As a cook, preparing vegetables is not my forte, especially green vegetables. I typically go to the basics – green beans, sweet peas, lima beans, kale, collards and the like. Not that there is anything wrong with those green vegetables, they’re just not very exciting. Tired of the same-old, same-old, I looked for a different green vegetable to cook with creamy garlic chicken, and I saw some … [Read more...]

  A regular Father’s Day or birthday present to me from my children is a gift box from Omaha Steaks. Afterall, there is no need to worry about sizes or colors or will I use it. Who won’t use stuff from Omaha Steaks? I have found, though, that the boxes often contain maybe only two steaks. and lots of. other foods - like gourmet hot dogs and burgers,  fancy stuffed potatoes, deluxe … [Read more...]

  My son Jimmie ran across a recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen that he thought well worth sharing. “I fixed this the other night and it was damned good,” he said. “The only thing I did differently was to brine the chicken for 4 hours (should have been longer) but it turned out GREAT -  crispy skin, juicy meat perfectly done and the veggies were just as good.  Cutting large carrots into 1 … [Read more...]

  I have a friend named Mrs. Crocker. She is my mentor when it comes to  cooking. In fact, she frequently sends me tips and recipes. We have become close friends and I often call her by her first name – Betty. Betty sent me a recipe last week that she said was delicious. It sounded really good  and I knew Betty wouldn’t lie. It was called Blueberry Crumble, I fixed a batch and I’m sure … [Read more...]

  When yellow squash comes in, it really comes in. Four squash plants can supply all the IGA stores in Virginia. That is, until the squash borers arrive. Then it’s over, No more squash. The borers were late finding my squash plants this summer, and our lower vegetable drawer in our refrigerator has remained stacked with squash. We have eaten it fried sautéed, grilled, steamed and broiled. … [Read more...]

  Baby back ribs are one of our go-to meals and I have cooked them a hundred ways – wrapped in foil and slow cooked as well as tossed on the grill and basted with a sweet sauce. A week or so again, Nancy said she was I the mood for ribs on a day I was playing golf. I decided to put them in the slow cooker, but for a change, I didn’t use any barbeque sauce. I seasoned them only with salt … [Read more...]

On that fateful day in March when I thought Governor Ralphie might close all the grocery stores, I closed up shop early, headed for the closest grocery store and bought nearly every non-perishable in sight. Since then, I have been chipping away at my “emergency” stash in the basement and have slightly reduced my inventory, though I have no idea what I will do with those 8 cans of fruit cocktail, … [Read more...]

Everybody loves a Waldorf Salad, but it’s usually a dish reserved for company.  Since “having company over”  was seemingly abolished by the Chinese Virus, I decided to make a Waldorf Salad for just Nancy and me. It was company-worthy, a real summertime treat. The salad is duly named for the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.  In 1896,  the hotel hosted a charity ball to benefit St. Mary’s … [Read more...]

  Lexington barbeque. Maybe the best there is. Made in the Carolina barbeque capital, Lexington, NC, barbecue from the world famous Lexington Barbeque Restaurant is simply unequalled. Ditto, their coleslaw. Lexington- Style slaw differs from all its other rivals in that it’s red, not white. Some call it red slaw. I call it damned good and I made some recently. If you like barbeque, this is … [Read more...]

  What, exactly, do Mexicans eat as a side with their Tacos or Burritos besides corn chips and salsa? Refried Beans? That’s not a side, that’s dog food. But since I have been doing more and more Mexican cooking – I actually like these spicy dishes – I have been searching for a decent and consistent “side” for a Mexican entree. I think I found a good one recently. I tried my hand at a … [Read more...]