About this column:
Recipes from locals, recipes from chefs, talks with some of the area's best chefs - this column is about food, and how they make it.
In case you missed it, we talked with Jonathan Brannon, pitmaster at Texas BBQ Company, months ago. His grandfather Billy started the Texas BBQ Companies in Texas and Arizona, and his dad, owner Dave Brannon, brought the business to New England, opening in Northborough in 2006. Today, we watch the pitmaster walk us through the preparation of those famous ribs. And, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday. Brannon adds that lots of catering and take-out orders are coming in. Visit the site to make sure you get yours.
He was born into barbecue. Not literally. He wasn't smothered in hot sauce upon birth. But for Jonathan Brannon, pitmaster at Texas BBQ Company, he was destined to at least know how to barbecue properly, if not do it for a living. He's now doing the latter, as the fulltime pitmaster (yup, that's what he's called) since the beginning of the year. It's a family thing. His grandfather, Billy, owned two barbecue restaurants in Arizona and Texas. Brannon's family moved to Massachusetts from Arizona in 1997, when his dad David's high-tech company relocated him. After 9-11, when his industry took a …
Owner and chef Marco Turo heard they dropped by and had dinner, but didn't know when, or how he fared. But word is it was thumbs up for Bistro Limoncello, as a TV crew from NECN's TV Diner with Billy Costa visited yesterday for a long shoot at the restaurant. The crew filmed Turo and his staff, which includes Executive Chef Bruno Granato, who prepared seven meals for a segment that will air on Saturday, April 2, at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on NECN. "They did a review a few weeks ago," said Turo. "They came in, and I found out they gave us the gold plate, which is good. So they wanted to come in and…
The restaurant business is nothing new for Mark Johnson, a Northborough native and co-owner and chef of C.J.’s Steakloft. His mother, Carolyn, always worked in the business and he grew up in that environment and now shares ownership of the business with her. Johnson said he started out as a dishwasher and worked up the ladder. He graduated from Johnson & Wales in 1986. Serving an all American menu, Johnson is always striving "to create something different, something unique." He commented that, "America is made up of a little bit of everything, so the menu reflects that..Italian, Asian, …
If you ask Graciano Machato what else he'd be doing if he weren't cooking, he'll tell you, "I don't know, but I'm sure glad I found this." Machato has been the head chef at Guiseppe's Grille virtually since it opened seven years ago. How he got there - how he became a chef - he chalks up to coincidence. He didn't go to culinary school, and remembers his childhood cooking experience as that of "putting weird flavors" with various meats for the family. "Just little things where you don't know what the hell you're doing," Machato laughs. But it caught his attention, and he found that cooking was…
Having kids assist you in the kitchen can be a lot of fun with the right recipe. Here are a few easy and quick holiday treats that involve very little baking and preparation. Little hands are welcomed to help. Cracker Toffee (submitted by Cady Spencer, resident of Northborough, elementary school teacher in Westborough and a busy mom.) 1 stack of saltine crackers2 sticks of butter 1 cup brown sugar1 12 oz. bag choc. chipschopped nuts (optional)Line a cookie sheet with foil and line the foil with saltine crackers. Put butter and sugar in pan and boil. STIR CONSTANTLY until sugar has dissolved…
