While I was "guest host" on Martha Stewart's "Cooking Today" Sirius XM radio show this week, we covered lots of topics including craft beer, olive oil from Chile, Julia Child's new biography, Dearie, written by celebrity author Bob Spitz, "genius recipes" with Kristen Miglore from food52, and radically simple cooking with New York Times "City Cook" columnist, David Tanis. It was a great week. We also listened to the "hot chill" music of singer/songwriter Audrey Appleby, whose two songs, "The Garden" and "Ladies Cheap Cocktails", had everyone in the studio smiling and begging for more! Check it out at www.magicdance.com. Audrey's new album soon to be released is called Ladies Cheap Cocktails. Should soar to the top of the charts. And there were lots of requests for my Reddened Rib Eye with Pimiento Cheese -- the perfect steak for Father's Day. The magical rub -- made from sweet paprika, smoked paprika, and sumac may require a trip to an upscale food store or spice market, but these are three ingredients I now always have in my pantry. You should, too. They make a ruddy crust for the steak that lights up your taste buds -- with sweet, sour, salty, smokey notes. Topping with homemade pimiento cheese makes this a sundae for a cowboy. It's a "hot chill" kind of dish.

Serve with a bowl of my amazing cauliflower-potato puree (recipe below). What looks like the most luxurious offering of buttery, smooth mashed potatoes is instead a puree of cauliflower bound with a bit of potato and sweet butter. The underlying sweetness comes from garlic that gets boiled with the cauliflower. Drink wine! Or drink beer! Lots of great suggestions on the show from beer maven, Jimmy Carbone, owner of Jimmy's No. Craft Beer Bar and Restaurant and co-founder of The Good Beer Seal awards.

Reddened Rib Eye with Pimiento Cheese (adapted from Radically Simple)

8 ounces very sharp yellow Cheddar 3 ounces pimientos from a jar, with 3 tablespoons brine 6 tablespoons mayonnaise 1 small cloves garlic 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika 4 thick rib eye steaks, about 12 ounces each 1/4 cup ground sumac

Preheat the broiler. Chop the cheese and put in a food processor with the pimientos, brine, mayonnaise, and garlic. Process until smooth; add salt and pepper. Chill. Mix together the sugar, both paprikas, and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Rub the steaks thoroughly with the mixture and let sit 10 minutes. Rub the sumac thickly on both sides of the steaks. Place on a rimmed baking sheet; broil as close to the heat as possible for 3 to 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until desired doneness. Top each steak with a scoop of pimiento cheese. Serves 4

"Looks like Mashed Potatoes" (adapted from Eat Fresh Food)

1 large head of cauliflower, about 1-1/2 pounds 1 large baking potato 2 large garlic cloves, peeled 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup milk 6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the cauliflower into 1-inch pieces. Peel the potato and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, and garlic to the water. Continue to boil for 16 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft (but not falling apart.) Drain well in a colander and shake dry. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the butter, milk, and 4 tablespoons of the cheese. Process until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Or you may make the mixture ahead: Spoon it into a shallow casserole and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until heated through and run it briefly under the broiler until golden. Serves 6

Happy Father's Day.

Years ago at a fancy butcher shop, I noticed a cut of meat that was new to me. Piled high in the brightly lit case, was a stack of triangular-shaped mounds of beef, known as trip-tip fillets, tri-tip roasts, or beef triangles. They "sit" at the bottom of the sirloin, weigh 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 pounds, and are about two inches thick. Flavorful, but lean, they are best eaten rare so that the juices trickle down your chin. I created a recipe for Bon Appetit using this cut and was reminded of it this weekend. On our way to see the spectacular Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, we walked through the retail spaces level with the ice skating rink. New to us was a fast/casual restaurant called Tri-Tip Grill, featuring none other than this heretofore obscure hunk of meat. It seems that this cut is very popular in California and newer to East coast folks. The restaurant, too, had its origins in California and has only recently attracted attention in New York. Whereas a tri-tip fillet will never satisfy in the same way that a game-y aged rib-eye or velvety filet mignon might, it is a great cut to use for the holidays: fulfilling the promise of abundance without the financial burden. Why not buy a pair of tri-tips and invite a few neighbors for a holiday dinner this week? Serve the juicy rare steak slices with a sweet potato puree flecked with fresh ginger and a hint of freshly-squeezed tangerine juice. Then stir-fry a wok-ful of sugar snap peas tossed with tiny cubes of bacon and radish -- cut the same size so that they "mimic" each other. All will come together in a harmonious triptych of flavors textures, and color. A tri-tip triptych! Not easy to say three-times quickly.

A trickle of "hot" Chinese mustard will light up your taste buds. If you don't want to make your own, now's a good time to gather all those little takeout packets lurking in your fridge.

Tri-Tip Filet in Soy & Red Wine with "Chinese Mustard"

2 pound trip-tip beef fillet 1/3 cup dry red wine 2 tablespoons soy sauce 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced 2-1/2 tablespoons dry mustard 3 bunches scallions 12 ounces baby portabello mushrooms 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons honey

Put tri-tip in a shallow bowl. Whisk together wine, soy sauce, garlic and 1/2 tablespoon dry mustard. Pour over meat. Let sit 30 minutes at room temperature, turning meat often. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons dry mustard, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons cold water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Whisk until smooth. Let sit. Remove roots and dark green parts of scallions and discard. Cut scallions in half lengthwise. Trim mushrooms and wipe with a damp cloth. Put scallions and mushrooms on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Remove meat from marinade. Pat dry with paper towels. Season meat with salt and pepper. Put meat on baking sheet, with scallions and mushrooms arranged around meat. Roast for 12 minutes, turn meat and vegetables over and cook 10 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer registers 125 degrees for rare. Transfer meat to cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Cut in 1/4-inch thick slices. Serve with scallions, mushrooms, and any pan juices. Drizzle with Chinese mustard. Serves 4