Printable version Black beans are used in soups, stews and a variety of dishes and are most common in South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The black bean was once used for a very macabre purpose in an incident when Texas was an independent republic in the 1830s and 1840s. According to the Texas State Historical Association, a number of Texans had been captured by the Mexican Army in December of 1842 and were being marched to Mexico City. In February 1843, many escaped and within a week, 176 of the men were recaptured. The Mexican army decreed that 1 in 10 would be executed. 176 beans were placed in an earthen vessel. 159 were white beans, and 17 were black. Each of the fugitives were ordered to pick a bean. Those who picked a black bean were put to death by firing squad in what is known as “The Black Bean Episode.” For this recipe, I use black beans in a nicer way. They are combined with other ingredients in what is known as “Southwest Black Bean Soup.” BEHIND THIS BITE This is my favorite type of recipe to create for my food column. It's a one pot dish and, most important, the black bean has an interesting story. I had completed all the documenting and design and through research I stumbled upon "The Black Bean Episode." I like telling my personal stories about dishes when it is pertinent to the recipe, but a history lesson is my favorite kind of story to tell. The dish itself is a soup that is seasoned similar to chili. In fact, my Mom thought it was a chili when she first tried it. I call it a soup because that is how I built it. It is a cross between the two though - I guess you could call it a chiloup, or maybe even a sili. Eat well, cook often ...

Printable version This is my favorite Super Bowl creation for 2014 - jalapeño wonton poppers. Which combines ... you guessed it ... Jalapeno poppers and wontons! Wonton wrappers are paper-thin sheets made from flour, water, eggs and salt and are sold pre-packaged at most super markets. They can be filled with any number of ingredients or fillings and are usually steamed, boiled or fried. They are the Chinese cuisine equivalent to the Italian ravioli. The wonton is the perfect devise to deliver the popper filling for this recipe comprised of cream cheese, cheddar cheese, bacon, cayenne pepper and jalapeño. Tradition poppers use either half or a whole jalapeño stuffed with filling and if you’re a popper fan like me, this means you may end up eating lots of jalapeños by the end of the night because they are simply to powerful to resist. Adding the jalapeño to the filling and using the wonton to deliver it requires much less of the spicy pepper and will help reduce indigestion caused by a spice overload. BEHIND THIS BITE Wonton poppers I have passed by wonton wrappers a number of times in the last couple months, picked up a package and pondered what I should make with them, only to put them back and move on. This time I went to the store knowing what I wanted to do. I have learned to be careful when impulse buying unique items, like wonton wrappers, that are perishable. I often buy things with the intent of making it in a couple of days or sometime during the week and the items sit in the fridge or pantry. The couple of days turns into a week and next week turns to two weeks and eventually what I bought has spoiled, dried out or wilted. I have gotten better at using everything I buy, but I still occasionally throw out an item or two. These wonton wrappers are easy to put off until tomorrow and very susceptible to being forgotten about until it's to late. I know because it has happened to me twice in the last two of years. So, if you’re not gonna make this recipe in the next couple days WAIT to buy the wonton wrappers. Don't just buy them to have 'em, they're easy to forget about and let go to waste. Eat well, cook often ... THE RECIPE Wonton poppers Makes 24 to 28; 45 minutes 4 slices Bacon, cooked, crumbled 3 Jalapeños, seeded, diced 1 C Cheddar cheese, shredded 8 oz Cream cheese, room temp 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper 24 to 28 Wonton wrappers Oil for frying Make filling In a bowl mix together bacon, jalapeno, cheddar cheese and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed. Fill wantons With a scoop, grab a teaspoon of the filling and place it in the middle of a wanton wrapper. Wet the edges, fold opposite corners together, then pinch to seal. Repeat until filling is gone. Fry Heat at least 1-inch of oil to 350° in a fry pan. In batches, fry wantons until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn at least once in the oil while cooking. Remove to a paper towel let cool a little, then serve.

