Recipes for main dishes.
Despite some of the balmier days lately, I’m certain autumn is upon us after seeing multiple “It’s fall, ya’ll” signs around town. Fall is always my favorite time of year, mostly because I’m excited to have slightly cooler temperatures that let me pull out my favorite sweatshirts, and I can start cooking up soup as …
Continue reading “Make a great week even ‘Moroccan’ with veggie stew”
Throughout the summer, we discovered that, for some reason, pork butts were on fantastic sales. Because Joey loves to fire up his smoker in the backyard, we bought quite a few of them and have lots of delicious, smoked pork in our freezer. We mostly use it to make tacos, combining the pork in a …
Continue reading “Mexican recipe makes plenty to eat today and ‘tamale’”
We have been cautiously returning to eating in restaurants over the past couple of weeks. We’ve specifically been targeting local places who are clearly working keep their staff and customers safe and healthy. It was during one of those meals that Joey said to me, “I think we could make this.” “Oh, pastrami?” I replied, …
Continue reading “Making pastrami can turn you into a real ‘brisket’ case”
The debate about “authentic” food always fascinates me. I recently listened to an episode of NPR’s “The Splendid Table,” where the host and guest were discussing the different ways people make sauce in Italy, and some of the recipes sounded very different than what I’d always thought was uniquely Italian. The same debate seems to …
Continue reading “I’ll take all the Tex-Mex you can ‘chimi’”
Is it just me, or has it been particularly difficult to decide what to make for dinner lately? OK, so I know it’s definitely not just me—it’s Joey, too. If you’re not having this same “let’s stare at each other until one of us breaks and makes a decision” moment every evening, I envy you. …
Until I began this column, I had no idea how many variations of pasta there are. I used to think I was pretty knowledgeable until I continued to discover new types that often were tough to find in small-town Kansas grocery stores. My recipe this week called for ziti, a tube-shaped pasta I’m definitely familiar …
Continue reading “Let’s embrace the ‘pasta’bilities this week”
I have a ton of amazing memories about my paternal grandma, who passed away in 2012. She was such an awesome person and a crazy good cook. Near the end of her life, she invited me over to her small apartment for dinner—just the two of us. She made a chicken and biscuits meal with …
Continue reading “You’ll have ‘fillings’ for this pot pie casserole”
Well, I did it to myself again. I noticed a lonely bag of 60-cent lentils sitting at my local grocery store, and I decided to bring them home and figure out what to make with them. I mean, 60 cents? Who can resist such a bargain? I’ve only made lentils once before, for a soup, …
Continue reading “Recipe proves you don’t know ‘lentil’ you try”
A few weeks ago, I was a bridesmaid in a good friend’s socially distanced wedding, and in preparation for the big day, I did something I have never done before: get a manicure. I opted for French tips—a layer of very light pink on the bottom and white for the ends of each nail. It …
Continue reading “This will make you ‘patty’ yourself on the back for a dinner well done”
I was unloading some groceries a few evenings ago, and Joey came to inspect what I was pulling out of the bags. Noting that there was a salsa I don’t normally buy, a container of tomatoes and a box of pasta, he immediately asked what new recipe I was trying for dinner. After being the …
Continue reading “Making a cold version of tacos isn’t mission im’pasta’ble”
