Updated: I just found that a friend is going through some family difficulties. She mentioned her need for comfort foods, specifically Rice Crispy Treats. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food, so I’ve updated the photos and am sending this out as a...
From the archives – A quick and easy side dish for back to school season. Sure to put a smile on the face of any tomato lover. Tomatoes pack a huge amount of flavor into a very small package. so much so that there is not much need to “guild the...
Our Family’s Iced Tea Recipe. The perfect drink on hot August afternoons with family and friends. There’s nothing that speaks to me of home like a tall, frosty cold glass of iced tea. Whether you like yours sweet in the southern tradition or with little...
(You could also call it a California Steak Salad, but I hate branding a thing “Californian” just because it uses Avocado and Sprouts.) It was all about a quick and healthy lunch. I had a basic idea of combining a few Asian flavors with some darned good...
From the archives. This is one of the best salads you can imagine on a hot summer day. Enjoy! I may not have been born Texan, but Texas is where I call home these days and proudly so at that. Texas has been good to both my wife and I from the day we set foot here and...
Fragrant jasmine rice, succulent pork and the nuttiness of browned garlic. This take on a classic Vietnamese rice dish has it all, and then some. To top it off, 99% of the cooking happens directly in your rice cooker. This dish is simple, delicious, satisfying and...
About a month ago, the good people over at POM wonderful sent me a package of their 100% pure pomegranate juice to try out. Since it got to the house I’ve been tying to figure out a way to do something a bit original with it, and I think I hit the nail on the...
Cue Ted Allen’s voice as he turns to me and says “You’ve been sliced!” Or that’s what he’d say if he was a part of the Saucy Mama’s Sliced Recipe contest. Unfortunately, our Chicken Soft Tacos with Black Bean and Corn Salsa...
It’s summertime folks. Time for simple, warm-weather friendly food that works well indoors or out. These tacos are simple, mostly make-ahead, which makes them perfect for outdoor get-togethers. Did I mention they were good? I mean really, really good. Like crazy...
My wife and I have very different methodologies when it comes to cooking. I go out of my way to keep my ingredients simple, to let the flavor of the food shine as much as possible, with only minor ingredients that highlight the flavors of the key components of a dish....
Bean dip is a San Antonio favorite. It’s such a distinctly Texan recipe that the very first Texan entry in Clementine Paddleford’s Great American Cookbook is For Bobbie Coleman’s Texas Bean Dip, and was served to Mrs. Paddleford just a few miles...
Appetizers should always be something familiar. Sure, you can (and should) jazz it up a bit, but whatever it is, it should be easily identifiable to your guests. Also important is that it should be something that isn’t going to cause you a ton of stress on the...
This gorgeous dish almost never existed. It was, quite frankly, never intended to exist. For the first installment of #theSaladBar monthly blogging group I’d planned a lovely little salad with frisée, strawberries, blueberries, some fresh cheese and a yogurt...
Light, moist, lemony cake topped with a gorgeous layer of blueberries in brown sugar and butter caramel. Whether you call it a skillet cake or an upside-down cake, this dessert is sure to be a hit with friends and family. I know it was with ours. Our picky...
Who doesn’t love a good helping of homemade Mac-n-Cheese? It’s undeniably good in almost any variety, but this version takes a classic comfort food to new heights with crisp raw broccoli and subtly smoky ham. For the ultimate in creamy melty goodness, we...
Meat prices are rising, and rising fast. For some families that just means eating less expensive meat. For other families it can mean that they can’t afford to buy enough protein for their families. If you’ve foregone meats because you chose to,...
Before you dive in, I need to state for the record that I am not a doctor. I have studied the topics below, but if you think your child or someone you know has a food allergy, seek medical help. I’m not an expert. I’m a foodie, I’m a cook and I talk...
Remember that big ol’ bag of chicken leg quarters you picked up at the market? The one that’s taking up a ton of room in the fridge because you haven’t gotten around to packaging all the chicken up a and freezing it. Or worse yet, it’s lying in...
The grilled cheese sandwich is without doubt one of the greatest comfort foods, but there’s no reason you can’t jazz it up a bit. Imagine that same sandwich on homemade bread and packed with the sharp bite of sautéed bell peppers and the sweetness of...
Fish Tacos. Sweet, succulent fish, crisp cabbage and slightly spicy sour cream all wrapped up in a flour tortilla. I’m not sure there’s a better combination of flavors anywhere. Top that off with the fact that it’s hand-held and you’ve got a...