Its been a bit cold lately so I wanted to make a good old fashioned roast beast. If you are a beginner, there are a few easy steps to follow. First, you need to cut up some mire poix (50% Onion, 25% Celery, 25% Carrot) Mire Poix I added the leaves from the tops of the celery, a few whole garlic cloves and some mushrooms as well. Add the mix to a big bowl with a touch of oil and some salt and pepper and toss to evenly coat the veggies. For the meat, you can use an sirloin tip, rump roast, beef tender loin, beef chuck or anything like those... Season your roast with some salt and pepper with a bit of oil on both sides. Line a large sheet tray with the mire poix and place the beef on top in the center. Roast Beast I like to add some fresh rosemary to the surface of the roast before I put it in the oven. Place the sheet tray in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes ( a bit less if you have a smaller cut) until the internal temperature is 130 degree, turn the oven to broil for 3-5 minutes to get a nice golden top on the roast.

Go to http://blogs.discovery.com/tlc-steamy-kitchen/2010/01/ginger-crusted-chi... to see the whole article.
So yesterday, I had rock 'n roll chef Nathan Lippy in the house (oh please oh please ignore the mess in my kitchen) and cook up one of his signature dishes, Ginger Crusted Chicken with Grapes, Tomatoes and Beans. See? He did clean up real good:
Nate cooking with Jaden Hair
Despite the wild appearance, this boy can cook. Formally trained at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in New York, Nathan counts Julia Child as a great influence in his career. He's even shared the stage with Food Network's Tyler Florence and Stephanie Izard.

And to complete the package, Nathan/Nate/Nater/Chef/Goofball (he answers to any of those) has camera charisma. All he needs is the right network (ahem, hi TLC!)

I hung out with my new friend, Jaden Hair from Jaden Hair www.SteamyKitchen.com the other day. She was working on these really cool appetizers with beef and kim chi. Jaden Hair cooking I really dig her style. Check out her blog if you get a chance, the food photos alone are reason enough to visit often. She's got some great recipes too. Jaden Hair's Beef and Kim Chi apps I was making my Ground Ginger Crusted Chicken Breast with Grapes, Tomatoes and Hari Coverts. Its always fun to hang out with other chefs and learn from each other. She took the photo of my dish above and its so cool. The neat part of my dish is the flavor profiles. The tartness from the grapes really plays off of the flavor of the ginger. I add a bit of small diced jalapeno pepper to broaden the flavors as well. Its a really cool dish and a really great photo. Jaden Hair taking pics Thanks Jaden.

I was on Twitter the other day (www.twitter.com/ChefNathanLippy) and one of my followers posted something I thought was great. He was talking about having breakfast for dinner. It may be a guy thing, but to me there is nothing better than an awesome BLT&E (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and a Fried Egg) at midnight. BLT&E 1 I had one last night and had to post it. I start by rendering the bacon. I like to use apple wood smoked or maple bacon. BLT&E 2 Once the bacon is crispy I drain it some paper towel then fry my egg in the bacon fat. The bottom of the egg get all golden and caramelized while the yolk stay nice and silky. Slice some fresh tomato and add a piece of crispy lettuce to some toasted potato bread and ZaDing! That's it! I hope you dig it... BLT&E 3

Later,
Nater

This is a great dish for a cold winter's night. Its super easy and very hearty. For all of you Guinness Lovers, this one is awesome! Give it a go...

Guinness Beef Stew
Recipe by Nathan Lippy

Serves 4-6
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:
2 lbs. beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes (use beef chuck or similar)
2 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 cup carrots, rough chop
1 large yellow onion, rough chop
½ cup celery, rough chop
2 cups potatoes, rough chop
2 pint cans of Guinness
1 quart beef stock
4 Fresh thyme sprigs
2 Fresh rosemary sprigs
1 cup left over coffee (we want the bitterness)
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt and pepper

Action:
1. In a large stock pot, heat up a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the beef and brown for about 5-7 minutes.
2. Once the meat is beautifully browned, add the garlic and other vegetables except for the potatoes and caramelize until they have a bit of color. (About 8-10 minutes)