The temps have dropped, the fish can sense it and the fall bite is on in Virginia’s saltwater. Bluefish continue to be a prime target. Nice 5- to 8-pound fish have been caught well up into the bay and along Virginia’s coast. Mixed in with the blues are Spanish Macs, though a slower troll speed is recommended for the Spaniards. … [Read more...]

I often suggest recipes. This time I am suggesting a recipe that you should not – under any circumstance – try. It’s Blackened Bluefish in the kitchen. Years ago, we belonged to a group called the Broccoli Bridge Club – so named because one night, at a potluck dinner, everyone brought a broccoli dish. We may have even had a Broccoli Pie, I don’t remember, but the name stuck. One evening … [Read more...]

As I have mentioned on many occasions, as a wanna-be Tex/Mex Chef, I find it easy to fix Mexican Entrees, it’s the side dishes that give me trouble. However, I think I came across a winner this week. I made some Mexican Cornbread and if you like a little heat with your bread, this is a winner. It all starts with Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix – which is darned good with the basic recipe out of the box. … [Read more...]

My favorite son-in-law, Brent Ham, cooked dinner for us last week and it was really good. So good that I asked for the recipe and pretty much followed it, which is highly unusual for me. I call it Brent’s Chicken in Lemon Sauce. If you try this, it will become a regular entrée in your home menu arsenal. The recipe calls for 2 (adjust the recipe amount proportionately for 4 or 8) chicken breast … [Read more...]

I just discovered something that will change the way I eat BBQ, and I eat a lot of BBQ. I had some pulled pork in the fridge, but no buns. I thought about putting the pork on some Texas Toast and nixed that idea. But I had just bought some hot dog buns. Why not? It turns out that I truly believe hot dog buns are far better for eating pulled pork BBQ than are traditional hamburger … [Read more...]

When your garden is kicking out 25 and 30 pounds of cucumbers every week, it’s nice to have a few extra recipes. You can eat cucumbers in garden salads, of course. But that’s one cucumber. We also like cucumber, onion, and vinegar salads with lots of salt and pepper – so that’s two more cucumbers. Maybe you can eat one plain cucumber for lunch. That’s four – what about the other four dozen … [Read more...]

I am always looking for side dishes to serve with Tex-Mex entrees. The Tacos, Burritos and Enchiladas are easy. It’s the stuff that goes with them that I struggle with. Recently, looking for something to pair with Tacos, I came up with this concoction – a Mexican Pasta Salad. I started with a pound of elbow macaroni, though I suppose any pasta would work. To the cooked macaroni, I added 1 can … [Read more...]

Forgive me, Great Chefs of the Past, for I have sinned. I made a meatloaf out of ground chicken. And the worst part - I enjoyed it. In the eternal battle between an increasingly fat body and scales that refuse to lie – even a few lousy ounces – I have tried to eat more chicken and less beef. I love my Mother’s Meatloaf recipe, and in it there was no mention of chicken, but I made a chicken meat … [Read more...]

They are really Cornish Game Hens, but some years ago, my wife Nancy and her evil sidekick, Nancy McKay, dubbed them Horny Game Hens and the name stuck. Cornish game hens or Rock Cornish game hens is a variety of a broiler chicken crossed between the Cornish and White Plymouth Rock. The name is also a misnomer in that the birds can be either male of female, so not all are hens. They are raised … [Read more...]

The very best buy in a grocery store today is a package of Bone-in, Skin-on, Split Chicken Breasts. Not every store sells them, but I find them at Aldi’s and Food Lion on a regular basis. They run about $1.99 a pound and a package of plump breasts is usually less than $6. Boneless, skinless chicken breast at Kroger’s or Harris Teeter run $6 a pound and more. So, you are paying about triple to have … [Read more...]