Fresh picnic hams were a staple in our house when I was a boy. Daddy would often put a big ham in the oven before church and by the time we came home, the house was filled with that wonderful aroma of fresh pork. Rarely, today, does anyone cook a fresh picnic. It’s hard to even find one in the meat departments. It seems we're in a same-old, same-old “pork rut”. It’s either a Boston Butt … [Read more...]

  My daughter Laura gave me The Big Red Pot several years ago, but I don’t use it often enough, primarily because it weighs a ton and digging it out from beneath the cabinet is a chore. But I was in the mood for beef stew and nothing cooks stew like my Big Red Pot. The pot is a Tramontina Enameled Cast Iron 6.5 Quart Round Dutch Oven. I have found that cast iron cookware ensures even … [Read more...]

  There are probably as many recipes for meat loaf as there are kitchens in America. Every family has their favorite. I was particularly fond of my Mom’s meat loaf. She used – among other things – tomato paste and lots of onions in her meatloaf. When we married, Nancy used her Mother’s recipe with lots of catsup. It took a while, but now I’m used to that recipe and enjoy it. Last week, … [Read more...]

  I gained 5 pounds during our weeklong cruise to Hawaii. It could have been worse, but I managed to avoid desserts, otherwise it would have been 10 pounds. On a cruise ship, every time you turn around they’re trying to feed you something and they are usually successful. And now Thanksgiving and the holidays are here. I’ll soon look like “Fat Bastard” in the Austin Powers movie if I don’t … [Read more...]

  I don’t know why I bought a turkey tenderloin. I had no earthly idea how I would fix it, but it looked good, I knew it was healthy and it was under ten bucks, so I bought it. Maybe I should say “them” because there are always two turkey loins to a pack. You don’t often see turkey tenderloins in the grocery stores -  those cuts from the bottom of a turkey breast – the tender part of … [Read more...]

  A tradition our group celebrates each Oyster Festival while staying in an Urbanna cottage is the partaking of what we call Oyster Cups. Each year, we order 10 or 12 quarts of fresh oysters from a local Urbanna waterman and we eat them fried, raw, and baked as Oyster Cups. They are amazingly good and amazingly easy. Here’s how. In a small aluminum cupcake tin, put 1 or 2 oysters … [Read more...]

  Chicken makes a diet-friendly entrée – except when you deep fry it with skin on and serve with mashed potatoes, rolls and gravy. That’s my favorite way to eat chicken, but a sure-fire weight gain. Therefore, I am always on the lookout for a chicken dish that’s not as dull as a doorknob, but a little healthier and one that tastes good. I recently saw a recipe for chicken and avocado … [Read more...]

I had some really good Chicken Fried Steak at Mrs. Rowe’s in Staunton a few weeks back and thought I’d try my hand at it. In the past, I’ve attempted Chicken Fried Steaks with round steaks – pounded into oblivion – and they were still tough and chewy. Recently, I saw a cut called “Sizzling Steaks”. They were at Wal-Mart – 6 or 7 thinly sliced chuck steaks in a package. I knew chuck had a great … [Read more...]

  Say you go trout fishing in then next few weeks and catch a few. How do you prepare the trout so that they’re not just edible but really good. The Game Department chefs recommend Trout Mornay. Here’s how. Trout Mornay is a timeless recipe that can never be defeated. It’s quick, simple, and easy. Some recommend spicing up the sauce with red pepper flakes or something zesty for a … [Read more...]

  I grew up with a jar for bacon grease beside the stove. Sometimes it was a Mason Jar, sometimes an aluminum pot with a strainer or sometimes just a bowl, but we always had bacon grease to use as seasoning and as an oil with which to fry. When we got married, I continued that tradition much to my wife Nancy’s concern. Her folks came from the north. They used Crisco, while cooking with … [Read more...]