Uncle Will's Ribs for a BBQ

What's Going on Today: Planning on Sunday bbq with the neighbors, waiting out the last of the heatwave indoors doing puzzles.

Naptime Goals: Marinate Ribs, make Strawberry-Raspberry Cobbler, catch-up on new magazines.

Tonight's Menu: Ribs (us), Mashed Potatoes (neighbors), Corn on the cob (neighbors), Fruit Cobbler (us), Wine and Beer (both)

Parenting Lesson of the Day: When kids have playdates it's hard to get them to concentrate on eating.

In New York we used to eat out with our neighbors and now, in the country, we cook out with them. On Sunday we were really excited to have a fun potluck style family bbq with our friends next door. Never mind that rain was in the forecast, the arrival of summer put us all in the mood for a casual get together where we could let loose and enjoy a cold beer.

Since none of us wanted to spend the entire afternoon cooking I chose to make my brother's ribs recipe since, as you all know, Uncle Will never lets us down. I also made a yummy fruit cobbler to use up the remaining fresh berries I had from last week's strawberry picking extravaganza. Our neighbors took care of some yummy sides dishes and food for the kids who did not eat ribs (mine included). When it was time for dinner we simply carried everything across the driveway, grilled up the ribs and enjoyed a great meal. 

I love making Uncle Will's Ribs because they are the epitome of summer flavor. When left in the fridge for the afternoon the ribs become infused with a light citrusy tang that lightens the meat without making it too heavy or sticky. Served with potatoes and corn it makes a great summer meal that begs to be paired with icy cold beer and eaten on the porch. Of course, we didn't actually get to eat on the porch since it did, in fact, rain, but no matter - there is always next weekend!

Uncle Will's Baby Back Ribs

8lbs lean baby back pork ribs

8 cloves of garlic, finely minced

Juice of 3 large lemons

1/4 t. oregano

1/2 c. lime juice

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

5 t. Kosher salt

2 t. olive oil

Cayenne Pepper

1. Cut ribs into 5-7 inch sections, rinse under warm water and pat dry.  Set in a large baking dish that will fit in the refrigerator.

2. In a large bowl add the garlic, orange juice, lime juice, oregano, olive oil and 1 t. of salt. Scoop out about 1/2 c. of the mixture and set it aside for pour over ribs right before serving.

3. Rub the remaining 4 t. of salt on the ribs. Pour the marinade over the ribs, cover the dish with plastic wrap and leave it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

4. To cook the ribs, set the grill at low and cook them slowly, turning occasionally, for 30-40 minutes. Once they are cooked, increase the heat to high or place them directly over high charcoal heat to brown all sides. If you want a little extra heat when you serve them sprinkle on some cayenne pepper.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Serving Suggestions: This recipe would double or triple well making these great for a large cookout. They would be safe in the fridge marinating for up to one day, so feel free to prepare them in the morning before you leave the house if that is easier for you.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing the marinade takes about 15 minutes. Grilling time is about 30 minutes.

Naptime Reviews: This is always a crowd pleaser for adults and children, if they like ribs. Since mine does not she nibbled at some pasta and then got to distracted and went to play with her friends. Oh well.

Uncle Will's Chimichurri Amarillo: Webisode #24

What's Going on Today: Hangin' with Uncle Will in Cooperstown, trip to see new baby lambs at The Farmer's Museum.

Naptime Goals: Work with Uncle Will as we recreate his famous Chimichurri Amarillo marinade. Bake scones for breakfast tomorrow.

Tonight's Menu: Uncle Will's Chimichurri Amarillo Steak, Grilled Vegetables, Rice Pilaf.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: Uncles are like grown-up playmates.

We made a quick trip to see my parents and brother in Cooperstown over the weekend. While we were there I seized the opportunity to cook with Uncle Will. You all know how many awesome recipes he produces and I couldn't wait to learn his latest for Chimichurri Amarillo steak. Since his job requires anonymity (and I won't tell you any more than that), he filmed me making the marinade while whispering directions from behind the camera. I wish I could have included his face because he is really great, but that will have to wait for another time.

Will developed this recipe after he tasted something similar during a trip to Panama a few years ago with the Coast Guard. Of all the steaks he ate during his time there he concluded that the Chimichurri Amarillo preparation was his most favorite. Upon his return he looked up several similar recipes, did some taste tests and came up with his own version seen here. And, let me tell you, like his burger recipe from last summer, it is brilliant.

