut into 1/8 wide pieces (substitute less-hot jalapeños; both are optional) 

SPICES FROM McCORMICK GOURMET
3 tbsp Ground Cumin
6 tbsp Chili Powder
1 tbsp Garlic Powder
4 tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Ground Cayenne Red Pepper
2 tsp Sea Salt or Kosher Salt (Salt to taste. You can always add but never remove salt from a dish)
1 tbsp Coarse Black Pepper (freshly ground is best; I disagree with reviewer about his opinion of the salt.)

TOOLS YOU NEED TO PREPARE THE CHILI
A very large 8-12 qt. pots like this one from Calphalon
Large pan to brown the beef 

Total estimated cooking time: 3 hours 

In a small bowl, whisk together all the dry spices and spread evenly in a large pan bringing the heat up to sweat the spice mix. This will help release moisture in the spices and add a subtle smokiness to the chili—very similar to the process of creating a proper Cajun roux. After about 3 minutes of heating, add beef and brown. Once your meat is brown, but still pink in the middle, remove from heat and drain half of the fat and juices—save some for flavoring. Heat up your stock pot and toss your chopped onions and minced garlic in the pan. After a minute or so, toss in the beef and the remaining juices.

Now, in no particular order, add the RO*TEL, canned tomatoes, canned tomato sauce, serrano peppers, and 1 cup of chopped cilantro. For each can of tomatoes/tomato sauce, add one can of water. I just fill the cans up with warm water and add to the pot. Bring the chili to a boil, stirring occasionally. [Now is when you would prepare the hush puppies.] Keep chili boiling uncovered for at least one hour. The objective is to boil the chili down. Let simmer uncovered for an additional hour. Then the chili is ready to serve. You may continue to simmer covered for up to one additional hour, but if it will be longer before you eat it is best to turn the heat off.

I usually turn the chili off 20 minutes prior to serving to allow it cool while I prepare the sides. With each bowl of chili, add (in this order) a healthy-sized dollop of sour cream, a big sprinkle of cilantro, lots of cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of diced green onions. Voila! The perfect rib-sticking chili.

SPECIAL NOTE: This recipe can be made as far ahead as one day before it will be eaten for the first time. If I know that I don't want to slave in the kitchen with guests, then I will start the chili in the morning and sit on the stove (with the gas turned off) for as many hours as needed before dinner—a trick my mom taught me. But no matter when you decide to make my chili, you will need at least two solid hours of simmering time for all the flavors to come together.

Justin's Famous Hush Puppies


You didn't seriously think I was going to give this one away. Haha! Maybe if you're lucky I'll put this recipe in your Christmas stocking. But ask anyone who's tasted my hush puppies and you'll hear that my puppies are without equal in the world. They are airy and delicate yet crunchy and substantial. To achieve such hush puppy perfection, all ingredients must be in harmonious balance.


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Check out more photos from this dinner on my Flickr Photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/justinschuck/tags/chili/

More recipes to come at JustinsFamous.com (one day). Until then, find my published recipes here.

Labels: Chili, Food, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe

Tonight I made a grilled London Broil for friends, and I wanted to do something a different with my marinade. So I threw together some smart ingredients and created a rich, smoky marinade that would translate well for all types of game. The key with this marinade is that whatever you are cooking, it needs to be grilled. Real open flame is what I'm talking about people. But regardless of how you make it, here's the recipe for my marinade:

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice (2-4 limes depending on size)
4 tbsp. yellow mustard
2tsp. ground ginger
5 whole cloves of fresh garlic (substitute 3 tbsp minced garlic)
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp freshly ground or cracked black pepper
4 tbsp. finely-ground Starbucks Sumatra Coffee or espresso beans (substitute traditional commercial ground coffee—the darker the roast the better) *
1tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar 

*No, the coffee/espresso will not make your meat taste like coffee. It burns off and adds a smokiness to the meat that feels natural on your palate, rather than chemical like some sauces. Ahem, Liquid Smoke.

