Author: GoRare Staff

It’s squash season

Fall is my favorite season for countless reasons. For starters, the turning leaves are stunning. The cool air grants me permission to wear any one of my 30+ scarves (yes, I have an obsession. The first step is admitting, right?). The early sunset allows me to go to bed early, guilt-free. I get to sip …   Continue Reading

Gemütlichkeit!

Think of it as the German version of “Southern hospitality.” It’s a sentiment that involves good friends, good food, good cheer and good times — and it’s what Oktoberfest celebrations, both here and in the old country, are all about. Get in the spirit of the season with our take on wienerschnitzel: Pretzel-Dusted Schnitzel, made …   Continue Reading

For the love of brisket

I’m by no means a professional chef, but — as the saying goes — I like to play one on TV. (Or something to that effect, given that I’ve yet to land that elusive starring role on the Food Network.) What I’m trying to say is I fancy myself a pretty good home cook, and …   Continue Reading

Flank steak two-step

When it comes to enjoying a great steak, I’m an avid member of the strip club. However, my favorite cut of beef has long been flank steak — I salivate over its unique texture and bold, beautiful beefiness! I ascribe to enhancing the flavor and tenderness of the flank with a marinade, and over the …   Continue Reading

Hooray for Hollywood and Serious Barbecue

My first trip to Hollywood … home of celebrities, palm trees and the shiniest star: chef Adam Perry Lang’s Serious Barbecue pop-up shop in the back lot of Jimmy Kimmel Live! When I arrived at the pop-up, the first thing Adam proudly showed me was a beautifully crusted hunk of protein, and after trying, I …   Continue Reading

Home-cooked series – robust and sweet

Our GoRare.com writers are avid food fanatics, and recently decided to become a bit more adventurous in their home kitchens. Specifically, we have a plan to prepare beef dishes in ways we never have before. In the coming weeks, we’ll be trying new cooking techniques — new to us, perhaps old hat to you. I …   Continue Reading

Confetti Cooking

There was a time when I made one meal and the family ate it, just as I made it. That seems like so long ago. As the kids get older, nutrition tips come from here and there, and we gain more options when dining out, my kitchen seems like a mini restaurant. I jokingly think …   Continue Reading

You’re a peach

“Do I dare to eat a peach?” With apologies to T.S. Eliot — and English majors and teachers everywhere — on my (mis)appropriation of a line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, I say the answer to his eternal question should be a resounding “yes.” Yes, you should eat a peach. You should …   Continue Reading

Going against the grain

[Editor’s note: This post was written by staff intern, Laura Conaway.] Sandwiches … who says they can’t be exciting? With so much emphasis on what I’ll call the “rare factor” among my generation, it’s hard to get by with something that’s just plain regular. Call it common, old-fashioned, even. Whether it is food, music or …   Continue Reading

Tasty Travels: boast-worthy bites

I’m always on a quest for beautiful food and I found it at the grand opening celebration of Hobart’s Steakhouse in Ontario, Canada. Guests at the restaurant’s new, second location enjoyed a grand opening affair of appetizers and main dishes that had mouths watering. And speaking of grand fare, check out these lip smacking dishes! …   Continue Reading

A Slice of Heaven

I’ve often said I have the palate of a 12-year-old. “Fancy” food is not my forte. Give me simple, flavorful and wholesome — yes, first and foremost simple — meals any day. I don’t want a million ingredients. I’m not a culinary trail-blazer. What appeals to me most are dishes that deliver great quality, great …   Continue Reading

Beautiful places, beautiful bites

When I travel, I try to digest all things around me. I don’t mean literally, or at least not 100% literally. Taking in the sights, sounds, smells and of course, tastes of each destination helps me to understand the area’s culture and locks it in my memory. My latest adventure led me to Calgary, Alberta, …   Continue Reading

Smooth sailing for steak lovers

“Sailing, sailing over the ocean blue …” We’ve been training on the high seas. And if you’re planning a cruise to the Bahamas or Alaska or even Mexico aboard Norwegian Cruise Line®, you’ll be relieved to know the Certified Angus Beef ® brand will join you on the journey. It’s now the official steak served in …   Continue Reading

Fits to a T

Can your philosophy, your point of view, your priorities, be summed up on a T-shirt? It’s safe to say that a certain type of foodie is wearing their heart on their sleeve … or their message on their chest. Chef Michael Ollier and I recently traveled to San Francisco for a culinary conference. It was …   Continue Reading

Getting a little fresh in the kitchen

Cooking with fresh herbs is the culinary equivalent of rolling your car window down on the first warm spring day. You just want to breathe deep and take it all in — the fresh aroma, the bright colors, the feeling that the world is somehow just a little more alive. That’s what fresh herbs — …   Continue Reading

Restaurateurs to the ranch

… and cattlemen to the culinary side of life. Chefs from across the country came to Texas to see, hear, feel and fully experience the beef industry. And though each chef prepares Certified Angus Beef ® steaks, burgers and more for restaurant customers, most had never visited a working ranch, stood toe to toe with …   Continue Reading

Lighten Your Lunch

Pairing a fresh salad with protein-packed and flavorful Certified Angus Beef ® roast beef is a quick, delicious way to try something delicious — and wholesome — at lunchtime. Hearty enough to satisfy the biggest appetites, but light enough to please your health-conscious side, it’s a balanced choice that’s easy to put together. Think deli …   Continue Reading

