Next time you’re thinking about picking up a phone to order a pizza, try this instead. Make a batch of Pizza Pasta. It’s easy, it’s fun, and everybody will love it – especially kids. It’s so simple, I hesitate to use it in my recipe repertoire, but sometimes just reminding is helpful. You can use anything for the pasta, but something unusual, like rotini, makes it more fun and it holds the … [Read more...]

We had a big gang at our house over Thanksgiving and decided to have a Hot Dog Extravaganza the day after the big meal. The challenge was to see who could eat the most dogs. It ended up in a tie as multiple parties wolfed down three each. To set the stage, I had three varieties – Gourmet Hot Dogs from Omaha Steak, Nathan’s All Beef dogs and some plain old wieners made of who knows what. They … [Read more...]

My mind was asleep at the wheel last week when I wrote about Air Fryer Chicken. I said the secret to great chicken was to marinate it in one egg and Half & Half. I meant Buttermilk – though the chicken would probably have been good in Half & Half. Some folks soak their chicken in plain milk before frying. But Buttermilk not only adds a wonderful flavor, but it also acts like Velcro to … [Read more...]

I am coming to rely more and more on my Emeril Agassi Air Fryer. It’s great for toasting bread, heating up meats and veggies, cooking chicken wings and most any chore you can assign. Recently, I saw a recipe for Fried Chicken in an air fryer – perhaps the ultimate test. I was not optimistic, but I bought a half dozen bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, my favorites for real fried chicken, and the air … [Read more...]

Smoked hams represent one of the great values in a grocery store and when they are on sale, you can stretch your grocery budget from here to Bermuda. Last week - in advance of Thanksgiving I assume - Food Lion had Smoked Butt Section Hams on sale. I bought a 7-pounder for about $10. That’s enough to feed me and Nancy for three weeks. In the next few days, we had roasted ham for dinner, slices for … [Read more...]

Remember when you were a kid and someone asked, “Which piece of chicken do you want?” A drumstick, right? We loved drumsticks when we were young, then our preferences gradually evolved to thighs, breasts, and wings – like Hot Wings at a sports bar. But you know what?Drumsticks are still as good as ever, they are easy to eat, they are inexpensive, and quite versatile when it comes to … [Read more...]

I used to fry turkeys. I had a big pot with a basket inside, a solid base for the pot and a flame thrower that would boil the peanut oil in a matter of minutes. I would inject a turkey, lower it in the oily cauldron and it would be done in about 40 minutes. And I have to say that a Deep-Fried Turkey is better – way better – than a turkey cooked in the oven. But frying a turkey created a mess – … [Read more...]

When I eat chicken – with the exception of a half a box of Kentucky Fried Chicken – I lose weight. Naturally, I try to eat chicken as often as possible, but in as many ways as possible – so I don’t get sick and tired of eating chicken. Chicken recipes, fortunately, don’t have to be fancy to be enjoyable. Recently, I did a simple chicken casserole dish with a twist, I had some buttermilk in the … [Read more...]

You can’t get it at Waffle House, you can’t get it at IHOP. In fact, you can’t get it at any restaurant that I know of. You can only get it at home. Biscuit Toast. It’s the perfect breakfast food straight out of your mom’s cookbook. You transform last night’s biscuits into a breakfast bonanza. You can use one of your biscuit halves to sop up the runny yellow from a fried egg or you can slather … [Read more...]

Hamburger Gravy and Mashed Potatoes: the ultimate in comfort food. Nothing fancy, just a scrumptious way to prepare a quick and easy dinner and one that will leave everyone at the table loosening up their belts a notch or two. The dish begins with a pound and a half of lean ground beef, I like the 93/7 blend. Break the hamburger into small pieces and put in a hot skillet with 2 cloves minced … [Read more...]