I love garlic and a garlic soup can be pretty amazing. In addition if ever you are feeling a bit under the weather - a cold or the flu, here is a potent yet pleasant soup that I like to make. Clears out your head pretty quickly.

4 or five minced fresh garlic cloves
1 small minced white onion
salt and pepper to taste
a slice or two of bacon minced
2 eggs
chicken broth

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Winter, summer, spring or fall Bearfort’s apricot chicken recipe is an often requested dish here at the lodge

A couple of carrots peeled and cut on diagonal 1 inch pieces
A couple small beets cut into wedges
A small sweet dumpling squash or acorn squash cut into wedges
A medium parsnip, peeled, cut diagonal in pieces
A large fennel bulb cut into wedges (tops reserved)
A few of splashes olive oil
a ladle of apricot jam mixed with a splash of warm water
Three fingers fresh thyme leaves (stalks reserved for stuffing)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 whole chicken breast bone-in w/skin
Half lemon cut into wedges.

Pre-heat oven to 450. Toss veggies with a splash or two of olive oil and two glops of the apricot mixture and thyme leaves - season to taste. Arrange in a large glass pan and roast for 10 min.

Meanwhile heat remaining with a teaspoon oil over medium high heat, season chicken and brown 4 min. Remove from heat and fill cavities between breast halves with lemon thyme stalks and fennel tops.

Place chicken skin side up in the pan with veggies around it and roast for 15 min. Brush chickens with remaining jam and add a splash of water to the pan. Roast until veggies are tender and chicken is well browned (about 20 min). Discard lemon thyme and fennel. Bone each breast half with sharp knife and arrange meat and veggies on serving dish then pour pan juices over and serve.

Cautionary Note: Cooking by hand - is just that - cooking by hand. I cook by hand so my recipes are generally a hand of this and a hand of that. A finger is as much of that item that you can hold on top of an outstretched finger. A palm is that which you can hold in the palm of your hand. A hand is that which you can hold on your hand flat with fingers stretched out. - come on folks — work with me here…. set the measuring cup aside, put down the measuring spoons and get cooking.

Knock your socks off with Bearfort’s hot wings recipe.

Singe, wash and prep chicken wings - leave wing tips on.
Deep fry chicken wings with no coatings till skin is crisp.

In a large pot, mix:
A small ladle clarified butter
Large ladle barbecue sauce
Several splashes Louisiana hot sauce
Fine chopped roasted habanero peppers
Fine chopped roasted jalapeno peppers

Dump all chicken wings into pot with sauce mixture and coat thoroughly and serve with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Cautionary Note: Cooking by hand - is just that - cooking by hand. I cook by hand so my recipes are generally a hand of this and a hand of that. A finger is as much of that item that you can hold on top of an outstretched finger. A palm is that which you can hold in the palm of your hand. A hand is that which you can hold on your hand flat with fingers stretched out. - come on folks — work with me here…. set the measuring cup aside, put down the measuring spoons and get cooking.

Potato lovers will swoon over this savory potato recipe from the kitchen of Bearfort Lodge.

Mix:
Olive oil (can use canola oil as substitute)
Fresh parsley
Fresh basil
Fresh tarragon
Fresh rosemary
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Granulated garlic
At least 5 large baking potatoes
5 large yellow potatoes
Numerous little red potatoes
And any other potatoes that suit your fancy

Instructions:

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This is another favorite from Bearfort Lodge - Potato lovers will delight in Bearfort’s Skillet potato salad recipe

2 pounds medium potatoes
2 stalks celery
1 small head Romaine lettuce
6 sliced red radishes
6 slices bacon
Small ladle bacon drippings
One palm of flour
Large ladle water
Small ladle vinegar
Two fingers salt
One finger pepper
Three fingers granulated sugar
1 pared cucumber
2 cups cooked beans or peas
2 peeled small onions

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Here is my straightforward recipe of mine for scalloped oysters.

A few handfuls of coarse toast - I use a cracked wheat toast
A small ladle clarified butter
2 dozen raw oysters shucked and drained (save the liquid)
Small ladle oyster liquid
One finger kosher salt
One finger pepper
A splash or two of light cream
A splash of Worcestershire sauce
dash or three of cayenne pepper
Two splashes sherry

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I love spinach. Here is a recipe to make a spinach ring with hot cream

A couple of packages of frozen chopped spinach
Three chunks butter
Four fingers all purpose flour
About 3/4 cup milk
Two fingers salt
Two fingers pepper
Sprinkle grated nutmeg
3 eggs beaten

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Fillet strips are nice and quick.

I like to do them on the grill.

I season the fillets with salt, pepper and garlic with a splash of olive oil and grill them — they cook fast don’t wander off.

Once I have taken them off the grill I toss them into a hot saute pan with a splash of olive oil, fresh crushed and chopped garlic, chopped tomatoes, a few capers, a handful of chopped mushrooms, a handful of freshly chopped green onions*, salt, pepper, a few sliced olives a palm of romano cheese, and a splash of white wine.

Saute and serve.

A note on green onions: — don’t throw out the green! - Use the green too not just the white. Why some people just cut off and the white and throw out the rest is beyond me.

This extremely simple recipe is sure to please and is very quick and easy to make.

Fedelini cooked and ready

A large bunch asparagus chopped

Saute the asparagus in a pan with freshly chopped garlic, season with freshly ground black pepper and kosher salt. once the asparagus has become tender add the cooked fedelini pasta and toss.

Add a handful of grated asiago cheese, a hand of grated fontinella cheese and four fingers grated Romano, a sprinkle of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper — yes again and a dash or three of granulated garlic.

Toss and serve.

Try something Special with Bearfort’s Steak Vesuvio recipe

This is very easy to make and very quick.

When ever I go to the butcher he knows how I like cuts — thick. A nice size New York Strip is about three fingers thick. Now thats a steak. None of this think crap from the wrapped meat in the cooler.

Anyway - Prepare a bowl with a medium ladle of olive oil and add to that about three fingers of fresh ripped and bruised rosemary, about two fingers of torn tarragon, a hand of finely chopped basil, one finger kosher salt, three fingers freshly ground black pepper and a palm of granulated garlic.

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