Nancy Jackson of Saluda said that the recipe of Laura’s Carrots last week in Cville Buzz reminded her of a carrot dish she just prepared. Maple Glazed, Bacon-Wrapped Carrots. Sounds good already. “Use large, whole carrots and cut them in half,” says Nancy. Wrap each carrot slice with a slice of bacon, drizzle maple syrup on them and bake at 375-380 for 20 minutes. Turn them over and drizzle … [Read more...]

When my daughter Laura is home from California, I let her cook the vegetables. She has a magic touch and can change green beans to haricot vert. One of her secrets is roasting at a high temperature which she says helps caramelize the veggies, bringing out their natural sweetness. One of the veggie dishes I most enjoy from Laura is roasted carrots. Laura says never use those peeled and prepared … [Read more...]

Entrees are usually no problem for a Home Chef. There are hundreds of things you can do to a chicken and more than that with beef. It’s the sides to go with the entrees that often confound this chef. I tend to get in a rut and serve the same-old, same-old. Recently I saw a recipe for a BLT Pasta Salad. I like pasta and love BLTs, so how could I go wrong? I made a batch and ate enough to gain … [Read more...]

French Fries are deadly – in more ways than one. First, they are addictive. Smell a batch frying in hot oil and you’re toast. You have to have some. Then, stick one of those hot, salted spears from Satan in a dab of catsup and you’ll eat how many ever there are, as much as a 10-acre potato farm in Idaho. And they are also fatal to a diet. Go from Monday to a Friday, dutifully watching what you … [Read more...]

  About once a month I get a craving for hot dogs. Some of the best hot dogs in town come off of the grill in my back yard, assuming I have homemade chili on hand. There are a few decent canned and packaged chilis available in stores, but none really do a hot dog justice. Last week, the hot dog fever hit me again and I picked up a pack of all-meat Ball Parks and some Wonder Bread … [Read more...]

  One of Nancy’s favorite dishes when we go to Travinia’s or other Italian restaurants is Chicken Fettuccini Alfredo. Though when I eat Italian, I generally spring for a veal of some sort, her dish is a pretty yummy. Last night I decided to try my hand at a Chicken/Broccoli Fettuccini Alfredo, and it was yummy as well. Alfredo Sauce is basically butter, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, … [Read more...]

  Spatchcock Barbeque Game Hens. Boy, that’s a mouthful, but it’s a good tasting mouthful. Want a nice change of pace? Try spatch-cocking a Cornish game hen and cooking it on the grill with a little Charlie Mills BBQ Sauce. I just did and it was mighty good. A few weeks back, I had bought 4 frozen Cornish game hens in anticipation of a company dinner. But inclement weather meant no … [Read more...]

Celia Branch, our one-time across-the-street neighbor, was one of the sweetest humans who ever lived. She was good natured to a fault, always had a smile on her face and left this earth entirely too soon. And could she ever cook! Celia did elaborate cakes for weddings and would often share her kitchen concoctions with us. One of her special treats, and one of the best tasting things you can put … [Read more...]

  Corn Flakes are good. So good, that the sweet, crunchy cereal is the nation’s favorite way to start the day. Corn Flakes are also a good way to end the day with the evening’s meal. I love fried chicken, except fried chicken is not the best performer on a low-calorie diet. It’s a sure-fire weight gain. But if you make the breading out of crushed Corn Flakes and bake the chicken in a … [Read more...]

  When we were first married, a meal of salmon cakes was a staple at the Brewer house. We were on a limited budget to say the least, and salmon cakes were inexpensive, easy to cook and just plain good. We still cook salmon cakes made from canned salmon on occasion, but last week I decided to use fresh salmon instead of canned. It was also delicious. Here’s how. It was just me and … [Read more...]