Kalbi in a Slow Cooker

By Katie Barreira
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

Traditionally, kalbi, Korean bbq’d short ribs, is prepared on the grill with a foot-long strip of rib beef that has been sliced across the bone, leaving the tips of the rib bones along the top. It’s not the most accessible cut of meat, so when I get a kalbi craving, I like to use the classic sweet and savory Korean marinade as a braising liquid for individual beef short ribs, a cut that is widely available and perfect for the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Kalbi
Think of this dish as the Korean version of tacos. Meltingly tender rib meat stands in for ground beef, white rice replaces beans, and instead of corn shells, lettuce leaves are the vehicle for getting all that goodness from plate to mouth. The fixins are distinctly Asian, but use them just as you would salsa, shredded cheese and sour cream.

Click to read more ...

Chef Tim Luym on Filipino Food

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

You might say the movie, Office Space, was ultimately responsible for the fabulous head-to-tail Filipino dinner Chef Tim Luym cooked at The Attic in San Mateo, California, recently.

The movie was an epiphany for Tim, then working in high-tech as an online marketer. “I felt just like the main guy – he had no sense of passion or any satisfaction at work,” Tim recalls. “And so all my friends said, ‘you should do something you really want to do.’”

Tim assessed his interests and skills. “I was into music. But I knew it wasn’t a viable, long-term career – no one wants to see a 50-year-old DJ.” So he pursued his other passion: cooking.

Click to read more ...

A Good Date Meal

By Jess Ziman
A new video for Video Friday

A few months ago, a friend of mine told me a story of a near disastrous first date she went on. The whole date sounded dreamy – a dashing man had invited her to his home to cook her a romantic candlelit meal for two. She was all smiles and ready to be swept away by his gesture.

However, her face quickly fell when she found out what the meal was: boiled vegetables (from a frozen packet) and quinoa. His humdrum fare frankly muffled any mojo that may have been between them that night.

Click to read more ...

Autumn Grilling, Cayman-style

By Andrew Hunter
For The Family Table, a blog for busy families

Each January, Chef Eric Ripert and Food & Wine magazine host the Cayman Cookout at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman – a festival celebrating food, wine and the beauty of the Caribbean. The roster of chefs is impressive and features Anthony Bourdain and Jose Andres and, of course, Eric Ripert.

I was honored to be amongst this cadre of chefs from around the world. The first night’s dinner, called The Barefoot Barbecue, is on Seven-Mile Beach. As I manned the grill, sandwiched between Eric and Tony, I could hear the waves crashing, steel drums rumbling and wine glasses clinking. It’s an evening, a view and company I’ll never forget.

My contribution to this walk-around event was Grilled Niman Ranch lamb loin chops with a “Hong Kong-style Gremolata.” The boys have been asking me to make this dish at home on the Weber Kettle. It’s actually quick and easy, so give it a try.

Click to read more ...

Weathering Frankenstorm Sandy

Enjoy music while you cook. You can win a Logitech z515 wireless speaker for smartphones and tablets. Just tell us how long you take to cook dinner and you’ll be entered in our sweepstakes. Good luck!

By Lori Powell

I am hoping that all of our Special Fork audience is safe and sound and hunkered down, weathering the aftermath of this storm with good eats and good company!

As mentioned in prior blog posts, I keep a well-stocked larder and have an upright freezer that is usually at least halfway filled with edible gold. So, to insure the freezer stuff, I am one of the fortunate ones who owns a generator.

Click to read more ...