Combine all ingredients into a blender and puree on high for 3-5 minutes until smooth. Coffee/espresso grounds may be visible in the mixture if you used pre-ground coffee like Folger's Classic Dark Roast; just make sure all the ingredients are well blended. Pour some marinade into the bottom of whatever pan or dish you will use to marinate your meat. Then place your meat in the pan, smother with marinade and place in the refrigerator, allowing the meat to marinate for at least 4-6 hours prior to cooking. Meat can marinate up to 14 hours, but should not sit much longer.

This will marinade about three or four pounds of meat, depending on the cut. It's always a good idea to make more marinade and set some aside to freeze for another time, than to make too little

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Tonight we had a tenderized 3lb. London Broil that marinated for about 4 hours. I threw the meat on an oiled-up white-hot grill on each side for 8 minutes to achieve perfect medium-rare/medium. (I learned a trick a while back to brush the grill with a bit of olive or vegetable oil to keep the meat from sticking and to help achieve those perfect grill marks. For non-marinated meats, a sprinkling of sugar on the meat will achieve the same effect—and no, it won't make your meat taste sweet.) No picture for tonight's dinner. Zero to stomach in 10 minutes. Sorry, but it was really friggin' good!

Enjoy! 
(And please follow me on Twitter!) 

*I did also discover that I still have not learned how to properly prepare rice. You would think that with all my culinary skills and knowledge of food history that I could prepare this most basic staple. But no, I ruin rice. Someone want to teach me? Now accepting applications.

Labels: Food, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe

Today I was styling food photography images for Marion's Smart Delights-brand gluten-free goodies for her new packaging that is being designed by my L/A Events partner Andrea's design firm After5 Design. Amazing shots we caught (here are a few sneak peeks).


But I had quite a few lemons leftover that were used for props, so when photo shoots give you lemons, make lemonade. Or Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade. It's really simple. (Recipe below images)






Justin's Famous Amazingade Lemonade


INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
8 cups water (1/2 gallon)
3-1/2 cups fresh lemon juice with pulp (10-16 lemons depending on size)
1 lemon sliced into 1/4-inch thick rounds


Bring 2 cup of water and two cups of sugar to a boil making a simple syrup. In a one-gallon container combine simple syrup, 6 cups of cold water, lemon juice with pulp and stir until well mixed. Add lemon slices and pour over ice. If you want to be real fancy, you can garnish with a mint sprig.




This makes for a very tart and very sweet lemonade. Use 2 cups of lemon juice to make for a less tart lemonade. You may also add up to 4 cups of additional cold water to temper the sweetness. Me personally, I like my lemonade intensely tart and sweet, the kind that tickles your cheeks after a heard day of work.


Enjoy.

Labels: Food, Justin Schuck Photography, Justin's Famous, Lemonade, photography, Recipe

In the spirit of giving, I thought it would be appropriate to give the one recipe I've held closest to my heart for so long. Never once did I reveal all of the ingredients to anyone, and especially not the method of the making.

So here it is, after all these years, for you to enjoy. Merry Christmas.

Justin's Famous Mashed Potatoes

INGREDIENTS
7 pounds of Idaho Russet baking potatoes
1 pound of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup of Half and Half (room temperature)
1 cup of Sour Cream
1 cup of Cream Cheese (room temperature)
1 cup (2 sticks) of Salted Butter (room temperature)
1 tbsp of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of Vidalia or white onion, pureed
1/4 cup of green onion, chopped
Sea Salt (Greek or Mediterranean are best)
Coarse Black Pepper (freshly ground is best)
Paprika

WHAT YOU NEED
Hand or Stand Mixer (prefer the former)
Mixing Bowls
Ceramic Casserole Dish or other oven-safe container
Food processor or blender for white onion
and all the standard things like spoons, knives, etc.

Estimated Prep time: 60 minutes
This recipe should be made at least one day in advance of serving. It is important that all the flavors come together in the refrigerator. It is possible to prepare and serve on the same day, and it will taste and feel just fine. The other nice thing is that you can make this dish up to 3 days before serving.

Peel and dice the potatoes into evenly-sized cubes and place into a large stock pot. Boil the potatoes until the are almost done. You still want a very small amount of firmness in the potatoes because they will continue to cook and soften.

