recipes that are simple and delicious.

For the last week or so I have been thinking about New England clam chowder. I could not get my mind off of it, but then as I was flipping channels late one night, I came across a cooking show that had featured a place called The Clam Shack. This place had people lined up [...]

It’s soup season, and to boot, it’s comfort food season, at least in Wisconsin. See, it is pretty darn cold here right now, and when we come inside the house after hours of sledding outdoors, or even just getting home from work, we want, or better yet, we need something to warm our bodies. This [...]

I remember, clearly, the last time my kids and I ate at Rocky Rococo’s Pizza. My wife was on a business trip and I was the solo parent trying to tackle the challenge of managing the three kids during a busy work week. I’m the dude who cooks the dinner, every night, for the for [...]

I admit that I took eleven years of Spanish class, so I can quickly bust out the title of this recipe known as chiles toreados. Translated to English, it simply means roasted jalapeños, but not just any roasted jalapeño pepper in my opinion. I first noticed these roasted jalapeño peppers while dining at the counter [...]

I had one of those mornings where I woke up and immediately began working. I’m sure you have had this type of morning as well. Well, I got so caught up into my work that by the time I looked at the clock it was already 10:15 a.m. Normally I like to go to the [...]

If you have never heard of an arepa before, well, let me introduce you to this wonderful new thing. An arepa is probably one of the simplest things to make, and it is basically masa, water, a bit of salt, and a bit of oil, and once mixed, and formed into a biscuit like shape, it [...]

The title of this recipe is a mouthful, literally, and boy was it ever delicious. I came up with this idea for a burger for a couple of reasons. One, and probably most importantly, is that my oldest kid has some interesting eating habits. For instance whenever I order out sandwiches from Jimmy John’s, he [...]

If you have never experienced larb in any of your favorite Thai restaurants, you must. Larb is typically seen in an appetizer section, or possibly a salad section of a menu. Larb can be done using pork, beef, or chicken, and when you make with any of these meats, you will understand the simple, yet [...]

As many of you are probably already aware, I love Mexican food. Heck, I like most all ethnic food that I have ever tried, but Mexican cuisine, and well, Thai, really stand out for me. There is something to be said of its simplicity while at the same time having a very complex flavor. Take [...]

A couple of weeks ago, my father-in-law stopped me in his kitchen while I was preparing the Thanksgiving meal and had asked me if I was interested in taking a box of pomegranates from him that he recently purchased. My reaction was quick, and as I answered yes, I began to reflect back to when [...]

I’ve probably told this story a time or two, but when I moved back to Milwaukee, one of the first restaurants my wife and I ate at, only taking a moment to open the door to our new apartment, was a Chinese/American restaurant on the east side of Milwaukee. The restaurant was slow on that [...]

I don’t know what came over us this fall season. Ever since our youngest was able to walk, our goal was to make it to an orchard, pick a large basket of apples, then take a hayride to pumpkin patch and spend some time finding the right pumpkin. That did not happen this year. As [...]

We were fortunate enough to have more family move back to Wisconsin. My brother and sister-in-law recently moved here from Chicago in a quaint little neighborhood located near some really fun restaurants, and one in particular called Cafe Hollander. After we first visited their home, we all decided to have dinner at the restaurant that is [...]

You have probably heard this dish been called a handful of names depending on where you grew up. Often referred to as egg in the basket, egg in the hole, frog in the hole, or even toad in the hole, this simple breakfast dish is a real winner at the table. It was only a [...]

I will be up front with you, I have never been to Cuba. I had to get that off my chest. But that does not mean that I have not sampled Cuban food throughout my lifetime, or better yet food from the southern part of Florida. Ropa vieja, tamales, and fried plantains are only a [...]

Let me begin by saying this dish is actually called ‘Costillitas de puerco con salsa verde’. I say this only because I first encountered this at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in Milwaukee, El Rey. See, normally when I frequent El Rey, I typically order the same thing; a horchata with 2-3 tacos al [...]

I think there comes a time in one’s life, probably many, when you have that moment as a dad. Most dad’s always try to encourage, teach, and drive teachable moments with their kids. I know I do. Whether it becomes learning to pump up a bike tire, to string a fishing pole, or heck, just [...]

