World's Greatest Kitchen Tool

I just got a LeCreuset dutch oven and it is unreal. Christened it with a simple dish - Mario Batali's Chicken (Hunter Stytle), which was amazing. Now I am ready to take the training wheels off and get after some osso bucco and braised short ribs. If you don't have one, get one.

Things I've Never Tasted

Today, I shocked people when I told them I was eating my first wrap ever. That's right...until today, I had never eaten a wrap sandwich and frankly, I don't see what all the buzz is about. Good old bread kicks a wrap's ass any day.

People's reaction to my wrap comment prompted me to want to share some other fun food revelations. Here it goes...In 29.5 years on earth I have never eaten:
1) a tuna sandwich (I love tuna sashimi, seared, grilled, ahi, fatty, yellowtail...all that, but no way on the canned stuff)
2) a bagel with cream cheese (love bagels, love cheese, no cream cheese)
3) clam chowder (Manhattan I've tasted, New England is barf in a bowl)
4) egg salad sandwich (yuck, do I really have to explain this one?)
5) will not knowingly eat mayonnaise on anything but Wendy's or a BLT and the occasional potato or pasta salad

Flank Steak Perfection

I am THE grill master! We had a little Sunday BBQ today and did a monster 2.5-lb. flank steak. Made up a great marinade with a little Asian twist. Not sure of the exact measurements but you should definitely give it a try:

- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 3-4 crushed garlic cloves
- 1.5 tbsp minced ginger
- chopped green onion
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- two dried red chilies with seeds

Mix all that up and pour it on a flank steak covered in some cracked black pepper (no salt - the soy sauce has plenty of that already). Let that sucker sit for about 4 hours. Be sure to scrape the stuff off before laying it on the grill - it will catch fire and cause the ends of the steak to burn. Cook it to medium rare, then let it sit for a few minutes to collect its juices back. Slice it and enjoy.

You're welcome!