The Walsh Cookbook

Sake can seem like a scary thing. If you've ever gotten the hot stuff at a sushi restaurant... let's just say not my favorite. I'm working on liking the cold ones. Just like wine, you like some and you avoid others like the plague. Luckily for those of us who aren't completely sold on sake tasting, there is the SAKETINI! To me, saketini's don't really taste like sake. Think of it as a Japanese sangria. This recipe is based on a drink I had Oregon's Spring Beer Festival in March. The original recipe calls for Ruby Red Grapefruit syrup but I had no idea where to get that so I looked in my cupboard and I had elderflower syrup from Ikea. Feel free to use whatever syrup strikes your fancy. You could do simple syrup or I bet grenadine would be good! Also, for those of you who may not have had sake, compare it to wine. If you have 4 glasses of sake, that is like having 4 glasses of wine. This stuff is so good it goes down VERY easily!

I first encountered these delicious Hamachi Shots  at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, CA.  My version is not as great as the ones I had there, but I continue to recreate the happiness I felt as I downed that first hamachi shot.   This is my interpretation of the  Hamachi/Salmon Shooters  recipe I found on Tastebook, while searching for hamachi shots for Keegan's 25th birthday dinner. Since finding this recipe, Keegan and I have made it for his entire family and it has become a Walsh favorite. Serves 6 people   (or 3 people x 2 shots, 2 people x 3 shots)

You learn something new everyday. On Saturday, I learned most ribs are pork. I always thought they were beef. I had no idea!  I also had no idea that ribs were so easy to make. Two ingredients (unless you count salt and pepper, then it's four), one oven, four hours = heaven. I was afraid that the ribs would be tough because I didn't have a "special rib smoker" but these ribs were falling off the bone and so tender. Thai sweet chili sauce is a perfect sauce for these ribs and very different from regular BBQ sauce.  This recipe  comes from "The Steamy Kitchen" blog which has lots of other easy to make, incredibly tasty items. 

This is just a variation of Brendan's Orzo with Parmesan and Basil that I made one night when I had a bunch of mushrooms to use up.  You could do it with whatever mushrooms you can find, but I love getting a range of different types and shapes.  My favorite place to find the weirder mushrooms is usually Asian stores, but some grocery stores have a good variety too, so you can just use whatever you can find! what you will need 3 Tbsp. butter 1 1/2 cups orzo  2 cups mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces 3 cups chicken broth 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 6 Tbsp. fresh basil sliced Chiffonade style salt and pepper to taste