While the potatoes are boiling, take your garlic and one stick (1/4 cup) of butter and heat in a small saucepan. This will help the garlic to release the flavor into the butter. Strain butter over a large mixing bowl, or in your stand mixer.

Place the boiled potatoes the bowl with the butter and mix together on high. Add a third of the half-and-half, and the pureed onion. Mix. Add sour cream. Mix. Add cream cheese. Mix. Salt and pepper to taste while mixing on low, but go easy on the pepper. A dash will do ya.

The potato mixture should be fine and virtually lump-free. An errant small lump here or there won't affect the final product. Judge the consistency – they should be thick, not runny – to see if additional half-and-half should be added.

Mix in your cheese and green onions and transfer to your casserole dish. Leave about three eights of an inch of room between the top of your dish and the rim of the dish. You don't want it bubbling over. Cut the remaining stick of butter into 1/2 tbsp squares evenly spaced on top of the potatoes. Dust the top with the lightest dash of salt and a light amount of paprika (for color).

Let the potatoes cool and place in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you are ready to prepare, place the potatoes in a 350º oven and heat uncovered until the butter has melted and created a lightly brown crust.

Serve and enjoy!

(The real secret comes the following morning. If there are any potatoes left over, I take my cold potatoes and make 2-3 inch, 1/2 inch thick potato pancakes. Just pat them with a healthy coating of flour and fry in vegetable or sunflower oil. But don't kid yourself, there is nothing healthy about this positively gluttonous breakfast treat.)

Once you make these, you'll know why they're called "Justin's Famous Mashed Potatoes," and you'll never want to make mashed potatoes any other way.

* This recipe has evolved from the recipes of two amazing women: my mom, and Bonnie Dickman. Thanks for everything you've done, and everything you do.

Labels: Family, Food, Holidays, Justin Schuck, Justin's Famous, Recipe, Secret

From a very early age we are told that heaven is a place of comely clouds, airy angels and peacefully pleasant people. We are taught that hell is a place of fire, of demons, of haunted suffering souls. Perhaps this is true, but I have yet to meet a soul who's holidayed in either and returned to tell the tale. In the mean time, you'll have to muddle through my conjecture.

In the hell I see, you are surrounded by an endless banquet of the finest foods ever prepared. I dare say even better than my mom's. There are biscuits and croissants and homemade marmalades. Fresh blackberry jams and jellies are no more than an arm's length away. There are hams and yams and pheasants galore. Roasted duck shares the table with lamb kabobs, naan and saffron rice. Oh the saffron rice. Fanciful fruits and vegetables of the ripest fields fill the empty spaces between people and plates. Little bowls are filled with sweet cream butter just waiting for a chance to meet your toast. Goblets and glasses filled with wine and spirits accompany teas and smoothies freshly made. There is no direction that you can see where there isn't something more delicious than the place you looked previously.

Millions and billions, and perhaps even thousands, share a place at this vast banquet, yet not a soul is eating. In hell, the food never gets cold, the enticing scent never dissipates. A sweetly savory steam rises from turkey stew simmering nearby. Yes, hell is a place of endless reward and limitless suffering. But how could anyone suffer in such a place? The condemned seated at this colossal fete are unable to eat, for they have forks and spoons strapped tight to length of their arms. Wrists and elbows are unable to bend the trapped souls closer to the food they cannot eat. Their necks are uncranable making the snacks unsnackable. The suffering is as infinite as the feast.

The souls, so consumed by their own torment hardly notice the suffering of their neighbor, much less the one missing ingredient that makes all the trappings tastier. Incidentally, it's the same ingredient that makes the sun shine shinier, the water waterier, the carrots crunchier, and the companionship closer. As you may have by now guessed, the lost enchantment is love. Love is missing. The love of family, the love of friends, the love of God. So they sit and sit and sit until it's time to sit some more. The food's still warm, but the tortured see the longer side of eternity before the food sees the inside of their stomachs.

In heaven there is the same bounty with buttery croissants, honey-roasted hams, blackberry jams and endless glasses of wine. Roasted chicken shares space with freshly caught salmon fillets, and a good pot of chili gurgles close.

