The Louisville Chef

Summer is a great time for BBQ and since I shared a few of my favorite BBQ staples (Sun Dried Tomato and Macadamia Nut Pesto and Roasted Corn, Black Bean and Mango Salad), I wanted to add a few other fun ideas to really make your BBQ special.

Deviled Eggs
I can’t imagine a better BBQ side than this, and they will really go fast. I recently made 48 of them for a party and I can tell you they were gone before dinner started.
If these don't remind you of church picnics and Southern family reunions, then nothing will. I remember some of the best from the church picnics as a little boy in Museville, Virginia. If you know where this is, then we’re probably related! This is my grandmother’s recipe, so it’s really special to me.
Ingredients

1 dozen eggs ½ cup Mayonnaise 2 Tbsp. Sweet pickle 1 tsp. Dry mustard (Coleman’s is perfect) 2 tsp. Cider vinegar Paprika or cayenne (for the Deep South folks) or Tabasco for the bayou people.
Put the eggs into a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil a…

Don't know what to make for the weekend? Then visit one of my favorites sites www.importfood.com .

Not only do they have a very comprehensive online grocery for almost all Asian, specifically Thai items, they also have recipes http://importfood.com/recipes.html and the most amazing videos http://importfood.com/vendor_video/thai_street_vendor_videos.html which show you how the street vendors make the dish in Thailand.



Vist them at this link for an amazing Pad Thai recipe. http://importfood.com/recipes/tstirfryNoodle.html

When I have a bit more time to cook, I love to make what we call "three things on a plate". This is a main dish, and two sides.

It's real home style comfort food and if you plan it accordingly, it isn't too much work to pull it together. The key is to simplify and keep it basic.


Here's the menu:

Mini Umami Meatloaf
Coconut Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Lime Butter Yellow Corn

Mini Umami Meatloaf
These are really easy and fun to make. Children love them, as they get their own mini meatloaf. The process to prepare is the same, except you cook it in a 12 cup muffin tin.

Ingredients 

1 lb of Lean Ground Beef
1 lb of Lean Ground Pork, if you don't eat pork, then you can substitute Ground Veal
1 tsp Umami Paste
1 packet of Instant Onion Soup Mix, or 1 packet French Onion Dip mix.
3/4 cup Unseasoned Bread Crumbs
3/4 cup of Water
1 Egg
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Ketchup, Optional

Preheat you oven to 350F. Gently mix all ingredients together, except the water. Once all the other ingredients a…