compound butters add layers of flavor

Compound butters are a delicious addition to your menu ideas all year long. The butter flecked with bits of cinnamon and flakes of brown sugar that make your waffles taste even better on a cold winter morning can also be the dab of delicious for your summer corn laced with the kick of ancho chile powder,…

Frozen

The reality of seasonal ingredients is that when the time comes for your favorite fruit or vegetable to say good-bye they are gone until the next growing season. Some items have shorter windows than others. This is where your freezer can help extend your enjoyment. It’s a common misconception that frozen foods are inferior to…

Get the Cheese on the Grill

The cherries in the market are still in supply. This is the time of year when we play with all sorts of ways to use this fruit. Last year during the blogathon of 2013 we made cherry bruschetta with goat cheese. There is something about the tang of goat cheese’s creamy texture and the sweetness…

dinner revisted with new starring ingredients

Last night’s dinner took advantage of the herbs that are bursting in the garden. Farfalle is a favorite pasta shape for the guys. We picked some basil leaves, sprigs of thyme and a few chives for our pesto bow-tie pasta. The guys prefer a combination of green herbs to mix with the extra-virgin-olive-oil, cheese and pignolia nuts rather…

memo from the grill and flying objects

This picture pretty much sums up summertime. Outside at the grill, kids in the pool, only to get out when dinner is ready. We use our grill for just about everything. People forget that a grill, with the oven closed, is just like an oven. Most gas grills will tell you what the internal temperature…

getting more flavor from your steak and balsamic onion jam

There is nothing better than a steak from the grill for convenient cooking. Get a good cut of meat like a top round flank steak. Marinate the steak and it’s on the grill to make a fast dinner that comes together in less than thirty minutes. What are you marinating your steak in? The folks at America’s Test…

iced tea and lemonade ideas

The warm weather makes you want to enjoy a cool and refreshing drink. Lemonade, iced tea, and flavored waters are all summer drinks. Here are some ideas for the months ahead. SUN TEA These containers are available in stores now to make sun tea this summer. You make a simple syrup and fill with water and…

cherries and blueberry mini-tarts

The farmers’ market was packed with beautiful fruit lined up in neat rows on this sunny Sunday morning. Yesterday we talked about doing mini-versions of pies and tarts. If you’re not a baker these mini-tarts can be a great way to get you making dessert without sending flour all around your kitchen. These pre-baked shells are made…

keeping it real cherry pie filling

Getting cherries ready to use in a recipe requires using a piece of equipment that makes you wonder who was the first person to make it? It’s a handy tool for sure. The cherry pitter. This device slides the pit right out of the middle of the cherry with ease. You can use this kitchen…

pork tenderloin part two: cherry salsa

The cherries are ready to be made into a fruity salsa for the pork tenderloin. It’s a colorful topping for the grilled meat with a honey mustard crust. This is the kind of dish you want to plan for leftovers and a great way to work more fruit into your diet. Gorgeous garnet-colored fruit make a salsa that…