I am always amazed at how many different kinds of pumpkins and gourds you can find this time of year. In my mind, a lot of the stranger ones are merely for decoration, but after some recent research, I discovered that many of them are actually supposed to be pretty tasty. It was that research …
Continue reading “This pasta will give ’em ‘pumpkin’ to talk about”
While watching random cooking shows over the years, I picked up the advice from several chefs that if you’re cooking with wine, you should choose a bottle you would actually want to drink, or it isn’t worth using in your recipe. I have never heard the same advice for beer. I have used some of …
Continue reading “Everyone will polish off their plates with this sheet pan meal”
I first met Joey when I was 19 years old, and even then, he was forced into being my recipe guinea pig. I decided that I wanted to make a fancy meal for him one weekend, so I hunted for some ideas and came up with a brisket dish for two, and I decided to …
Continue reading “Making this for someone special could create a ‘meat’ cute”
Every time I use turmeric in a recipe, I remember back to the time I ruined the one and only manicure I’ve ever had while using it in a delicious Jamaican recipe. Knowing it has the ability to stain everything, I have been diligent about wearing an apron when cooking with it ever since (although …
Continue reading “Turmeric-based veggie soup will help you feel golden”
I am generally pretty useless when it comes to remembering the different cuts of meat. If I’m ordering a steak, I know that a t-bone will have, well, a t-shaped bone in it, but I forget which cut has the best marbling or is the leanest, etc., etc. But after this week’s experiment, I now …
Continue reading “Nothing about wine-braised ribs falls short”
I recently watched a video that explained why there are so many different shapes of pasta out there. I always assumed it probably had a practical purpose and it wasn’t just because of ancient pasta makers’ boredom and creativity. And it does. If you’re wondering, it all comes down to the sauce. Have a thinner …
Continue reading “Cajun pasta shapes up to be an excellent, quick dinner”
One of the downsides of spending as much time on food blogs and looking through recipe books as I do is I often discover that the photos are not a good representation of every recipe. That was definitely true with this week’s recipe. This was one Joey shared with me after finding it on social …
Continue reading “There’s barely a shred of evidence of veggies in this dish”
For two days last week, a huge, beautiful summer squash graced my kitchen counter. It took me a bit of time to mull over what I wanted to do with it. I hunted the Internet for ideas, finding lots of savory applications, as well as a few sweet ones I could use it in, but …
Continue reading “Oh my squash! A fresh, simple dish will wow your dinner guests”
After spending a few days out at Camp Mennoscah last week, hanging out with a rambunctious group of 8-year-olds and sweating profusely, I decided I wanted something light and refreshing when I went to cook dinner back at home. I spent way too much time going through recipes online, convinced that there had to be …
Continue reading “Get ready for ‘summer’ all the hot weather with this pasta”
There are a few dishes that feel specifically American. Meatloaf is one of those, despite it also being the butt of many sitcom jokes over the years. According to an article by Erica Martinez for “Food Republic,” meatloaf has been on recipe cards since the 1870s, but it may be even older than that. “[F]ood …
Continue reading “You’ll ‘loaf’ this lightened-up classic dish for dinner”