Cutting up in the kitchen {lab}

I recently went back to school … and discovered that one of the best learning tools is curiosity. I put on my “I want to know more” hat and observed a beef fabrication class at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I. Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve …   Continue Reading

Picture perfect

A picture tells a thousand words, as the saying goes. Mark Merryweather, Certified Angus Beef ® brand multimedia designer and food photographer takes this adage to heart with each snap of the shutter. Today, his virtual beef library is host to more than 600 beef images. The library contains photos of raw cuts, plated steaks, juicy …   Continue Reading

Lessons in flavor

April is national garlic month. This celebrated bulb is recognized for its distinct flavor, making it a mainstay in restaurant kitchens, and as it turns out, garlic offers a great lesson in flavor. My daughter and I had a free Saturday — rare during basketball season! — to plan a special meal. As she made …   Continue Reading

Just one (more) bite

Foodies know it all too well: that sinking, yet excited, feeling when you open a menu and find an array of tantalizing choices — knowing you can only reasonably choose so many. That’s the appeal of Tapas-style dishes. Not only can restaurant patrons choose among numerous smaller plates and servings to try a wider variety …   Continue Reading

Thank A Farmer

It’s National Ag Day, bringing to mind this snippet from famed radio commentator Paul Harvey: And on the 8th day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, “I need a caretaker.” So God made a farmer. God said, “I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, milk cows, work all day in …   Continue Reading

More than meats the eye

If you’re a carnivore like me — and if you’re reading this blog, I have to assume you are! — you know meat can be incredibly delicious. (“Well, duh,” you’re surely thinking right about now.) And it doesn’t have to be fancy to be great — take burgers, for example. I bet there are few …   Continue Reading

Great flavor, by land and by sea

Surf and Turf. You might think this dish’s glory days are past, but the idea is solid: a robust steak, paired with succulent lobster — twice the protein, twice the flavor, and twice the bounty of the land and the sea. It evokes abundance, celebration and even indulgence.  Continue Reading

And the Chili Cook-off winner is …

There’s something about chili on a cold winter’s day that warms the soul and fills the belly with pure, unadulterated … heat. Some like it hot, other prefer mild and most of us will eat it either way — especially if it’s been bubbling away in a slow cooker for hours. We hosted a Chili …   Continue Reading

Keep calm and eat beef

Keep calm and write a blog … says the sign on my desk. Now that the frenetic — but always energizing — activities of the holidays are officially over, I am set to write about what is on my horizon in 2013. My doctor told me yesterday that my BMI makes me borderline obese. I …   Continue Reading

Behold the mini burger

A little cranberry tart and tang on a beefy mini burger — also known as a slider — makes a great appetizer for holiday gatherings. And this slider is much heartier than the typical bite-sized delight. It’s sure to satisfy your hungriest guest. Chef Scott Popovic‘s holiday sliders will have your friends and family declaring this …   Continue Reading

Steaks medium rare and books well done

Though I never fancy myself as much of a writer, I do consider myself an avid reader. In the past few months, I have been making a concerted effort to read food-related tomes, and have been deliciously pleased with the ones I’ve devoured, below. They may make good gifts for the foodie folks on your …   Continue Reading

Nothing fishy about Foley

The “gate to plate” experience is widely touted, and one from which I have learned about environmental and quality procedures proudly practiced by folks raising beef cattle. It was equally interesting for my colleague, Dee Walenciak, and me to visit the M.F. Foley Company in New Bedford, Mass. — just two beef gals at a fish …   Continue Reading

Buckeye Barbecue

Last night my family and I celebrated my father’s birthday with  Certified Angus Beef ® brand filet of rib. While preparing the delectable celebratory meal, I couldn’t help but think of The Ohio State University students in a first-of-its-kind undergraduate barbecue course. They earn college credit while learning how to grill delicious dinners. I can’t think …   Continue Reading

Five stars … and their five-star dinners

Life is full of choices — and as my fellow foodies know, they often revolve around our next meal. The recent Certified Angus Beef ®Annual Conference at The Greenbrier Resort presented a (happy) conundrum of sorts for guests. Five of the most innovative, creative and talented chefs who partner with the brand created their own special, one-night-only …   Continue Reading

Did you know fish have tongues?

In this latest Tasty Travels post, we go to Newfoundland … … which begs the question: “Have you ever tried cod tongue?” and “Did you even know fish had tongues?” I hadn’t and I didn’t — not until I traveled to Newfoundland, that is. I guess it makes sense, but I’ve never thought about it before. And now …   Continue Reading

Chef Jeff takes the stage

Food, glorious food. We all rely upon it as a source of nourishment. But beyond that, it represents discoveries, connections and memories. In many ways, it can shape who we are, how we view the world, and how we live. It’s central to our stories, sometimes in ways we don’t expect. The power of food, …   Continue Reading

Globe trotting, bloggy style

I’ve traveled all around the world — to the Aussie land down under, across the great blue puddle to Europe, beyond America’s borders into Mexico and Canada, from Washington to Florida, Maine to California. But never have I had an opportunity like I did at the end of August — experiencing Saipan, Japan and Saudi …   Continue Reading