Wow! Were they ever good. Last weekend, I did some grilled rainbow trout in a mustard sauce, and it was as good as it gets. I wanted a seafood dish for company, but not crab cakes and not salmon. In the past, I had cooked rainbow trout on the grill with good results, so I decided to go with that if I could find some fresh trout. I went to Whole Foods, my first stop for good seafood, and they … [Read more...]

  About once a month or so, I’ll buy a package of pork tenderloins - the little guys that come two in a pack. They weigh about a pound each. We like to marinate them and cook them in the oven at 400 for about 30 minutes, or until the inside reaches 145, then let it rest. Well and good, but one of those two tenderloins is more than enough for just the two of us. So, you can either freeze … [Read more...]

  In Lexington BBQ country, if you served up some white cole slaw to go with your BBQ sandwich, you would be tarred and feathered then tarred again. Everyone, including Andy Griffith, Gomer and Aunt Bee, know that the only slaw that goes with BBQ is Red Slaw, often called Lexington Slaw. The spicey slaw really goes with lots of southern-style foods including catfish and fried chicken. … [Read more...]

  I poached a chicken last week. And, no, I didn’t snatch up a loose bird, even though a neighbor a few blocks away has a small flock of chickens with an especially loud and early rising rooster. I would like to poach him, but I didn’t. I poached some chicken breasts for a chicken salad. Scanning through some of my recipe sources, I was looking for a different way to make chicken salad. … [Read more...]

Go to any church picnic, family reunion or funeral in the South and there will be meatballs. Beef meatballs swimming in a rich sauce. But when you leave the affair, there will be no more meatballs. They vanish like roaches when the light turns on. Meatballs are simply a southern tradition, a staple. They are often reserved for appetizers, but a big helping over some egg noodles makes a killer … [Read more...]

    There must be a million recipes for Chicken Casseroles. I’ve tried a good many and I can’t recall a bad one. I saw an interesting one recently called Creamy Chicken Casserole and decided to give it a try. It’s a keeper. Not only is it rich and creamy, but you can also put it together in no time. It starts with a Rotisserie Chicken. It doesn’t have to be.  I often cook my own … [Read more...]

  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...]