It was many years ago when I first encountered what is called siao pao (show pow). I immediately fell in love with these. They are basically steamed buns filled with a meat mixture. It is the bun portion that I fell in love with however. The texture is unlike any other bun. It is soft, [...]

Almost every time I go to a party there is the standard chips and dips sitting out on a table or counter and almost everyone swipes a chip into this store bought dip, and repeats. What always surprises me is that it is always store bought dip. You know the types. A french onion dip [...]

If you have never heard of cambozola before, well… now you have. I encountered this cheese when I was thinking of ideas to make for a wine party. In my case, I used the cheese on one of my crostini appetizers, and ever since then, I was hooked. This cheese is unlike most cheeses. I [...]

Like most weekends, I tend to make barbecue. The low and slow barbecue. Not the throw things on a grill and take it off within twelve minutes. Whether it is ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, or heck, even sausages, there is always something cooking in my smoke barrel. As much as I love barbecue, I also [...]

The word ajvar is probably a word that many of us have never heard of before. It is a word that I bring to you today, and it is a word of Serbian decent. I am not too certain where I came across the name ajvar, but it did catch my attention when I began [...]

It happens every Friday at my work, and probably every day at work, where we end up discussing what we are cooking during the weekend. Typically someone is grilling, and another person is smoking food, but this conversation led to one of my coworkers planning an upcoming party. He was asking me for a simple [...]

Now that’s a mouthful. Beer braised rib tips with barbecue beer sauce. As you can see, beer is the theme for this recipe, and well, rib tips are probably one of my favorite things to eat. I came up with this recipe, believe it or not, after eating some rib tips at one of my [...]

It has been hotter than hell lately. You would not expect that from the great white north, right? Well, it has been humid and pretty darn hot, almost to the point where you want to surrender to the heat and stay indoors. But come on, I live in Wisconsin, and for the most part, we [...]

Baseball season has ended for my kids, and that brings some disappointed not only to my kids, but also to me. Sure, I loved watching my boys get a hit or make a good play, but I also enjoyed the company around me. If there was one topic that was always being discussed, it was [...]

It was not too long ago when one of my readers had commented on my Indian fry bread recipe informing me that it reminded her of Salbutes. That alone intrigued me to find out more information about what the heck a salbute was. After some quick research, I learned that a salbute is a lightly fried [...]

Sometimes we just run out of time throughout the day. Am I correct? What sometimes can get even more crazy is when we are invited to a party and need to bring a dish. Whether it be an appetizer, side dish, or main course, we are always pinched for time, and the last thing we [...]

There are plenty of things I do not know regarding certain fruits and vegetables, and that is always exciting to me. For example, this thing called a kohlrabi. I have been visiting our local farmers market every Saturday morning, typically when the kids are still sleeping, and that time allows for me to take my [...]

The Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker could have been one of the best purchases I have made in some time, especially during this time of year. Not only does this device not take up a whole lot of room, but it is also really simple to clean, and furthermore, with only a few simple ingredients, you [...]

You may or may not know, but my wife and I became addicted to a creamed corn recipe that I made not too long ago. It was so good that I could not stop thinking about it for a few days! The creamed corn had everything you would want in a great cream corn, and [...]

If you have been following my recipes for the last couple of weeks, you probably came across one of my appetizers that I coined the smoked steak crostini. Everything about that appetizer, really, simply put, was pretty darn amazing. I do not say that because I made it, but it really was amazing. Another crostini [...]

For the past several weeks, I have been on a salsa making frenzy. I was jarring it up and giving it to neighbors, and pretty much eating a variety of salsa with pretty much anything around me. I had thought I had mastered my red salsa until I tweaked a few ingredients, added a bit [...]

It’s finally summer time in Wisconsin, and if there is one thing I really like to do to relax with the kids after a long week of work it is to make a fire in my backyard on an early Sunday evening. Lately it has just been the thing to do, and we all seem [...]

Last week we attended our first wine tasting in town. I am not sure if I was more excited to taste a variety of Sonoma red wines, or be able to sample really great cheeses that the guests would be bringing. I later found out it was both! As I pondered what to make for [...]

