One cherry tomato vine is about the right number for a small family. Under decent conditions, one vine can keep that household in enough cherry tomatoes for a month’s worth of tossed salads. Five vines, however, creates something of a problem, unless you are a confirmed Tomato-Holic. I had 5 vines in my garden – all volunteers – and have been struggling with new and improved ways to eat cherry … [Read more...]

As I mentioned in last week’s Cooking column, I had five volunteer tomato vines that I let grow in my garden that have since produced enough tomatoes to cause a drop in the prices of all Mexican imports. I exaggerate, of course, I often do, but we have no shortage of small tomatoes in the Brewer household, and that’s no lie. Each day, I harvest a bumper crop. When we have salads, I put a dozen … [Read more...]

This spring, several weeks after my small vegetable garden had been tilled, I noticed a number of volunteer tomatoes springing up. I had intended to buy four new tomato plants. When conditions are right, four plants will produce a lot of tomatoes, but I hated to pull the hardy little plants up. I decided to leave 5 of the strongest vines and see what developed. What developed is that every single … [Read more...]

If there is anything better than a freshly caught catfish, I’m not sure I have ever come across it. By catfish, I mean pan size channel catfish ranging from 1 to 5 pounds. Anything smaller is not worth fiddling with. Anything larger may be on the fatty side and not as appetizing. Last week, my family spent a few days at High Rock Lake in Denton, NC, a good spot for catfish. Last summer, while … [Read more...]

I considered myself a Frugal Chef. My wife says I’m just cheap. Nonetheless, I don’t like to overpay when it comes to grocery shopping. I like value for my dollar. Which brings me to chicken wings. I enjoy chicken wings. Sometimes, on a Sunday night, it’s nice to grill or bake a bunch of wings, lace them in hot sauce and wash them down with a cold brewski. But chicken wings are expensive when you … [Read more...]

I happen to enjoy shopping at the grocery store. I love to poke around in the produce department and look for good buys from the butcher. I like to save money when I can and still eat well. I am a Frugal Chef if there ever was one. All Frugal Chefs love their crockpots. A crockpot can take a relatively inexpensive cut of meat, like a chuck roast, and turn it into a company worthy entrée. It … [Read more...]

I’m a southern boy and I like okra. Yankees look at this amazing vegetable as a slippery, slimy, oozy pod monster. That’s because, one, they don’t know how to cook it, and, two, they don’t know good food when it’s in their mouths. My favorite way to eat okra, and I’ve taught all my kids and grandkids to enjoy this dish, is fried okra. Cut young pods into 1-inch sections, roll in cornmeal and … [Read more...]

As a cook, it’s easy to get into a rut. You find a few staples you enjoy and then it’s steak, pork chops, chicken and fish; steak, pork chops, chicken and fish. At the market, I was looking for a change of pace and thought about ham. But when there are only two to cook for, ham is not a meal, it’s a commitment. It’s almost like “till death do us part.” Even if you eat ham for a main course and … [Read more...]

Kale has attained the status of a super vegetable in recent months. According to renowned dieticians, a couple servings a week can cure male patterned baldness, restore receding gum lines, prevent crow’s feet on middle-aged women, eradicate toenail fungus and make teenagers obey their parents. Well, maybe I exaggerate, I do that often, but it is true that kale has been elevated to a super healthy … [Read more...]

My wife thinks I eat too many fried foods. That’s nonsense, of course, but have you ever tried a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich? They are fantastic. Well, maybe I do like fried foods a little too much – which is why I developed this recipe for oven-baked striped bass. I like whole, baked stripers, but when pressed for time, I fillet the fish. I find that the best eating stripers (or … [Read more...]