Printable version This is the second time I have made Jambalaya for for my print column "Busco Bites." The first time I made a “dry” or “brown” version, this time I’m making the “wet” or “red” version. The difference between the two is in the tomatoes. The dry version features diced tomatoes, while the wet version features tomato sauce. I recently asked John Maxwell, New Orleans native and owner of the Ragin’ Cajun food truck about the different versions of jambalaya. He said the dry version was the Cajun version made in the rural areas surrounding New Orleans. The wet version is Creole, or the fancy style found in the city. Jambalaya is traditionally a leftover type of dish, or what I like to call a “throw it in the pot before it rots” meal. Not here though. I went to the store with jambalaya on my mind. For this recipe, I use andouille sausage, which provides most of the spice, smoked sausage and chicken thighs. All tossed together with rice, tomato sauce and the Creole holy trinity: celery, onion and bell pepper. BEHIND THIS BITE When I went out to buy the ingredients for this dish I went to a specialty meat shop in Fort Wayne to get andouille sausage. Most major retailers have andouille but it’s not really authentic - the spices are boulder and different but it’s just like all the other sausages in the meat case. I found the real deal andouille at Jamison Meats for $3.89 a pound and I couldn’t have been happier. When I was ready to make the jambalaya I opened the package and the andouille had a peculiar smell - sweet and sulfury. The aroma was slight and it wasn’t a bad smell, but at the same time it wasn’t good. After the jambalaya was finished and ready to eat there was no hint of the smell, and the andouille was delicious and fragrant, the meat was just there to deliver a spicy and bold flavor. The next day I was researching jambalaya for the print column when I stumbled upon a description of real andouille sausage. I discovered it is traditional made of pig entrails! Entrails = Guts After the pig has been butchered and cleaned of all the good meat there is a pile of stuff left, that is what gets made into andouille. The meat doesn’t mater, it’s doused with spice, they could put anything in there. That was the sweet and sulfery smell. I’m not adventurous when it comes to trying organs and guts of animals, the thought grosses me out. There is a big batch of leftover jambalaya with real andouille sausage in my fridge, it will probably get thrown out. I don’t have what it takes eat more of it. I will say this though, it was really good sausage, I just wish I would have discovered that it was made from pig guts after I had eaten it all. I'll stick the Kroger andouille from now on, it's not traditional but it's good. Eat well, cook often ... THE RECIPE Serves 6 to 8; 1 hour 1 lb Andouille sausage,sliced 1 lb Chicken thighs, boneless, sliced 1 lb Smoked sausage, sliced 1 C Green pepper, diced 1 C Onion, diced 1 C Celery, diced 1 Tbs Garlic, minced 3 C Tomato sauce 2 C Rice 4 C Chicken broth Start rice, Brown meats For rice, see below. In a large pot over medium heat brown andouille and chicken separately in a little olive oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste. Sauté until both are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes each. Remove and set aside. Sauté vegetables, add meats, sauce Cook onion, celery and bell pepper until soft, 5 to 6 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Return browned meats to pan, smoked sausage, and tomato sauce, bring to a simmer and cook, 18 to 20 minutes, stir often. Mix in rice just before serving. The rice In a large sauce pan over medium-high heat toast rice in a little olive oil for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit at least 25 minutes. Remove lid and fluff rice with fork.

"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British rock band Queen. The lyrics, written by the band's bassist John Deacon, describe a person who is a "gunner" and "ready to go" and warns that "another one bites the dust" when they fall. The song is often interpreted as being about violence, particularly gun violence. The opening lines of the song, "Steve walks warily down the street, with the brim pulled way down low," suggest a sense of danger or foreboding. The chorus, which repeats the phrase "Another one bites the dust," implies that this danger has claimed many victims before and will continue to do so. However, the song can also be interpreted as a metaphor for life's challenges and the constant struggle to survive. The phrase "another one bites the dust" can be seen as a rem

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Printable version When it comes to saltwater fish there is one that stands alone as my favorite – Cod. I love its thick fillets coated in a crispy breading or batter. It’s mild in flavor and not “fishy” tasting, which is why I like it. The Vikings would catch cod, dry it out and preserve it with salt, producing salt cod that could be taken on long voyages. In the 1600s the pilgrims used a map of New England made by John Smith to determine “Cape Cod” might be a good place to settle and profit from fishing, although they knew little about the trade, according to Mark Kurlansky, in his book Cod: a Biography of the Fish That Changed the World. Today, it’s available year round wherever fish are sold and can be baked, poached, braised, broiled and fried. For this recipe, I dredge cod fillet in flour, egg and panko bread crumbs to create a thick coating made crisp by shallow frying in a skillet – which makes for large bites of moist and flaky fish with mild flavor and a nice crunchy breading for texture. BEHIND THIS BITE Panko Breaded Cod Fillet Cod is by far and away my favorite type of fish to eat. When it comes to seafood in general I like mild flavor, the more “fishy” it tastes the less I like it. Growing up in the landlocked Midwest, my favorite fish was walleye, but after moving to New York and having a fish monger across the street, I gravitated toward cod. I saw Tyler Florence make fish and chips on the food network one morning and was inspired to make the dish myself. This introduced me to cod and it's now my go to fish. Since relocating to the Midwest in 2010, I have had hit and miss luck with the seafood here, my best bet is frozen, but even that can be a crap-shoot at times. Having said that, the frozen and thawed fish prepared and pictured in this post was excellent - as good as any fresh fish from my old fish monger in New York! Eat well, cook often ... THE RECIPE Panko Breaded Cod Fillet Serves 4; 30 minutes 1 1/2 lbs Cod fillets 1 C Flour 2 Eggs beaten 1 C Panko bread crumbs Oil for frying Bread Set up three stations. One each: flour, beaten eggs and bread crumbs. Season cod with salt and pepper to taste. Coat on all sides with flour, then egg and finally bread crumbs. Shake-off excess before moving to next station. Once breaded, let rest a few minutes for coating to set up. Pan fry Place enough oil in fry pan to cover entire bottom. Heat to medium high. Once oil is hot place cod in pan and cook until golden brown and cooked through, turn once during cooking. 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan and serve with lemon wedge.

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