I have always enjoyed cooking, but I did not really start to take a keen interest into it until I became a single father of two young children who needed daily sustenance, preferably of a nutritious type. My repertoire and understanding of techniques started expanding as I consumed various cooking content in order to increase the variety of meals and ingredients used. Over time, my interest in cooking, the science behind it, the tools and techniques used, and the ingredients expanded and continues to grow. For more food content, please visit the Pictures / Videos link in the top menu and select the Food section.
That said, while I have consumed countless hours of cooking content over the years from professional chefs to home cooks, this section is not meant to be any sort of authoritative source on cooking. Instead, it is a collection of things that have made an impact to my cooking journey that I want to save for my own memory, or in case my kids or others want to understand how I prepared something. If something here sparks an interest in you to try or further research a recipe, technique, tool, or idea, then that is, as they say, just icing on the cake.
For my daughter’s graduation party, I wanted something that could serve a lot of people over the course of an afternoon and evening with little time and attention needed. A couple large pork shoulders (called pork butts) cooked in a pellet grill seemed like a great solution. Most of the preparation could take place the […]
Pellet Grill Pulled Pork Read More »
This is a quick and easy way to make split-pea soup assuming that you have a pressure cooker. This soup freezes well and is able to be tailored to your tastes and consistency by adding different things. As it cools and perhaps rests in the refrigerator, more of the liquid will be absorbed and it
Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup Read More »
This is a quick and fairly simple way to make something with the flavors of an Indian curry. I have tried it with the meat from the legs and thighs of a whole chicken as well as with the breast meat. My preference is to use breast meat, but either are great. Using dark meat
Chicken Tikka Masala Read More »
This comes together very quickly and can be adjusted to your tastes and what you have in the house. Have celery and like a little crunch? Then add about 1T of finely diced celery to the mix. Don’t like tomatoes? Then just leave them out. You could also add grated parmesan, parsley, different types of
This is a simple, vegetarian chili recipe that can be customized to your tastes or what you have available. It freezes well and can be reheated in the microwave. Different vegetables and beans may be used, and cheese or sour cream make great toppings. Fresh beans may be used, but canned are easier and the
This is more of a technique than a recipe as there can be a wide variation in the thickness and size of the “ribs” available at the store. If you are working with smaller pieces of meat then you may want to reduce the time of the baking when uncovered to reduce the risk of
Country Style Ribs Read More »
I have made a lot of different types of meatballs and while most were not objectionable, they were also not too noteworthy. However, one day I came across the tip to use hydrated gelatin in the meatball mix. That resulted in a nice, spongy texture to the meatballs that I found enjoyable and noteworthy. Even
This has been my Thanksgiving dressing recipe for several years now. While I only tend to make it one time per year, it is a Thanksgiving staple at my house. I usually bake some Whole Wheat Bread the day before, rip it into roughly one inch chunks, spread evenly on a baking sheet and let
This is a nice comfort food that is great to have on a cold day. Different recipes have differing opinions on whether to leave the bone and/or the skin on or not. I personally like the bone removed as I prefer not eating things with bones with a fork and knife, and this is not
At the time of writing, this is my favorite way to make a mashed potato side. It contains a lot of butter, but that does allow for using things like a hand mixer without worrying about making the potatoes too dense. The main adjustment I make to this is the amount of liquid added. The
