Butter beef? Really?  Sounds good, doesn’t it. It is good, it’s fairly economical, and it’s easy. I saw the recipe recently and I had to try it - with my variations, of course. The recipe called for stew beef, but you never know what you’re getting with stew beef, and it’s really not that inexpensive. I rooted around and found a couple top round steaks – a bit over a pound total, … [Read more...]

  Recently I had the opportunity to cook with a cast iron skillet. I fried some bacon and eggs for a friend, and they turned out perfectly. The pan was over 60 years old and well-seasoned. The eggs did not stick, and the bacon cooked nice and crispy. But the skillet was a different shape. It had higher sides. It was 10 ½ by 3 ½. The bottom read “Chicken Fryer”. I had to have one and … [Read more...]

  When Nancy and I find our way down to our favorite ocean front condo at Nag’s Head, we always enjoy a huge eat-in breakfast. On occasion, we’ll go out and squeeze into a booth at Sam and Omie’s. They have the best breakfasts on the beach – next to mine, that is. Nancy and I typically have a fresh melon, cheese grits, eggs over easy, toast and – yes – Spencer’s Sausage. Spicy, rich, … [Read more...]

  Eye of round roasts are one of those entrées we just don’t serve enough. They are quite inexpensive when compared to a rib roast, but unless you have a big family or company coming, I always felt that a roast like that was too much for a family of two. I now disagree with myself. They are perfect, even for just the two of us. I wanted some roast beef and saw an eye of round, about … [Read more...]

  It was the family car, and a member of the family. It was the only “car” member of the family because most Boomer families in the 1950s and 1960s only had one car. Moms stayed home as a rule and dads drove the only car to work, or if mom had some shopping or errands to run, she dropped off dad and picked him up after work. Kids either walked or rode their bikes to school. The kids in the … [Read more...]

  Like King Arthur, I’m constantly searching. But not for a Holy Grail. Rather, I am always on the lookout for Mexican sides, something to serve with Enchiladas or Burritos besides chips and salsa. I tried a new recipe this week, and I think it’s winner. I call it a Corn and Avocado Mexican Salad. If nothing else, it sounds impressive. Here’s how I put it together. Start with a can of … [Read more...]

  I have never had much luck with briskets. I have cooked them on the grill, I have smoked them, I have slow cooked them in the oven and the best I ever produced was just edible. My briskets have often turned out dry and tough. I see those barbeque shows on TV, salivate over the delicious-looking briskets, but for me, no luck – until this weekend when I decided to put the brisket in my … [Read more...]

  If it’s not on special, I don’t buy it. At least that’s my goal each time I visit a grocery store. Last week, I passed by the “Special Bin” at Kroger’s and there were two, half-sections of Pork Loin Back Ribs. They were like three dollars and change each, so I bought both. These Pork Loin Back Ribs were a bit thicker than typical Baby Back ribs and I decided to slow-cook them so they … [Read more...]

  Green beans are a lot easier to grow and much more prolific than Fordhook Lima Beans, but they are not nearly as tasty. There are few foods anywhere than can rival the goodness of a freshly picked Fordhook Lima boiled to a tender doneness and topped with butter. It is one of my favorite foods in the world. Years ago, I had a garden at our small lakefront cottage in Greene County … [Read more...]

  Groceries are expensive, but fish are free – if you catch them yourself (or have a good friend who likes to fish.) I am aware of a certain fish that you can’t even buy in a store, yet there is no more flavorful fish found anywhere. The fish is a bluegill, which is classified as a game fish in Virginia; therefore they cannot be sold commercially. Bluegills, sometimes referred to … [Read more...]