Tis the season for tounge, tail and eyeballs......

Tis the season to be jolly fa-la-la-la-la!  Ok, so I am so tired of turkey and ham and the usual suspects that generally show up at the seasonal dinners  Bring on the Venison heart and liver!  Bring on the BRAINS!!!!  Oh yummy creamy goodness!  I could care less about the Figgy Pudding!  I want some bull testicles!  I know that alot of this may sound repulsive to "non-adventurous" eaters but close your eyes and take a bite.   I promise you it really is not so bad!!!  I have been "advised" not to post my eclectic taste on my blog but I cannot help myself.  I have become bored with American Cuisine and I just want others to know that these are everyday staples in other cultures.  There is a reason for this and it simply comes down to this, THEY ARE DELICIOUS!  I have found a restaurant in Asheville that specializes in alternative meals.  The Admiral on West Haywood.  Unbelievable menu!  It looks like a dive bar from the outside and a Four-star restaurant on the inside.  Elegant yet relatable... and absolutely fabulous!  Pate....sweetbreads...oh my!  Love love love it!  Open your mind and stomachs!  You will be pleased!!!

Cold Winter Morning Here in Asheville

I love sitting here at my desk thinking of food and recipes while watching the squirrels jump around right outside my window.  They sure have gotten fat lately.  I guess they are getting ready for winter, stock piling their food sources.  Kind of reminds me of what I have been doing with the canning for the past few months.
I think I have enough soups, stocks, and marinaras to last me a life time! Yet I still want more!  Do you think this  makes me a hoarder???  Well, this one is short and sweet.  I have company in town!
ENJOY!

Okay...I have some tips on making your own stocks.

I have found that whenever a recipe calls for a large amount of stock (larger than your typical amount of 8 or 16 ounces) it can become quite costly.  I have been making my own stocks for a while now using my pressure cooker.  This is so simple it is honestly rediculous!

Beef stock:
For just under $1.50 you can buy beef bones with marrow inside.  I was buying these for my dog and cooking them up when I realized that you can actually kill two birds with one stone.  I place one bone in my pressure cooker with 1 quart of water.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook for approximately 2 minutes and voila! Remove the bone, toss it to the dog and pour off the liquid into sterilized canning jars!  So easy!

Chicken stock-
Everyone assumes that the real essences of chicken comes from boiling down the bones.  I am here to tell you NOT SO!  I prepare frozen chicken breasts with 2 cups of water in my pressure cooker.  Again, season to taste. Cook accordingly to the amount.  Pull out your chicken and strain off the broth into your canning jars.

Vegetable stock-
Same thing.  I use onions, celery, carrots, broccoli, caulifower and really anything you feel like throwing in the pot!  Cover with water, salt and pepper to taste.  These really only need 1-2 minutes and you are golden!
Strain off your liquid and can them up for future use!

Literally, as I am writing I am making a beef broth to use in a Venison stew tonight.  I cannot express how good my house smells right now!  It is crazy good.  I wish someone would hurry up and invent "smell-o-vision"!

Try this out!  You can even do it in a deep pot on the stove top.  You don't HAVE to use a pressure cooker but it really is the quickest way if you are constantly on the go!

ENJOY!