Some food, some drink.

We're on the verge of grilling season proper in these parts, and while it's great to be dreaming about all the seared critter coming off the fire, it's also a good time to consider the unsung hero of the backyard BBQ: The side dish. A proper barbeque just isn't complete without sides, and everyone knows that beans are the quintessential side for outdoor cooking. Assuming you like to grill it up the right way, you'll want to start those beans from scratch; and assuming you've got access to a cast iron dutch oven, it's not at all as scary a prospect as it sounds. These smoky-sweet, spice-kissed BBQ "Cowboy" Beans can be made in the oven or over the coals; and thanks to the not-so-secret "no-soak" dry bean method, the texture of these legumes is like no other pot of beans you've ever had.

"They're known to some as "salmon cakes", or even "salmon burgers", but I grew up eating "salmon patties" and they were as common to evening dinner as any meatloaf or mac and cheese. Nostalgia often has a way of disappointing where food is concerned, and after again tasting recipe I grew up with, I knew that some immediate changes were in order; and in the end, I decided to throw the old recipe out and start from scratch. For this reinterpretation, wild-caught Sockeye salmon is held together with a tangy buttermilk and horseradish-soaked panko that contrasts with a creamy sauce…

Sometimes, there just isn't time for anything more than "dump a can and go". However, by choosing the right ingredients, even lowly canned food has the potential to become something wonderful. A can of black beans, a can of tomatoes and chiles, and a bag of frozen corn lay the foundation to carry a slightly spicy and smoky-sweet dressing that turns so much pedestrian pantry fare into something that's downright difficult to stop eating.

It seems like anytime you get shredded beef in a taco anymore, folks wanna call it "barbacoa". It tastes great and all, but so often we're talking about something braised or simmered that is totally devoid of those smoky, charred nuances that are synonymous with slow-cooking beef over a bed of coals. I happen to think it's possible to have the best of both worlds, and this hybrid barbeque/braise method elevates the lowly and economical beef chuck roast past the pedestrian Sunday pot roast.

When a small Northwest Kansas town gets a new restaurant, folks can't help but take notice. However, when an area know for their conservative Volga German Heritage up and gets a Sushi Bar, whoo boy! Now you know you're somebody! Sake2me Sushi Rolls recently opened for business in our little patch of rural America, and I sat down with owner, chef, and all-around swell guy Mike Huskey for an interview to learn what it takes to start something big in little Hays, Kansas.

Baking a proper layer cake is a big undertaking for me. Up until a few years ago, I couldn't even do a pan of chocolate chip cookies properly. Nonetheless, with it being my wife's birthday and all, I decided to cook out of my comfort zone; and I figured if I was gonna do it, I'd do it with gusto. The toils of my labor are two decadent layers of cake that are chock full of cocoa and dark chocolate; separated by a layer of salty sweet peanut butter buttercream frosting. The last of the chocolate comes in the form of a peanut butter chocolate ganache coup de grace enrobing the entire cake. Chocolate overload? Maybe. Crazy good? Definitely.

It's a good day in this house when I can cook something that both the kids and the grown-ups alike enjoy, and there are few recipes that do that as well as steak fingers. Steak fingers done  right are a simple bit of comfort food that the whole family can agree on; and the way I do 'em is squarely more "steak" than "finger". These two-bite morsels of chicken-fired steak start by putting the seasoning where it belongs: On the beef and not in the flour. Quality cuts of bottom round and a little patience make for plenty of crispy, golden-brown breaded goodness that sets this dish apart from its school cafeteria counterpart.

Beta recipes are my own experiments that I've only tried once. Usually palatable, they often could be better with a little tweaking - So please do, and let me know what works!

Red meat and a stiff drink. For the carnivores in the crowd who like to imbibe, dinner doesn't get much better; that is unless you're pouring another round for the food as well. In one of those rare moments of clarity, it occurred to me that maybe my main course was as thirsty as I was, so I decided to base a braise on the Manhattan I was drinking. The fruity, herbal, spicy, and astringent overtones of sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters are combined with rye whiskey to create a braising sauce for lamb shoulder chops that begs to be cleaned from the plate with a second slice of bread.