In a blog post she entitled, “What’s the Deal with Hasselback Potatoes,” Nutritionist Tina Marinaccio explains that the dish, which features potatoes cut crosswise in thin slices that don’t quite cut the potato all the way through, hails from Sweden. It received its name, she says, from the tavern that created it: Hasselbacken. Regardless of …
Continue reading “Baking potatoes, kielbasa on a sheet pan makes for less ‘hassel’”
I’m constantly amazed at how quickly we transition from pasta salad to thick, warming stew weather in Kansas. I can always tell when other parts of the country are starting to move into whatever the next season is, because my Pinterest suggestions suddenly begin showcasing a totally new genre of food. Right now, with Canadian …
Continue reading “With fall ‘fest’ approaching, it’s time for some stew recipes”
With Internet shopping, pretty much any ingredient can be at our fingertips in a matter of days. That being said, my goal when choosing recipes is to try to stay away from exotic items that can’t be purchased locally. We have to support our local grocery stores if we want them to continue to be …
Continue reading “Keep ‘arayes’ open for a delicious Lebanese dish”
For a couple months now, every time I open the pantry, I glance at this tiny canister of saffron I managed to buy on an extreme clearance. The Britannica Encyclopedia explains that saffron is the most expensive herb because it has to be hand harvested from the tiny stigmas in the center of a particular …
Continue reading “Bored with dinner? End your ‘saffron’ with something totally different”
While planning a snack menu for a recent get-together at our office, I decided the summer heat dictated some nice, cool appetizers. After settling on some dips to go with crackers, I decided I wanted something summery and full of fresh garden vegetable flavors, so I began researching bruschetta. According to “The International Kitchen” website, …
Continue reading “Bruschetta a nice slice of delicious summer living”
When the Mexican American Fastpitch Softball Tournament rolls into Newton every summer, Joey and I try to make it out to watch a few hours of the action. The games are definitely entertaining, but if I’m being honest, I’m mostly there for the food. Trying to pick what to eat from the various vendors is …
Continue reading “There’s a kernel of summer flavor in this pasta salad”
As soon as the weather starts to warm up, it’s time for Joey and me to start going through all the grilling recipes he sent me over the winter. The first one up is this week’s recipe, which features a Polynesian-inspired sauce over a spatchcock chicken. If you’re not familiar with spatchcocking, it’s a technique …
Continue reading “‘Lei’ the foundation for a delicious grilled chicken”
Joey and I received an amazing opportunity last week to speak at the Kentucky Press Association’s winter conference. We had a fabulous time with some really great people. My only complaint was the weather for our drive there and back heavily featured thick fog and switched between torrential downpours and drizzles. By the time we …
Continue reading “Italian comfort dish ‘gnocchi’ed dinner out of the park”
Back when I started this column 10 years ago, I thought people would be coming out of the woodwork to offer up recipes for me to try. I signed off each week with a request for submissions. In that first year, I think I received about five or six. I learned quickly that people don’t …
Continue reading “Take a ‘leek’ at the recipe for some savory potato soup”
Despite being a “food columnist,” I have to admit that a lot of my tastes are fairly, well, childish. For rare meals where I’m eating on my own, I’m likely to give in to my cravings for a serving of box macaroni and cheese or a bowl of cereal, or even more likely, a peanut …
Continue reading “It’s jarring how great leftover peanut butter can be”