Ramekins

I love ramekins; not like how I love bacon, but more similarly of how a flower loves the rain.  As bothersome as they can be to clean, I try to use them as often as possible.  They're ultra-manageable, create perfect portions, and give a satisfying sense of ownership.  With a little ingenuity, anyone can take advantage of these underused vessels.

I started using ramekins for entertainment purposes.  They are an excellent way to create personalized packages for a group of people.  Unlike throwing a nacho platter in the middle of starving scavengers, every guest feels special for getting their own dish.  Everyone will be sold on the dish before they taste it--and 87% of the time feel guilty for the extra effort they think I made, but didn't.

This week, I built a brunch menu around ramekins.  Many family style dishes are brunch appropriate, however I wanted to serve duck eggs sunny side up to take advantage of the rich yolk--which is a terrifying feat to do perfectly for a number of guests.  Of course, a family style platter of scrambled eggs would be easier, but that would ruin my guest retention rate.

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Cooking For Friends- DY's Brisket and More [pt 2]

Long ago, before the onions ever got fired, there was brisket.  Brisket is the cow's ugly duckling.  Nobody wants it.  However, with time and love, it can grow into a beautiful piece of BBQ- finally able to contribute back to society.  This is the first dish to start cooking for the day.

I look at the recipe, I look at the brisket.  3lbs, 5lbs.  Crap, this is going to require thought.  I start by trimming off excess fat- I'm guessing, maybe a pound.  3lbs, 4lbs- I think.  I'm supposed to cook the beast for 4 hours at 300 Deg.  Add 45 minutes for the extra weight and extra cooking liquid.  No sweat.

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