The Eat My Blog charity bake sale will be taking over the patio of Tender Greens in West Hollywood on Saturday, June 19th from 10 AM to 4 PM. All proceeds from this tasty event will be donated to the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank. All items will be priced between $1 to $4 for your convenience (and gluttony). Come early for the best selection and bring singles, please. I hope to see you there!
Under normal circumstances, our extravagant meal at Akelarre would have been followed by a solid week of home cooking to give our arteries and bank accounts a chance to recover. Alas, our honeymoon was anything but normal, so The Astronomer and I headed out for a three-course lunch at Bodegón Alejandro instead.
Supervised by 3-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui, Bodegón Alejandro is a casual taverna serving traditional Basque cuisine with a splash of innovation. My brother ate here three times in four days when he last visited San Sebastian and encouraged us to do the same.
After hoofing it down a flight of stairs, we reached a charming subterranean space with bright yellow walls and sturdy wooden furniture. We had the lovely room mostly to ourselves because we once again managed to arrive at the tail end of lunch service. [Truly, this was the story of our lives for two and a half weeks!]
Bodegón Alejandro offers a three-course lunch for 34.50€. The menu changes daily and features a variety of options, each one highlighting the seasonality and bounty of the Basque country.
While we perused the menu, we nibbled on slices of crusty country bread and thin rye wafers served on a log.
I am generally quite fearless in the kitchen, but have always shied away from grilling. In spite of my liberal leanings, I long held onto the silly notion that cooking over an open flame was dude territory. As a result, all of the grilling in our household was assigned to The Astronomer and his little Smokey Joe. I was content with baking and sauteeing—you know, chick stuff.
Our longstanding division of kitchen duties came to a halt two months ago when I received a fantastically fun photography assignment that required me to grill like I’d never grilled before. From loins to shoulders to burgers, I did it all, and in the process, I discovered a great appreciation for the sport. I love how grilling makes me feel like a culinary badass and how it requires me to trust my instincts. I also like how cleaning up entails scrubbing a metal brush back and forth and little else.
For my first non-work-related grilling session, I decided to prepare bison burgers. Bison meat is often lauded for its nutritional prowess, but doesn’t have the greatest reputation for moistness due to its lower fat content. However, this recipe for Bison Burgers with Cheddar and Onions from Cooking the Cowboy Way by Grady Spears makes an extremely flavorful, juicy, and satisfying specimen. And as an awesome bonus, it’s actually good for you. Grill on!
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground meat, grated cheese, onion, salt, and pepper thoroughly with your hands.
Divide the mixture into 12 small patties, making sure they are compacted and firm. Place the patties on the hot grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until they register an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.