An article by Eliana Rivero goes into great detail about some of the cultural dishes of Cuba, including a dish I decided to try for this week’s column, congri. According to Rivero, “The name comes from the Creole French words congo and ris (beans and rice) to produce what today is widely consumed by Cubans …
Continue reading “Everyone will want to ‘congri’gate around your table for this dish”
We were able to spend a fantastic evening with some great folks this past week for a celebration of Christmas in July. We hosted the meal last year, so it was our friends’, Adam and Samantha’s, turn to do it this year. They decided to celebrate the theme of the night by creating an entire …
Continue reading “Make their tummies ‘rum’ble with tropical cake”
I had a great dinner night with my family over the weekend. After going out for some greasy food, topped off with ice cream and helping my niece extract every last quarter from my purse so she could eventually win a tiny stuffed turtle from a claw machine, I headed back to my parents’ house, …
Continue reading “‘Galette’ yourself enjoy some tasty, fruit-filled pastry”
This weekend, I stumbled on an article by Gabrielle Drolet called, “In Defence of Garlic in a Jar: How Food Snobs Almost Ruined My Love of Cooking.” It’s a long read, but Drolet makes the point that cooking shortcuts are a great way to make the kitchen more accessible to people who have disabilities. She …
Continue reading “Make ’em go ‘coco’nuts for fudgy, layered brownies”
When we were stuck in the house for lockdowns at the start of the pandemic, I (like everyone else) started getting a bit stir crazy and began looking for ways to reorganize different parts of our house. One of my first projects was my horribly organized spice cabinet. The way it was all stacked in, …
Continue reading “‘Tajin’ up the flavor with yummy seasoned rice”
When I was growing up, my mom’s specialty, which was required at every family get together, was her deviled eggs. I remember my uncle jokingly blocking the door, looking for her tell-tale Tupperware box before we were allowed to come inside. I also remember one fateful day when I accidentally dropped the box, creating havoc …
Continue reading “This summer, let’s come together and give ‘pies’ a chance”
I was gone for a few days last week, and while Joey and I were catching up on our respective adventures from when we were apart, I learned that he made homemade Buffalo wings. Without me. Now, I’ll forgive him his betrayal, because in his defense, I am normally not a huge fan of eating …
Continue reading “Spicy, wing-inspired casserole is ‘Buffalo’-key delicious”
There is an in-depth article that appeared back in 2017 in Texas Monthly by John Nova Lomax about the origins of chili con carne in the United States. It’s a great read, if you get the chance, and apparently there’s a lot of controversy about the recipe’s origins from historians, but I did love a …
Continue reading “Seize the ‘carne’ with a summer-friendly chili recipe”
Last summer, we ended up with a large box of peaches, and when they started to get soft before we could finish them, I sliced them up, tossed them in a bag, and stored them away in the freezer. Well, rather than using them up sometime last fall…or winter…or spring…they’ve just been hanging out in …
Continue reading “Stone fruit and brown sugar are truly made for ‘peach’ other”
Even though I try not to heat up the house with my oven too often in the summer, I am definitely willing to make an exception for the right recipe. Last week, that exception came when I decided I didn’t want one of the typical cold summer sides like coleslaw, potato salad or a green …
Continue reading “Roasted vegetables will be the ‘bell’ of the ball this summer”