You would think a person like me, who took culinary classes at college level, would just love to cook all the time and does. Well the sad truth is, this mom still has no time, even with my cooking classes done, I am still finishing up the business degree. Even if I had the time, I don’t have the space at home to make the meals I would like to. So with time and space a huge issue I have to rely on quick meals for now. Barilla has made my job easy by sending me these great recipes for [...]
I haven’t been able to eat meat for a while for various reasons and now because I have high cholesterol, I really can’t eat anything but lean stuff. So when I was asked to host a Beef grilling party I almost said no, until I saw that the entire party is a challenge, basically, for me to try one of the many MANY lean beef recipes included in my party pack but also available on www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com. I thought hey, I can still try these recipes and if anyone can make them delicious, a chef can! After all, this chef needs [...]
Before I could even make this recipe, my husband decided that the new Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise is the best thing ever. He was using it as dip for his fish and on sandwiches. Luckily I saved enough for this recipe, and a spinach dip as well! This is a light dish, honestly perfect for summer, and packed with flavor. I need to buy some more Olive Oil Mayonnaise now since my jar is empty! You can go to the Hellmann’s Website and download a coupon right now to grabs some savings and try some of the new delicious Olive [...]
I have a confession. I had never cooked ribs before this and I was scared. I didn’t have the most thorough culinary school education and we never grilled. What I did learn, however, was that simple ingredients and less fuss equal lots of flavor. This recipe is simple and makes ribs in less than three hours with an electric smoker. If you have a traditional smoker I would suggest letting it cook on 200 for about 5 hours. If you want to just grill the meat, grill it low and slow for the most tender results. Ingredients: 4-5 pound slab [...]
I have reviewed lots of cookware on my blog since starting my culinary journey so many moons ago. Its on of the best perks of being the food blogger and culinary school graduate that I am. I like to think that moms reading this blog want to know my professional opinion because I have used crappy cookware and nice cookware and I like to share what works well for me to give me professional results at home! Enter Bialetti Aeturnum Cookware. I was recently sent the brand new 11 inch nonstick stir fry pan. The pan has a nano ceramic [...]
I have used many different kinds of cooking methods from gas to induction and more. The last one to try for me was convection. This is actually one of the smartest ways to cook because it lessens cooking time by blowing the hot air in the oven over the surface of the food, cooking both the inside and outside at the same time. That sounded culinary school-ish, huh? Sorry about that, I just finished culinary classes but remember that being an answer I wrote on a test that I got my first ever 100% on. At any rate, I was [...]
It’s extremely hard to find real fresh tomatoes in the middle of winter, like right now. I like to buy organic tomatoes but even then they aren’t always picked at the right time, they get picked early and are ripened artificially. I LOVE my fresh tomatoes but when push comes to shove and the good tomatoes are gone, I turn to canned tomatoes for my sauces and in this case, Red Gold. Did you know that Michigan, the state I live in, is the ideal state to grow tomatoes? This makes me proud of our state, and put me completely [...]
To say I enjoyed my Gourmet Italian cooking course would be an understatement. To say I regret not having had the chance to work more with the chef that taught the 8 week course would be right on. I only had this one chance to work with Chef Nick. This guy is an ACF certified chef that not only graduated from Johnson and Wales but also teaches at the Art Institute down by Detroit, one of the major culinary schools in the country. He rubbed elbows with JULIA CHILD. Best of all he went to school with my husband and [...]
Earlier this week I received a box from The Olive Tap, an outfit our of Illinois that is making some of the most amazing olive oils and vinegars I have ever had the pleasure of trying. In particular they sent me some Tuscan Herb, which is really great quality olive oil mixed with a precise amount of herbs including Oregano, Basil, Garlic, and Rosemary. I decided to try some on chicken and sauteed my chicken and noodles in it. And when I say its just the right amount of herbs I’m not kidding, all I added was some salt, pepper, [...]
Cavatappi is a pasta noodle that looks like a ridged spiral, the same thickness as elbow. This dish is pretty similar to what I do for Spaghetti or other marinara pasta dishes. the actual proper term for this is a Ragout (ragoo) because I used meat in the sauce but Ragout only looks cool in the title when you use the word Elk in front of it. This can obviously be made vegetarian without meat and vegan without the meat and cheese. Its also easy because the tomatoes are canned. The fun part is you get to choose how much [...]
There are a few recipes from my mom that have stuck with me in my life. Her lasagne is ta die for as is her holiday ham. But the one I make at least once a month is her Goulash. Traditional Goulash originated in Hungary and is more of a beef stew than the American version which uses minced beef, which made it cheaper to make, and the macaroni noodles are a decidedly American addition. Also, in some parts of New England and the midwest the dish is referred to as American Chop Suey. Its called so because of its [...]
Just so you aren’t confused, yes I am that blogger that doesn’t use box mixes, but I openly admit I use StoveTop stuffing because it just tastes good. The spices in it are just right. I’m going to recreate that awesome flavor someday but for now its my stuffing of choice. I recently received a package full of stuff to engage myself and my family in some fun non mashed potatoes side dish cooking, including a Mr. Potato Head! I knew I didn’t want to just make stuffing and throw it on the plate. But I also knew I wasn’t [...]
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