… [Read more...]

Every time I cook ribs, I believe I use a different recipe. Sometimes they are good, sometimes not as good, but it’s pretty hard to screw up baby back ribs unless they are raw or burned. However, I have found there is a fine line between cooking ribs into oblivion and having them both well done and juicy. I cooked a rack of baby back ribs this week, and they were near perfect. They were … [Read more...]

I think wings might be my favorite part of the chicken. They are highly regarded by others, as well. Americans eat over one billion chicken wings per year. That’s billion with a “B”. We like wings because, first they taste good, and second, they are easy to eat and a specialty of the thousands and thousands of sports bars around the country. Because of an unending demand for chicken wings, they … [Read more...]

  Sunday is often our night to order out – maybe a pizza or a fancy sandwich. When I think of a fancy sandwich, I think of a big, fat Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich. Then I remember it’s Sunday and Chick-fil-A is not a Sunday option. They value their employee’s time, and they are closed on Sundays. Good for them, but bad for me. I really wanted one of those Chick-fil-A sandwiches. … [Read more...]

My long-time friend, Janice Kaltenbach (Aunt Remus), is one of the best cooks I’ve ever been around. Her fried chicken is second to none, nobody makes better potato salad, and her pralines are so yummy they should be illegal. When Janice shares a recipe or says something she made was good, I pay attention. So, when she told me that she had a delicious chicken recipe. I begged her for it and … [Read more...]

I made a fun dish last week. Pizza Lasagna. It’s a genuine kid pleaser and as Tony the Tiger says, it tastes “Great”. But really, how can you go wrong? Lasagna? Pizza?  Both winners and this combination is as well. You make it as you would lasagna, just switch a few ingredients. Start by boiling the lasagna to al dente. I much prefer original rather than oven-ready lasagna. I can better … [Read more...]

I’m thinking about publishing a cookbook called “If It Ain’t Easy.” That’s because, if it ain’t easy, I don’t cook it. There are too many easy and simple foods to cook and enjoy without going off the deep end. And if a recipe calls for weird or exotic ingredients, I’ll let the chefs at Ivy Inn handle those recipes. Simple foods are usually best. One of my recent “If It Ain’t Easy” experiments … [Read more...]

It’s fall, for sure, and time to make soup. I tried a new recipe last night and it was as stunning as a sugar maple in full, fall foliage. Best yet, it’s as easy-as-pie to assemble. It’s so simple, I hesitate to share this recipe, but it was – I believe – the best Vegetable Beef Soup I’ve ever made. Here’s how. It’s a crock pot recipe, so it’s not time sensitive. Put it on sometime in the … [Read more...]