Many trillions and quadrillions, and maybe millions, of rewarded souls in heaven have forks and spoons strapped tightly to their arms. They too cannot bend their wrists and elbows, but suffer they do not. At the banquet table in heaven, everyone enjoys every effervescent eat because in the presence of love, in the presence of God, they feed each other.

By feeding our neighbors, we feed ourselves.

Labels: Creative Writing, Faith, Family, Food, Heaven, Homeless, Justin Schuck, Podcast, Religion, Volunteer

I've started a new diet. (Today's actually day three.) And I've started a new blog:

http://justinsdietblog.blogger.com

Check it out! Follow my progress and learn ways to monitor your eating habits, and find healthy new recipes for successful healthy living!

UPDATED: December 27, 2008

Justin's Diet Blog has been deleted and its posts have been transferred to JustinSchuck.com/blog for reference.

Labels: bethesda, Blog, Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Healthy Living, Justin Schuck

(Sorry for yet another non-photography-related blog, but I just had to!)

Last night I went to dinner with an old friend at Mama Ayesha's. Oh my goodness! Can I just say how much I loved it. The hummus we ordered for an appetizer came with some nice and soft chick peas and some pickled turnips which were really good.

I've really taken a liking to Middle Eastern cuisine, especially with my oft-scheduled trips to Dubai and the GCC. So the hummus was great, the Lebanese wine was fantastic, the Lamb Shank I ordered was so fall-off-the-bone tender I almost cried. Our server Mohammad was attentive, our water glasses were always filled and there was a peace about the place. We ordered baklava for dessert and it was the perfect blend of honey and spices. Baklava is one of my absolutely favorite food items and Mama Ayesha's did not disappoint.

In fact, Amy and I were enjoying ourselves so much that even after dinner and after we paid our bill, we ordered another glass of wine and enjoyed the ambiance.

Bottom Line...
It was a great way to cap-off what might have otherwise been a bad food day. You would be missing a true gem if you missed out on Mama Ayesha's.

Labels: Dubai, Food, Justin Schuck, washington dc

(Sorry, business and photography-unrelated blog to follow...)

I have never in my life ever been so disappointed with a food item in my life. I cannot even begin to describe to you just how significantly let down I feel. All I wanted was something ridiculously greasy and delicious.

One would think that if you put "Philadelphia" in the name of the business, it has to adhere to at least some basic "hero" principles:

• The Sandwich must be greasy
• There should be loads of meat and cheese
• The sandwich should be HOT
• It should taste good enough for me to want to divorce a family and move in behind the counter to get closer that greasy, meaty, cheesy deliciousness.

But that did not happen today. I ventured over to Philadelphia Mike's on Wisconsin Avenue in Bethesda upon the recommendation of a colleague. I remember recently reading an article and watching a local newscast about where to find the area's best cheese steaks, and both news outlets marked Philadelphia Mike's as a top place to go.

Here are my thoughts:

• The sandwich was warm at best
• The meat had been pre-cooked and was essentially only reheated with cheese on the griddle -- therein lies their fatal mistake. They lost all the fat that give said sandwich its flavor.
• The bread was satisfactory at best if not altogether substandard.
• There was so much mayonnaise it was like having mayo soup with a side of bread and meat.
• All good subs should have a base amount of sodium to whet the palate and there was clearly no desire to adjust the flavor of the sandwich with any kind of mild seasoning or salt to the meat. But again, I go back to the fact that they reheated the meat.
  
• I had to wait over 15 minutes between ordering and delivery after I had waited over 20 minutes to get to the point of ordering (but I did go at 1pm at the peak of the lunch rush)
• The soda machine produced an overly fizzy beverage that lost its bubbles quickly and the drink tasted as if it was of questionable origin
• The french (or "freedom") fries were great. I would have liked even more Old Bay seasoning, but I understand that they have to strike a balance. They were crispy on the outside and soft and potatoey in the inside, although they were slightly on the overdone side. (The best thing about them though was their size. They were huge and thick, none of that shoestring nonsense.
• The staff was friendly and appeared to enjoy working there.

Bottom line...
I've actually had a better Philly cheese steak from McDonald's. But in the end, I'm out less than nine bucks and I'm full.

Labels: bethesda, Food, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Montgomery County, Philadelphia Mikes