I went to my local fishmonger, Whole Foods, this week. They haven’t had flounder in a while and I was looking for alternatives. The clerk recommend a fish called Plaice (pronounced place) and said it was very much like flounder, so I bought 4 filets. It was fresh, not previously frozen, I fried it up and it was as good as advertised. Delicious. They catch Plaice off the coast of … [Read more...]

John Koss has been in the sauce again. Actually, he’s into the sauce every day. That’s what John does. He makes Koss Sauce, a barbeque sauce, and it’s quite good. I find that most barbeque sauces at the store taste exactly the same. They are all super sweet and heavy. I’m not crazy about sweet sauces on roast pork for a barbeque sandwich. I like vinegar and pepper sauces for that. But I enjoy a … [Read more...]

Hams make a great Christmas gift, and there will be lots of them exchanged later this month - Kite Hams, Turner Hams, Smithfield and the like. But the best ham of all in my opinion, and the most reasonably priced, is a Gayle’s Ham. I wouldn’t trade a Gayle for any of the above. I discovered Gayle’s Hams a number of years ago in my travels to and from the Harrisonburg area. Gayle’s Market is a … [Read more...]

I have always been a little leery of Omaha Steaks. If you get on their mailing list, they will pester you to death to buy their products. Sure, their steaks are good, but it always seemed like a bait-and-switch deal, buy a few steaks and they toss in all the cheap stuff. Well, I changed my mind. What I thought was the “cheap stuff” turned out to be the best of all. For Fathers Day, my son … [Read more...]

  Is there anything that smells more delightful than a big pot of green beans cooking on a stove? Hardly. But I think I have happened upon the best seasoning ever for green beans. String beans are good with just a little salt and pepper, but a splash of bacon grease or a slab of fat back makes the flavors come alive. Still, both those seasonings can be a little greasy and sometimes … [Read more...]

  If you live long enough, you’ll get to know “Arthur”, as in Arthritis. He has a habit of settling into joints on older bodies and creating havoc. Ol’ Arthur has made himself at home in my hand, one of my fingers and one toe. I can take a couple Ibuprofen and he goes away for a spell, but I don’t like popping pills. On a recent visit to Sam’s Club, I asked the pharmacist on duty about … [Read more...]

We had a last minute cook out last weekend, with dogs and burgers as the featured entrees. I am a hot dog fanatic and looked forward to the makeshift picnic supper. But…. I was out of hot dog chili. I usually make it in advance and store small containers in the freezer, but I was out and didn’t have time to make a fresh batch. Eating a hot dog without good chili is like….well, eating a hot … [Read more...]

I wrote a book a few years back and still have a few copies remaining. I called it “Dead Squirrels Don’t Lie.” It’s a small paperback with a series of humorous (or so I’ve been told) short stories. It’s a fun and quick read. The small books fit particularly well on the back top of the commode. If you’d like a copy, they are $9.95 each, which includes tax and shipping. Three copies are $25. … [Read more...]