I hope you and yours are healthy, happy and safe.

Holiday Baking WITH NARCOTICS...

Better than Tryptophan!

BAKING NARCOTIC TUNE: 

Ke$ha - Your Love Is My Drug 

May your Thanksgiving holiday be chill as fuck. : )

Easy Halloween Catered Fun at the office...

I hosted the Halloween Office party this year.

Que the party tunes now...

Leon Redbone The Witch Queen Of New Orleans

(God rest his soul) 

Tré Taylor Halloween 2019 -This is the handmade mask I bought on Bourbon Street in New Orleans last month!

Tré Taylor Halloween 2019- The Tattoo Tights went over well at the office.

I had so much to do, I ended up ordering great Mexican catering and had it delivered.  I ended up adding plastic spiders, scorpions and severed limbs to the table to add extra scary flavor.

The cheap skull with the open mouth I bought at the party store, was nicknamed "Ralph" in the guacamole presentation.

 

Remember to have fun with your food ya'll.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!

Zucchini Lasagna Swirls ~ Keto Goodness

I have lost a huge amount of weight in 2019 staying on a ketogenic diet. I have been experimenting with all kinds of Keto-friendly recipes. Here is one that is super yummy and healthy you may enjoy.

 

SAY YES, to Sexy, Healthy, Comfort Food.

INGREDIENTS: 

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

4 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 24 ⅛-inch-thick strips

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ pound ground Italian sausage, casing removed

1½ cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 large egg

¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups marinara sauce, divided

2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

SMOKING MUSIC SELECTION: Floetry - Say Yes

PREPARATION:

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Lay zucchini slices flat in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each side with 1/4 teaspoon salt; let stand 15 minutes.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks; drain excess fat.  In a medium bowl, combine sausage, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, basil and garlic; season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spread 1 cup marinara sauce onto the bottom of a 1o-inch oven-proof skillet; set aside.  Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture evenly along each zucchini slice; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese. Roll up and place in the prepared skillet; repeat with remaining zucchini slices and filling.

Top with remaining 1/2 cup marinara sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lasagna rolls are heated through and the cheese is beginning to brown.  SAY YES and Serve immediately to the one you love. XXXOOO III

Smoked Duck with Grilled Summer Peaches in Port

SUMMER PEACHES + SMOKED DUCK = Winning!

It's time to bust out the summer smoker and get your grilling on ya'll! Smoked duck is amazing and this port wine sauce takes this fresh fun summer recipe over the top!

Say Goodbye to roast duck. Say HELLO to this Smoked Duck Love!!!

INGREDIENTS: 

5-pound duck

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh peppercorn blend

2 fist-sized chunks apple smoking wood

6 Fresh ripe peaches

1 cup Tawny port wine

3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

½ cup honey

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

½ cup butter

SMOKING MUSIC SELECTION:  Madonna - Madonna - The Power Of Goodbye (Eternuit Remix)

Serve with a fine Pinot Noir and share with the ones you love.

PREPARATION:

Dry brine the duck:

Unwrap the duck, remove everything from the cavity, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the neck skin just below the nub of the neck left on the duck. Poke the duck skin all over with a paring knife, so the fat can escape. Poke through the skin, but not into the meat – I poke with a very flat angle so I stay away from the meat. Sprinkle the duck with the salt and pepper, inside and out. Set in a baking dish, and put it in the bottom of the refrigerator, uncovered. Refrigerate at least overnight, preferably 24 to 48 hours.

Set the grill up for indirect low heat:

Set your grill up for indirect low heat, 250°F, with a drip pan on one side of the grill and the fire as far over on the other side as you can get it. In my kettle grill, I open the bottom vents a crack, with the blades of the ash sweeper covering ¾ of the rectangular holes. I make a tight pile of 80 unlit coals on 1/3 of the charcoal grate, about three coals deep. (3/4 of a charcoal chimney full.) Nestle the smoking wood in the coals. Next, I light 10 coals in my chimney starter; when the coals are lit and covered with gray ash, I pour them on top of the unlit coals. Then I set the drip pan on the other side of the charcoal grate, add my grill grate, and brush it clean. I put the lid on the grill immediately and set the top vent to half open.

