Homemade Spice Rub

Fire up the grill because there is a new spice rub that you need to try out and it's summertime, so it's a great excuse to have a barbeque. I found the original recipe on Pinterest from The Yummy Life, but modified it with the spices I had on hand. The great thing about this recipe is that it can be customized to your taste and it is super simple to put together (if you don't make the mistakes I did). It's sweet and spicy and great with all kinds of meat prepared in whatever way you wish. Chicken, beef, grilled, or slow cooked this rub has you covered. Now, you don't have to worry about marinating or advance preparation. Just grab, sprinkle, and cook.

Here is my modified 9 spice dry rub recipe:

1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup paprika
4 teaspoons onion powder
4 tablespoons chili powder
4 tablespoons black pepper
2 tablespoons dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger


Directions:

Dry the brown sugar for an hour or two so that it doesn't clump when you mix the ingredients together.


Sift all the ingredients together and then whisk. Store in an air tight container.

*Note: Do not try to sift the brown sugar. It clogs it up and won't work very well. After having to pour the spice mix into another bowl and resift it and then use a colander, I got a consistency that looked unclumpy. I am fairly certain that if you leave out the brown sugar, the sifting would be a piece of cake. The other option is to use a food processor, however, I don't have one.

So feel free to use this as a starting point to create your own spice rub. They are much better then store bought ones and you can make them to your liking. Come back and let me know what you used in your rub and how it turned out!

Pizza, Pizza!

After you visit the birthplace of Italian food, some how nothing at home seems as good. In my travels in Italy, I had some absolutely delicious pizza. The special thing about their pizza is the super thin, cracker like crust which allows the toppings to shine. I am not one for large amounts of dough with my pizza, but unfortunately around here is seems like that's the norm. However, I did find a place that may come pretty close to some of the real deal pizza from Italy... Alto Pizzeria, located in West Ave.

I don't go out for pizza often, so when I found this place I was totally thrilled. The menu is simple, offering a selection of starters, soups, salads, pasta, calzones, and pizza. They have a pretty extensive wine list, however, the white wine sangria is what caught my eye. Unlike some of the ones I have had in the past, it had a natural sweetness from the fruit. Garnished with a swizzle stick of blueberries, this was definitely a perfect summer treat. I could imagine myself sitting in a piazza, sipping sangria anxiously waiting for my pizza to arrive.

Going to dinner with others is always fun because usually they are willing to share with you, so you get to try more of the menu. We opted for the classic male pizza, chock full of mushrooms, onions, and a variety of meats, and the margherita pizza. The first pizza surprisingly had a good amount of heat to it and enough toppings to actually recognize what they were. The margherita used cherry tomatoes, which exploded in your mouth when you bit in. The freshness of the basil complemented the tomatoes and saltiness of the mozzarella all came together to form the perfect bite of pizza.

This is a place to write home about and I will be going back for another trip down memory lane. If you have been there, let me know what you tried so that I can be sure to put it on my list for next time. Stop by and enjoy a little slice of Italy!

A Visit to a Meat Mecca

I don't usually frequent steakhouses, but I do make the trip every once in a while. Guri do Sul, a Brazilian Churrascaria and steakhouse in The Woodlands, offers a unique dining opportunity. This place is not like other steakhouses because of the method of meat preparation. Meats are cooked over an open flame and served by Guachos, or Brazilian cowboys. Boasting about 11 different varieties of meat, this a destination for all meat lovers. It is a place were you will most certainly eat too much and feel uncomfortably full when you leave, but it will be well worth it.

Don't think that this place doesn't cater to those who aren't that fond of meat. They had a salad bar that also features a variety of cheeses and vegetables. A word of warning, especially if you have never been to this type of place before. As tempting as the salad bar is, make sure you aren't filling up on that and not leaving room for the main event. I do, however, encourage indulging in the to die for cheese bread. It is gooey with cheese running throughout and baked to perfection with a crunchy outside.

Cheese Bread

When you sit down at the table, there are two additions to the setting. A pair of tongs and a card with a red and a green side. One might ask what these are used for. The green side of the card indicates to the Guachos that you are ready for more meat, while the red side indicates that you don't want any at the moment. The tongs are used to grab the piece of meat off the skewer. What's even better about this, is that you can still say how you would like the meat cooked, like medium or rare. As if you aren't getting enough food, they will bring out some side dishes. The sides are fried plantains, green beans with onions and mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and fried polenta. Honestly, I didn't eat much, but I did try them all. The fried plantains were a good change of taste from all the salty meat and the green beans were good, but the mushrooms were delicious. I was not really impressed with the polenta, as it was a bit on the flavorless side. However, the mashed potatoes were definitely not a disappointment, so I would stick to those.

They do serve dessert and it looked very sinful, but we were much too full to even consider it. This was definitely a place that I will be going back to even though it is a bit of a drive. If you have been there before, please feel free to comment on your experience or if you have any other suggestions for Brazilian steakhouses. Visit their website to make your reservation today and enjoy!