Nancy said she wanted to go out to eat at “The Loud Place”. She calls it The Loud Place because it’s pretty darned loud inside, especially if someone has a birthday and the entire staff gets to hooting and hollering. So, The Loud Place it was. And it was loud, Texas Roadhouse, that is. If you want ambience and a nice quiet dinner, Texas Roadhouse is not your kind of  place. But if you want pretty … [Read more...]

A few weeks ago, I went to Harris Teeter to pick up some shrimp (they often have Argentine Shrimp, the best). While I was waiting for the clerk to wrap my shrimp, I noticed they had cobia for sale. Cobia ranks right at the top of my seafood favorites, and I asked where they came from. It’s too early for Cobia in the Carolina’s and Virginia’s and the clerk didn’t know – he said it was the first … [Read more...]

Sound good? It is. And it’s fairly easy. Most everyone likes pumpkin pie, a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Recently, I have made some cream pies and thought pumpkin cream might work. It did. Here’s how. For starters, do a graham cracker crust and make it yourself. The store-bought graham cracker crusts are certainly easy, but they don’t quite measure up. It’s really easy to make … [Read more...]

I am always putzing around, looking for new and better ways to cook things – especially Mexican cuisine. Mexican, really, is one of the easiest ways to prepare foods. And it’s versatile. Put some taco meat in a tortilla and you have a Burrito. Put sauce on top of that and you have an enchilada. The hardest part is remembering the names and how to spell them. Last week, I had an inspiration … [Read more...]

Sweets are hard to beat. Cookie, cakes, brownies, pies – it’s all good. Last week I tried out a very simple Betty Crocker Recipe, with a minor twist, and made a pan of Caramel Chocolate Chip  Pudding Bars. If I sounds good, it is, and it could hardly be easier. This dessert is most versatile. Serve it hot with some ice cream for company or let it cool, cut it into squares and eat it as a finger … [Read more...]

Ground turkey is exceptionally healthy, and quite economical. A 4-ounce patty has less that 170 calories and a 20-ounce package of ground turkey runs less than $5. But we hardly ever have turkey patties. Face it. They are not very exciting entrees. However! By accident, I discovered a way to make turkey patties that are fit for kings. I had bought a 20-ounce package of ground turkey because I … [Read more...]

  (With Waffle Fries) Take a good recipe and add bacon and it’s better. Even ice cream. Everything is better with bacon. That’s why when I saw a recipe for bacon, ranch and chicken tossed together in a casserole, I knew it would be good. You can’t screw up anything with bacon. The recipe I saw also had Tater Tots, and I was going to use that except when I went to the store, the only … [Read more...]

I have been struggling to purge my mid-section of the extra inches that I have put on since Thanksgiving, with another  boost over Christmas. I am almost there, but in order to get over the hump – or perhaps I should under the hump – fish was required. Lean, healthy fish meals, not deep-fried, artery-clogging fish (which tastes best). So I decided on salmon cakes. I like salmon cakes. I used to … [Read more...]

Mexican dishes are good, most everyone enjoys a taco or burrito and they are easy to cook. I like the “easy” part. More and more, I am cooking and enjoying Mexican food, but I always struggle with sides. Some think that refried beans is a side, Maybe for dogs, but not humans. So I am always pressed when it comes with what to serve along with enchiladas. Corn is good, rice is good, black … [Read more...]