Family Dinner with JP

Pickles! Who the hell doesn't love pickles? And the beauty of it - you can pickle ANYTHING! Cucumbers! Garlic! Onions! Cauliflower! Beets! Eggs!  I read up a bit on other types of pickling brine, and adapted the original recipe for use in making zesty dilly beans (pickled green beans, a little bit spicy). Please note : these are rookie pickles! I know a lot of you out these may be scandalized that these aren't sealed in a hot water bath and stored for 2 months. Don't be such a Pickle Purist, ya dingus! Or else teach me your more complex pickling ways ... But for the rest of this, these are unbelievably good pickles that we can make at home without any special equipment. This recipe is for Quick Pickles. Jar them, and they'll be ready to eat the next day. The pickles are best if eaten within 12 days. These are not long-term pickles! These make great treats for attending dinner parties, for late night drunk snacks, and for tabletop gaming sessions. Spoiler: I kn...

Having a friend from Portland (which, as far as I can tell, automatically means a Portland cheerleader) means being exposed to that which is lacking in DC. When I asked my friend her stance on wings (which, to my mind, means unadorned fried chicken wings in hot sauce), she replied with, "Well, I love Ike's wings from Portland ..." It didn't take long to find a recipe for Ike's wings, and I have to admit that they sounded immediately intriguing. Living in the DC Metro Area has given me ample access to Korean and Vietnamese cuisine (do not get me started on my Pho addicition), and in general I would say that almost everything is made better by fish sauce. Unfortunately, it took me a long trek to Whole Foods to find some fish sauce, as the Soviet Safeway did not carry any of it, nor sesame seeds (though they carry ample amounts of oyster sauce ... wtf SS?). But minus an extra 15 minute walk and shop, this recipe was perfect for a weekday meal to try to impress ...