August Review

Highlights from the Past Month + Preview of Upcoming Content

Greetings Friend,

Trying something new today.

At the end of each month I’ll be sending out a “Month in Review” that will recap content you may have missed and also serve as a preview of new recipes we’ll be cooking together.

Later this week I’ll be dropping a French country-style Lamb Stew. This will be a great lesson in learning how to layer flavors and make something stunningly delicious.

And guess what?

Most of the cooking time is hands off 🤝

Don’t miss it… ⬇️

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September Coffee ☕️

Happy to report that August was the largest month yet for Octopod Premium Coffees. It’s wonderful seeing people discover how flavorful and exciting premium coffees can be.

September pre-orders are live… here’s what I’ll be shipping out.

Colombia 🇨🇴  (Anaerobic Natural):

Tasting Notes: Dark Chocolate, Black Cherry, Cinnamon

Exclusive to Octopod Premium coffee

This coffee is from the legendary DelAgua co-op in La Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. An extremely limited batch; you can't get anywhere else. I couldn't be more excited to send this out to you all 🙌 

Honduras 🇭🇳  (Honey Process):

Tasting Notes: Tangerine, Plum, Clove

Planted in 2015, this coffee shows off the best of what Honduran coffees can offer. The family is revered for their quality practices which have allowed them to place in multiple Cup of Excellence tastings (think of CoE as the Olympics of coffee).  

Join me in getting the most delicious premium coffees delivered straight to your door… free shipping for subscribers in the USA 🇺🇸

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Summer Chicken

If you thought chicken was boring, the (3) recipe drops showed amazing flavor and versatility of chicken.

One of my favorite Summer recipes is the Coronation Chicken which is a childhood classic that I still go back to.

Coronation Chicken with Rice Salad

Since this is a chilled dish it’s perfect for hot summer days, can be made in advance for a dinner party, or makes a perfect quick lunch to have on hand for days at a time. The accompanying rice salad is the perfect pairing.

Chicken wing lovers rejoice, I dropped the best (and low mess) way to make chicken wings at home that will make you quickly forget about WingStop and all the other popular wing chainz.

(2) sauces were dropped… a spicy Korean and also an aromatic umami Vietnamese glaze.

You can get perfect wings at home… every time… no mess.

Vietnamese umami wings

The final chicken recipe dropped was legit Jerk Chicken 🇯🇲 . The problem with most jerk rubs is they end up bland and unremarkable. My jerk rub packs plenty of heat but is also packed deep with aromatics that will give you that authentic heat and Jamaican flavor.

Served alongside the pickled pineapple recipe is the perfect pairing.

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Eat Your Vegetables

This might have been my favorite drop of the month… or maybe the year because vegetables are so often an after-thought, that their flavor potential remains largely untapped.

Enter “The Original Ratatouille”.

The beauty of this recipe is that it’s more of a technique and I walk you through the entire process. You’ve never tasted vegetables this delicious and soulful… it will stop you in your tracks.

Too delicious for words: Ratatouille

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Harissa Salmon

This was a fun Substack because it combined a very popular fish (salmon) with one of my favorite condiments… harissa paste.

I walk through the best methods for cooking salmon why oven baking is one of the worst options 👎

Then a dynamite recipe for making your own harissa paste that you can have on hand in the fridge at all times. Perfect with salmon, in meat braises or folded into mayo for a dipping sauce.

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Summer Sweetness

We ended the month with possibly the best summer cake.

Tres Leches 🥛 🍰

This was a family recipe that’s been dialed in. Sweet, tender, succulent… and not too sweet! That is the problem with most Tres Leches… too freaking sweet. I’ve dialed the sugar way back so you can taste and enjoy that luscious sponge cake doused in 3 milks.

Also went in depth with some cake baking science on batters, emulsions and leaveners. All things that will make you a better baker and more confidant in the kitchen.

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If you’re looking for a fun and easy ferment to do at home, look no further than fermented garlic honey.

A lot of people liked this thread 🧵 so take a look and give it a shot at home… it’s really simple and easy. The end result is delcious

BowTiedOctopod | Culinary Chad @BowTiedOctopod

You’ve heard @Grimhood tell you to eat more fermented foods, but you’re unsure where to begin. Here’s a tasty AF dead simple ferment for those new or hesitant to try 👇👇

That’s the round up for August. Don’t forget to put in those coffee orders, time flies by!

If you have friends that are trying to up their cooking game, please share this post so we can spread the word 🙏

Cooking at home is one of the biggest ROI’s you can control. Many people are seeing this now with inflation and low-quality restaurant/delivery ingredients.

Thank you for your continued support as we cook the most delicious chef recipes that won’t break the bank 🙏