We were getting together with our close friends, the Tigner’s, and decided on an evening of Hot Dog binging. All of us love our “dogs, and at least annually we devote an evening of feasting on an assortment of skinny Nathan’s and big fat Ball Parks. But no Hot Dog Feast is complete without the full gamut of condiments – cole slaw, spicy mustard, sweet, chopped onions, relish, possibly cheese … [Read more...]

I really enjoy ground pork – not ground sausage, ground pork. I may even prefer it to pork chops because unlike chops, you really don’t have to worry about ground pork being dry or tough, and it’s not time sensitive with temperature. It is also absurdly inexpensive - under $5 a pound and zero waste. I bought some this week and decided to experiment a bit. I decided to make some BBQ Ground … [Read more...]

Recently I saw a recipe called Mississippi Mud Cake and I had to try it. Afterall, who wouldn’t like Mississippi Mud? But the “mud” is chocolate, and everybody likes chocolate, so I baked the cake. However, instead of baking a chocolate cake base from scratch, I used a mix – Betty Crocker’s Devils Food Cake. Betty knows how to make cakes, so I let her do the hard part. About 4 minutes … [Read more...]

I made a fun dish last week. I made lasagna, but not ordinary lasagna. I whipped up a dish called Chicken Broccoli Lasagna and it turned out well, a nice change of pace. So, instead of using ground beef or ground sausage as the meat base, you use chicken. I used 2 chicken leg quarters. Since they were frozen, I decided to boil them until they were falling-off-the-bone tender. I shredded the … [Read more...]

During the life of most every church in America, at some point the ladies of the church gather and print their special recipes in a spiral bound cookbook. I have a number of these, and they are among my most treasured books - the old recipe collections from churches of my past. I have a recipe book from the Centenary United Methodist Church in Clemmons, NC. This church was founded in large part … [Read more...]

Ground turkey is an exceptionally healthy meat, and quite economical. A 4-ounce patty has only 170 calories and a 20-ounce package of ground turkey is less than $5. But we hardly ever have turkey patties. They are not exciting entrees, to say the least. However! By accident, I have discovered a way to make turkey patties that are fit for kings. A few weeks back, I bought a 20-ounce package of … [Read more...]

More and more, I am developing a taste for Mexican food. Of course, what I consider Mexican is probably totally unlike what actual Mexicans eat and enjoy. My choices are more like Tex-Mex or Redneck -Mex. But I like Tacos, I like Burritos and I enjoyed this version of no-crust Mexican Quiche. Here’s how I put mine together. First, anytime you use eggs, cream, and cheese together, it’s going … [Read more...]

  Our good friend, Nancy McKay, gave us a fruit basket of gourmet pears with a large wedge of Havarti Cheese. We ate the pears (Nancy made a pear dessert) but then had the cheese remaining. My wife scoured cookbooks and the Internet and found an interesting recipe for Havarti Cheese Dip. It was one of the best dips I have ever had the pleasure of dragging a Ritz Cracker through. If you … [Read more...]

When I was a boy, we had either potatoes or rice with every meal. A starch was a requirement. Many times, we had Fried Potatoes and always cooked in an iron skillet Today, Nancy and I have potatoes with many meals, though sometimes we will have pasta as a starch and rice from time to time. Baked potatoes are a staple, and we fix French Fries with burgers and dogs. We have scalloped potatoes and … [Read more...]

Several years ago, there was a book entitled, “Real men don’t eat quiche.” So being a real man, I didn’t eat it, though my wife Nancy loves quiche. However, being an amateur chef, I had to try my hand at a Quiche Lorraine and my version turned out so well that Nancy thinks it might even be better than her recipe. The word “quiche”, or so they believe, comes from the German … [Read more...]