Grill smoke the duck:

Put the duck on the grill grate over the drip pan, breast side up, and close the lid. Adjust the top vent to stabilize the temperature at roughly 250°F; let the temperature settle for fifteen minutes between vent adjustments. Once the temperature settles down, check the grill every hour and tweak the vent if necessary – a little more open for higher heat, a little more closed for lower heat. (The grill temperature is going to move around a lot; 250°F is my target, but I expect it to bounce around between 225°F and 300°F. And, keep the lid closed as much as possible – every time you lift the lid, heat will escape and the air you let in will cause the coals to heat up.) After an hour and a half, rotate the duck so the other side is facing the fire. The duck is done when it reaches a temperature of 175°F in the deepest part of the thigh, about 3 hours.

Make the sauce:

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the wine, honey, and balsamic vinegar. Cut the peaches in halve and remove the cores. Place each peach face down over the direct heat on the grill. Turn them on both sides until they are golden, a little charred and soft. Remove from grill and set aside. Once cooled, dice a couple of the peaches and add to the pan.  Let the mixture simmer on low for 7 minutes until it is a nice sauce consistency.

Serve:

Remove the duck to a platter and let it rest for ten minutes. Carve and add the grilled halved peaches and spoon the sauce over the entire masterpiece of yum!

Sexy Stuffed Beef Tenderloin in parchment

Here is a beautiful recipe for the carnivorous carnal main course with the one you love.  This goes well with black satin lace and a fine Malbec.

Beef bacon infuses this with a secret passion
you won't be able to live without.

INGREDIENTS: 

For the stuffing

8 slices of potato bread cut into ½ -inch cubes

½ cup dried wild mushrooms

2 medium leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, washed, and dried

6 slices of beef bacon (it’s like the Prime Rib of Bacon)

1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup heavy cream

3 large eggs

For the beef

3 lbs. trimmed whole beef tenderloin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the balsamic sauce

¾ cup good-quality balsamic vinegar

¼ cup dry red wine

¼ finely chopped shallot

1 dried bay leaf

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces

Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

DINNER FOREPLAY MUSIC SELECTION: D'angelo - How Does It Feel...taste?

PREPARATION:

Make the stuffing

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 350°F. Arrange the bread in a single layer on one or two large rimmed baking sheets and toast until dried and crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature on a rack.

   

Put the mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with 1/2 cup boiling water. Soak until softened, about 20 minutes. Strain the mushrooms over a bowl, squeezing them to extract more liquid. Reserve the liquid and mushrooms separately, and coarsely chop the mushrooms.

   

Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the leeks to the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until very soft, about 10 minutes.

Coarsely chop the bacon and transfer it to a large bowl. Add the leeks, bread, mushrooms, cheese, parsley, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. In a small bowl, whisk the cream, eggs, and the reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and pour over the bread mixture. Toss well, let sit for 5 minutes, and toss again. cover and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.

Wrap the beef

Pat the tenderloin dry and season well with salt and pepper. Lay some plastic wrap on a work surface so that it measures at least 20×20 inches; overlap a couple of pieces of plastic wrap as needed. Put parchment paper at least the length of the tenderloin over the plastic wrap and spray it with cooking spray or lightly oil it. Press the stuffing mixture over the parchment into a rectangle measuring about 12×14 inches.

   

Position the beef in the center of the stuffing. Lift the plastic to wrap the parchment and stuffing around the beef, rolling it like a sushi roll and encasing the beef completely. Wrap tightly in the plastic wrap, twisting the excess plastic on each end to compress the roast. Tuck the twists under the roast to keep snug. Chill for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day. Longer is better as it helps everything to firm up.

Make the sauce

Combine the vinegar, wine, shallot, bay leaf, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by nearly half, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside. The sauce may be made up to this point 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate.

Roast the beef and finish the sauce

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F. Line a roasting pan with parchment and set a rack in it. Unwrap the plastic from the beef but leave the parchment on. Tie the roast with butcher’s twine in about 5 even intervals. Place the roast on the rack. Roast to medium rare (125°F), about 60 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.

   

Remove the bay leaf from the sauce and gently reheat the sauce over low heat. Swirl in the cold butter just until it melts to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

   

Trim any uneven edges of the roast. Slice the roast through the parchment with a very sharp knife into thick slices, removing the twine as you go. The pieces may crumble a bit, so you may need to reassemble them on the serving plates or platter. Remove the parchment and serve with the sauce, garnished with the parsley.