You know you have them–call them vices, foods you love and have to have every so often, or just items you are just a slave to. I could probably list 50 things here, but I’m going to start with five and maybe do another one of these soon. Here are five food items I crave either weekly, monthly, or a few times a year.

1. Buffalo chicken wings–It’s probably the sauce more than anything, but it’s also the fried. The crispy fried skin of chicken wings soaked with buttery, tangy hot sauce. You may as well inject this stuff, but then you wouldn’t get to taste it. I have gotten by of late by ordering those fried chicken tenders (or even grilled if I’m on a diet) at Buffalo Wild Wings (sorry, nobody does it better….it’s just true), but the real deal is sometimes the only way to kill the craving.

2. Green curry–an amazing combination of spices, hot peppers, coconut milk, fish sauce and other stuff that makes up a thick, spicy and addictive sauce that is cooked with meat and/or vegetables, and served over sticky rice. Sometimes you have to find the best green curry where you live, and that’s not always easy. But once you find it, you are golden. Or at least that’s the case with me.

3. Steak–I’ve tried to eat little or no meat before, but I’m just not wired for that. I love beef, and I especially love a great grilled steak. I also make a killer steak sauce, but if the steak is good enough I don’t like to drown it in anything extra-curricular.

4. Fried chicken–We have a diner here in Madison called Hubbard Avenue Diner. They have fried chicken every Thursday and Saturday, and sometimes on Saturdays I have to practically beg my wife to let me take us there. Their chicken is just phenomenal.

5. Donuts–I can’t always walk past them, but I really can’t walk past Dunkin’ Donuts or Krispy Kreme without buying a donut or twelve. Yum. Nothing like fatty, doughy, fried sweetness. Sadly, there are not many donut shops in Madison–only grocery store and gas station donuts.

What are your cravings? Let me know in the space below, or e-mail me at mikeyskitchen@gmail.com and I’ll post your replies soon!

Man, I could go for a steak right now. This morning, Men’s Health e-mailed me a copy of an article they published two years ago about man food, and it starts with this positively mouth-watering photo of a bone-in ribeye.

I think I’m feeling faint. Iron deficient. Yeah, I need to fire up the grill soon….if not today, then this weekend. Anyway, the article goes on to list other favorite guy foods that they found across the US such as meaty chili and lobster rolls.

And hey, in case you forgot, I posted this easy set of grilling tips a while back for the perfect steak dinner during grill season. Now what are you waiting for?

This was the first entry I did on Grub For Guys a couple years back. And since tomorrow is my birthday, we’re going to have my favorite meal for dinner–a thick, juicy steak. Of course, my wife is making a cake, and that’s good, because I am pretty much clueless when it comes to baking, and because who wants to make their own cake anyway?

Here is the steak and potatoes 101 piece. Enjoy!

Hey guys—whether or not you want to impress your lady (assuming she eats meat), your buddies that are coming over for the big game, or even if you’re just cooking for yourself and are craving steak, I’ve got a simple menu for you and some easy preparation tips.

This also assumes that you know how to operate a basic grill, so if you don’t, you can refer to Bobby Flay’s website for help with that. Then I will help you with the rest!

Here is what you’ll need, assuming two people or one really hungry dude:

2 NY Strip steaks
2 Idaho baking potatoes
1 bunch asparagus
1 red or yellow bell pepper
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Black pepper

First things first — if you want a good baked potato, use the brown, Idaho type, and don’t ever microwave them. Microwaving a potato is the man-law equivalent of putting orange slices in your beer. So rinse the potatoes, being sure to scrub off those gnarly dirt specks.
Then wipe them off with paper towels, and stick in the oven at 450 degrees for 1 hour, flipping over once at the 30-minute mark.

When you’re at that 30-minute mark, get your grill pre-heated. I like to do the vegetables first, because they cook quickly and you can keep them warm while preparing the steak. For the asparagus (yeah, it makes your pee smell funny, but it tastes damn good off the grill), rinse and break off the rough ends. Sprinkle liberally with olive oil, and a few sprinkles of salt and pepper. Take the bell pepper, cut off the top, then remove the inner membrane and seeds. Cut that in half and sprinkle that with olive oil, salt and pepper as well. Throw these on the grill, being careful not to let asparagus fall through the grates. Depending on how thick the asparagus is, cooking time ranges from 2 minutes to 5 minutes. Once it starts to brown, remove from the grill onto a plate and cover with foil. The bell pepper will take up to 10 minutes, and you’ll want to flip it a few times until charred nicely. Remove that to the plate with the asparagus.

For the steak, I like to use New York strip, and not because I’m from New York. They are sometimes pricey, but almost always tender and tasty. Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper, and slap them on the grill. Trust me, you don’t need foo-foo marinades for steak either, because the salt and pepper will bring out the natural flavor nicely. Grill to desired doneness, which can be anywhere from 5 minutes for rare to 12 minutes or so for more well done (a meat thermometer is also not a bad investment). If you really want to look like a pro, after flipping the steak a third time, move it at a 45-degree angle for criss-crossing grill marks. Once you flip it over and see you’ve done this properly, pounding your chest is optional.

By the time the steaks are done, your potatoes should also be ready. Put everything on a plate, and bring some butter and sour cream to the table for the potatoes. Steak sauce is optional, but I’m telling you, you won’t need it if you follow this simple steak recipe.
That’s it. Throw in a nice bottle of red wine or a hearty beer, and you’ve got a meal that’s simple and yet restaurant quality.