When my sister and I were growing up, my mom always joked she was going to open a restaurant called “I don’t care,” thanks to the number of times we uttered the phrase when the family was choosing where to eat. On the occasions when we did care, there were certain places that turned into …
Continue reading “Sprinkle in something new with peppered beef”
There is enough debate about black-eyed peas that there’s actually an article about them on the Library of Congress website. It starts out very simply, asking, “Are black-eyed peas really peas?” The answer is simple: “No.” The article then goes into a very technical, scientific explanation of how peas, beans and legumes are classified and …
Continue reading “‘Peas’ your tastebuds with a spicy crockpot soup”
Being the good aunt that I am, when my niece came to spend the night with us this past week, I made sure to have a bag of chocolate mini donuts ready for breakfast. When my sister and brother-in-law came to pick her up, I asked her if she wanted me to send the leftovers …
Continue reading “Don’t let delicious sandwiches slide by you”
They’ve just been staring at me. Four potatoes have been sitting on my kitchen counter since Thanksgiving, and as the days passed, they literally were growing some eyes to look at me with. So I knew I needed to make something to use them up, and with the weather finally hitting a dreaded cold snap, …
Continue reading “Soup recipe lets me tell counter leftovers ‘see you tater’”
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”