One of the most challenging parts of cooking is choosing the menu. We can easily get in a rut and serve the same-old, same-old stuff.  Case in point. I had thawed a pound of hamburger not knowing what I would do with it. I could always make a couple patties and toss them on a grill or mix it into some sort of Mexican or Italian dish, but that usually ends up with more carbs than my … [Read more...]

The pork tenderloin is the most tender of all cuts. It is the filet mignon of pork. Yet, it is one of the most value-priced cuts of meat there is. There is absolutely no waste, it’s lean and nutritious and it’s very inexpensive, about $5 a pound. But I rarely buy it. For some reason, I have been unable to cook and serve pork tenderloin that I considered a knockout dish. I have tried all sorts … [Read more...]

  The world is divided into two groups. Those who like Chicken Livers and those who gag when they hear those words. I am not a gagger. I like, rather I love, Chicken Livers. It’s one of those dishes, that when I serve it, I wonder why I don’t have it more often. Funny, when you eat Chicken Livers, you’ll have the first one and think, “I should have cooked more.” Then, you eat the second … [Read more...]

  I love a bowl of turkey soup on a chilly winter day. I just pop a couple of fresh turkey wings into a crock pot or Dutch oven with some chicken broth and cook until it falls off the bone, add some rice and enjoy. But I haven’t been able to find any turkey wings recently. This week I was determined to do a pot of turkey soup of some description and looked in Food Lion, Wal-Mart and … [Read more...]

  I spend so much time in the grocery store that the Kroger employees often ask me where to find stuff. “French fried onion rings? Sure, they’re right next to the green beans on Aisle 7.” I’ve often thought of going to work at a grocery store, but I want to keep my amateur status intact in case they ever make grocery shopping an Olympic sport. But I’m getting too predictable in my … [Read more...]

  I make a dish called Blueberry Stuff – basically a blueberry cobbler but laced with extra butter for yummy goodness. I needed a dessert recently and had 4 Granny Smith apples staring me down, so I decided to make a batch of Apple Stuff. It was as good as the Blueberry Stuff. This is a great dessert option if you don’t have a lot of time and want to “Wow” your guests. Here’s … [Read more...]

  Beef, chicken, fish, and pork. Pick one. Chance are it wasn’t pork. Yet, lean pork is as healthy as chicken and fish. But because it’s lean, though, it tends not to have as much flavor, and it often turns out tough and dry – at least mine did. Until… I figured out how to make Perfect Pork Loin Chops. Tender, juicy, flavorful, easy. Boneless pork loins are a staple in the meat … [Read more...]

  Hams are among those things we don’t eat enough of. They are lean (comparable even to chicken), inexpensive per pound and delicious. Since it’s just Nancy and me, the Brewer’s eat hams only every so often, but when we do, we wonder why we don’t serve them more frequently. I suppose the determining factor in not serving ham is the sheer size. They can weigh 20 pounds and more, though … [Read more...]

Gourmet Vegetable Beef Soup? It is if you use steak, and why not use steak? Every grocery store offers stew meat and that’s what most home chefs use in their soups and stews. This cut, however, is at the low end of the spectrum, quality wise. It is usually tough, chewy, and lacking in flavor. Steak, however, is a different story – tender and packed with flavor, and if you’re a frugal shopper, … [Read more...]

  I was in Sam’s Club, poking around, and found a package of 6 leg quarters salvaged from their Rotisserie Chicken from the day before. I prefer the dark meat anyway and it was less than $4, so I bought it. I decided I would make a Chicken Pie out of just the leg quarters. I call this Easy Goodness. Here’s how. Since the chicken was cold, it was easy to pull off the skin and tear the … [Read more...]