Rather then ruin all of the details about this marinade I am going to let you see it for yourself. Like almost all marinade situations I love, I was easily able to prepare this during my daughter's afternoon naptime and let it rest in the fridge for the afternoon. Once cooked, the meat was exceptionally tender from the acidic marinade with a rich spicy garlic flavor. We paired it with grilled vegetables and rice and had a terrific family meal.

Uncle Will's Chimichurri Amarillo

1 1/2 lbs. Skirt Steak, or any other meat that is suitable for grilling
2/3 cup Olive Oil

2 T. Chopped Parsley

8 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 t. Lemon Juice (1 1/2t. for Chicken and Pork)

2 T. Red Wine Vinegar

1/4 Tsp Oregano

1/2 Tsp Black Pepper

1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper (1/2 Tsp for Chimichurri Diablo Rojo!)

1. Combine ingredients and stir vigorously or use a food processor.  Use half of the sauce as a marinade on skirt steak (or any cut of meat suitable for grilling). Use the other half as a dipping sauce when serving. Make sure to marinate for at least two hours.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Variations and Ideas: The marinade is pretty delicious as is, but you can always add a little more cayenne if you need an extra kick. I find that a strong side dish really complements the meat which is why we like it with mixed grilled vegetables or something like broccoli rabe.

Naptime Stopwatch: Preparing this marinade takes about 10 minutes, then just put the meat in the fridge and enjoy the rest of the afternoon!

Naptime Reviews: My daughter doesn't eat these cuts of meat yet, especially after the mouth incident two weeks ago. But, needless to say, the rest of us devoured it.

Homemade Pancake Mix and an Awesome Breakfast: Webisode #19

What's Going on Today: Up earlier, sun is brighter, playground more active - everything is better in springtime. Off to the farmer's market to pick up fresh veggies and all of my favorites from Ronnybrook Farm.

Naptime Goals: Make big batch of Pancake Mix for pancake breakfast on Saturday.

Tonight's Menu: Leftover Browned Butter Asparagus Risotto. Leftover Easter candy dessert.

Parenting Lesson of the Day: The bigger the stack of pancakes, the happier the kid.

Tonight there are delicious leftovers in the fridge for dinner so this afternoon I am going to use naptime to stock up on my pantry basics. There many times I do this throughout the year like when I make large batches of pesto, Apricot Jam, Meatballs or Tomato Sauce. It makes so much sense to make these delicious basics in bulk, that way I can always have them on hand instead of making them from scratch every time I need them. Furthermore, I enjoy making them, I am always excited to set aside a naptime or two each month to replenish my supplies.

Today I am making a fresh batch of homemade pancake mix. I know that there are a lot of Bisquick devotees out there, but I am not one of them. I prefer this homemade version to anything store-bought - plus it is much less expensive. I got the idea to add malt powder from my brother, the infamous Uncle Will. He spent a summer working in the kitchen at the Otesaga Hotel and had a chance to tap the Chef for many of his secrets. The key, he told Will, to delicious Belgian waffles and sweet pancakes is malt powder. We took his word for it, tried it in our parent's kitchen and, wouldn't you know it, Chef was right! The malt powder gives the pancakes a nice texture and slightly sweetened flavor, erasing any trace of flour or baking soda on the palate.

These days I make my pancake mix in a big batch and keep it in a glass jar with a scoop. This way we have it on hand anytime we need it. Some weekdays, when I have slept especially well, I do a pancake breakfast with my daughter. But, admittedly, I mostly do them on the weekends. The beauty of this pancake mix is that it keeps for several weeks so you can easily whip up a stack anytime you want.

I often take the traditional route when serving pancakes, opting for real butter and delicious homemade maple syrup. But, when I want to change it up I add a dash of almond extract and some lemon zest to the batter to give it lemon almond flavor. Recently I even topped a stack with creamy homemade ricotta and some fresh berries - it was delicious! Any way you like to eat them is fine with me, just make sure the maple syrup is real - not imitation. Also, I think pancakes are best eaten when everyone is still in their jammies.

