After weeks of opening my pantry and sighing deeply at the mess and disorganization, I finally pulled every last item out this past weekend. Joey came into the kitchen to find boxes, bags and containers on every countertop. “Today’s the day, huh?” he said, and then he wisely made himself scarce. He knows better than …
Continue reading “Pantry clean out calls for finally using my noodle”
It’s amazing how much variety we have at our fingertips at our local grocery stores. There are so many options and ingredients that you’d think no one could ever miss out on finding something they wanted, but as is sometimes the case, I hit a brick wall with this week’s recipe. I’ve been eyeing this …
Continue reading “There are ‘polenta’ of options for this pork dish”
In an online article, author Ossiana Tepfenhart explains that there are lots of foods we now consider “fancy” that were once “poor man’s food.” Dishes that fit the bill include lobster, oysters and even caviar. Another dish that she could have included? Ratatouille. The summer stew, native to Nice, France, was once considered a humble …
Continue reading “Want to be a French chef? You can d’ouille’ it!”
A lot of people took time during their quarantine to learn to make fresh bread. I don’t know how many Pinterest posts I saw where people proudly showed off their sourdough starters. Rather than tackle that particular challenge, I decided to try my hand at some Asian dishes instead. As a lifelong Kansan, I haven’t …
Continue reading “Spicy Korean chicken is a great bite to ‘heat’”
There are so many specialty kitchen items that I refuse to buy. It’s not that I don’t see the convenience factor in owning a cherry pitter or a banana slicer for the few times a year I need them, but I just don’t have the room to store them. That was how I felt about …
Continue reading “Making steamed buns will make you want to take a ‘bao’”
It’s not often I can stump Joey with a recipe. He’s the king of the spice cabinet and my go to when I know a recipe needs “something,” but I can’t quite put my finger on it. So when I managed to completely confuse him this week, I was a little proud of myself. Well, …
Continue reading “This Greek pasta dish ‘itsio’ good, you have to try it”
There are tons of great copycat recipes out there. I was blown away several years ago to learn that you can make a pretty convincing Butterfinger candy bar with candy corn and a few other ingredients. I also once tried a great recipe claiming to mirror Starbucks’s lemon bread. So when I tried a casserole …
Continue reading “Casserole should tread care’philly’ with its cheesesteak claims”
Not long ago, I saw a spirited discussion on Facebook about online food bloggers. The general consensus was that nobody wanted to read the person’s back story and long-winded tales from the kitchen—they just wanted the recipe. Honestly, that made me a little sad. Not only because I was sure that means they are definitely …
Continue reading “Potatoes and ground beef make dinner a done ‘dillo’”
When it comes to cooking indoors, Joey and I share the load pretty evenly. We each take on lunch or dinner regularly, with both of us having our specialties. But when it comes to cooking outside, I definitely fall far behind. Joey has really perfected the use of his kamado-style grill, mostly opting to create …
Continue reading “Grilling cheese is more than just o’queso’”
The vegetable section of our local grocery store has been calling to me lately. And now that our local farmer’s markets are in full swing, I’m sure I’ll be finding all kinds of reasons to bring home fresh produce. This past week, the siren’s song was coming from the zucchini. It was so pretty and …
Continue reading “Make summer meals direct from farm to ‘vege’table”