JEFFREY SPEAR: MY LIFE IN GLUTTONY
In “My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure” Jeffrey Spear confesses “Living to eat is no longer an admission of gluttony or a problem with self-control. It has, in fact, become a badge of honor.” Spear gives readers a glimpse into his lifetime of culinary obsessions sparked by a willingness to eat just about anything and a job that takes him to some remarkable destinations around the world.
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: On this delicious episode of Big Blend Radio’s 3rd Monday “Food, Wine & Travel” Show, presented in collaboration with the International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), we’re joined by Jeffrey Spear, author of the mouthwatering book “My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure.” Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
While his adventures in Malawi, Georgia, and Guyana are a bit off the beaten path, Spear also includes culinary encounters right here in the U.S. Readers will find Spear’s obsession with hot dogs in New York and flourless chocolate cake in Washington DC as compelling and engaging as his discovery of char-grilled mouse in Malawi and bunny chow in South Africa. Over 306 pages, starting from his childhood home in Maryland to exotic destinations around the world including Ghana, Lebanon, Serbia, Hawaii, Paris, Russia, Montenegro, Buenos Aires, and Malawi (grilled mouse is a roadside treat), Spear describes the foods that made indelible impressions along the way. Including 96 crowd-pleasing and easy-to-follow recipes, from the familiar to the esoteric, this book is a gastronomic delight.
JEFFREY’S MUĆKALICA RECIPE
As featured in “My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure.”
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
3 T peanut oil
2 lb. pork loin, thinly sliced, cut into 1/2-inch strips
2 T butter
3 onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 C beef stock
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 C tomato paste
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
DIRECTIONS
Pour the oil into a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pork and cook until brown, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork into a bowl and set aside.
Add the butter, followed by the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add the green and red peppers and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Return the pork to the pot, then add the stock, salt, paprika, cayenne and pepper. Stir until fully incorporated. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for approximately 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes or so to prevent sticking. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 30 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached.
Serve with a sprinkle of feta cheese. While delicious served over rice, I prefer wide egg noodles.
Jeffrey Spear is an accomplished visual artist, graphic designer, cookbook author, food stylist, television personality, journalist, and cook. He is also a globally recognized food marketing consultant working with growers, manufacturers, chefs, and restaurateurs on every continent except Antarctica; helping them develop and introduce a wide variety of ingredients and brands to buyers around the world. Along the way, he also writes about food for a variety of trade and consumer magazines and online publications.
“My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure” is his third and most ambitious cookbook preceded by “The First Coast Heritage Cookbook,” and “Yum! Tasty Recipes from Culinary Greats.” “My Life in Gluttony” is available nationwide on Amazon.com.
Learn more about Jeffrey Spear at http://www.spearwrites.com/