Homemade Pancake Mix

4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 c. malt powder (like Carnation or Horlick's)

1 t. cinnamon (optional)

3 T. baking powder

2 t. baking soda
2 T. sugar

1 1/2 t. Kosher salt

1. Mix all ingredients in a big bowl with a whisk. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Homemade Pancakes

1 c. pancake mix (above)

1 egg

1 c. whole or 2% milk

1 T. unsalted butter

1. On a skillet or wide, shallow sauce pan heat the butter over medium heat and swirl so that it covers the bottom of the pan.

2. Ladle the 1/3 c. of the batter into the pan and let it warm until bubble starts to show on the surface. Flip quickly with a thin spatula and allow to cook on the other side until golden brown. Serve hot.

Naptime Notes:

Naptime Recipe Ideas and Variations: The key to this recipe is a malt powder. If you don't add it your mix may seem a little bland and basic. But, no matter how you make it, be sure to have fun dressing up the pancakes once their made. My favorite toppings are sliced fruits, maple syrup, fruit syrup and sweet cheeses like ricotta or mascarpone.

Naptime Stopwatch: Make the pancake mix takes all of 5 minutes! Making the batter and enjoying the pancakes takes about another 10 minutes.

Naptime Reviews: My daughter adores pancakes, especially when they are cut up in little triangles that she can dip into a ramekin of warm syrup! My husband likes these too, often served with a side of bacon.

Napping with Uncle Will's Dirty Blondies

My younger brother is a swell guy. Growing up our age difference was fairly significant - five years - so we had little in common. But these days that gap hardly matters. We chat like old friends on the phone, and he adores being Uncle Will to my daughter.

These days I am embracing motherhood, food writing and cooking, while Will travels the world as a Lt.JG in the Coast Guard. Due to his hectic schedule we don't see him often, but when we do the reunion is always full of laughter and fun. Although our everyday lives differ, we still have many things in common. Including our love of good food.

Since we both grew up in a household of excellent cooks it is no surprise that Will knows his way around the kitchen. To prove it, last month he gave me his formula for burgers, which I shared with you here, and it was amazingly popular with readers. During Uncle Will's burger mania I received several requests for more of his recipes. So, being the awesome older sister that I am, I have invited him back for another post. This time, it turns out, he is not grilling - which I used to think was his forte - but baking. Yes it's true, just when I thought he'd be forever perfecting hash marks, he decides to fire up the KitchenAid mixer instead.

My favorite part about this recipe is that Will brought it back with him from summer camp in 1994. He was so smitten with the brown sugar blondies the cafeteria served, he actually wrote down the cooks recipe in his jagged 12 year-old script (the original is pictured below), and brought it home to my mother! Needless to say, she got a huge kick out of his request for Dirty Blondies and has been making these for him ever since. When Will moved away for college she taught him how to prepare these in his own kitchen, and to this day he makes a fresh batch at least once a week.


When Will made this for us on our last visit to Cooperstown he allowed me to photograph his superior baking skills. Like a true Naptime Chef-expert he whipped together the batter while my daughter was asleep, and had them cooling out of the oven long before she woke up. With five adults and one child in the house these obviously did not last long. None of us could resist the warm chewy blondies, studded with a generous dose of chocolate chips. We liked to eat them after dinner with a big bowl of vanilla ice-cream, but also sneaked several nibbles during the daytime until they were all gone. I am sure these will be as big a hit in your house as they were in ours. In fact, I am so confident that these will be popular I've already asked Will to prepare another guest recipe for this fall, I can't wait to see what he turns up next.


Uncle Will's Dirty Blondies
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 c. dark brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking soda
1 egg
1 c. flour
1 c. chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Whip the butter and sugar together in a mixer until well incorporated. Add vanilla, baking soda, the egg and flour. Mix on a low speed until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
3. Prepare a greased 8x8 pan or 7x11pan and pour in batter.
4. Bake for 20 minutes or until top of blondies are browned and set.

Naptime Notes:
Naptime Recipe Props: The simplicity of the ingredients and batter makes these a snap to prepare at any time of the day or night. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a last minute sweet-treat, or for someone who needs a break from traditional brownies.
Naptime Stopwatch: The batter takes Will about 5 minutes to prepare, then it is just a matter of making sure they don't burn in the oven.
Naptime Reviews: Blondies are not just for kids, they are refined and sweet enough for adults, too. If you want to serve them at a more formal affair simply cut them into small squares and place them on a decorative plate.