Not too long ago, we stopped for lunch at a new burger joint in Milwaukee. Oscar’s Pub and Grill has a fairly decent menu and pretty good food. One of the menu items that stood out to me was the ‘Big Basket’ which included basically an array of fried foods. But there was something that [...]

I do not recall the last time I opened up a can of creamed corn, but I do remember it being served at the dinner table while growing up. I will admit, I could not stand the look, smell, or taste of it. I do however love corn. It might be one of my favorite [...]

One of the many things I experienced while living in Dallas, Texas was Thai food. When I started my career with a great company called Big Hand Productions, I hooked up with one of the audio engineers, Kevin, and we would often hang out after hours. Our hang outs typically involved dining at his favorite [...]

Summer time is finally here in Wisconsin. well, I guess you could say that, but it also might be up for argument, as we have only seen a day or two with temperatures above eighty degrees. The weather has actually be a bit ridiculous, but that has not stopped me from making some summer time [...]

There is a great new place in town making their own booze. The place is called Great Lakes Distillery, and I have to admit, they are doing things right. Everything from their vodka to their rum, every sip of their stuff is, well, simply delicious. It was not too long ago where a colleague and [...]

I have been on a salsa making kick for nearly three weeks now, and as I have made been making, or should I say experimenting, with salsas for a number of years, I believe I have locked into three recipes that are now my go to salsas. I might even call them sauces, because they [...]

My new tool in the kitchen is the mandoline. If you are a foodie and are in the kitchen, and do not have a mandoline, you need one. I say you need one because it is the ultimate tool when it comes to slicing. Precise slicing. I consider myself an amateur when it comes to [...]

I always find it funny when gathering with friends, colleagues, or neighbors, and see where discussions take you. Often times I am embedded in conversations regarding food and recipes (go figure), and I always find enjoyment in that. I am often surprised about how genuine folks are when discussing food as well. There is actual [...]

That’s right. I made it. Maple ice cream with homemade bacon crumble. When I first made bacon some weeks ago, I was thinking to myself ‘what am I going to do with all of this bacon?’. Well, that was a silly question as I was able to give some away, and well, the rest was [...]

My garden is starting to blossom and one of the things that I love is when the mint begins to grow in abundance. I have discussed this excitement every season on my site, and it is simply that, excitement. Watching my daughter find joy in picking small bundles of mint leaves, chewing them along the [...]

Tacos have been on my mind for a long time now. Well, they are always on my mind to be honest. Tacos have been probably on my top three things I would want to eat everyday, and the reason is an obvious one. It is because you can fill a taco, soft corn tortillas, lightly [...]

While growing up I would often come home from a long day of skateboarding or mountain biking and open my parent refrigerator looking for a quick bite to eat. I would often be encountered by bottles upon bottles of condiments ranging from a new spicy ketchup, a flavored mustard, an array of barbecue sauces, and [...]

Yep, I said it. Homemade bacon. When I said those words to my oldest child it was as if it was the best day ever. It has been a long time coming, but I finally went through and have made some of the best bacon I think I have ever had. I am honest when [...]

You probably will not believe this when I tell you, but I had to put on a winter hat, gloves, and jacket today to watch my boys place baseball in Wisconsin. It’s May 14, folks. Mid-May and I, and the majority of other Wisconsinites, are wearing winter clothing. But I use that as an opportunity [...]

It was not too long ago where my family and I decided to all hop into the van and drive eighteen hours to South Carolina. We have taken a handful of road trips over the last few years, and for the most part the kids do really well for about seven hours, and then, the [...]

Easter has passed and so has the lenten season. The season that in my house, we typically attempt not to eat red meat of any kind on a Friday. Sounds difficult, I know, but we make every attempt at avoiding meat. With that said, our family on average, tends to have a Friday fish fry. [...]

I am a sucker when it comes to olives. Simply put, I like them a lot. Olives have that perfect salty and briney flavor that goes perfect with certain dishes. I typically only have olives around the holidays for some odd reason, or used in a Greek salad, and with that said, I love kalamata [...]

It was about three months ago when I picked up my wife for a quick lunch. We often do not get out to lunch due to our busy schedules, and when we do, we are often (at least I am) checking our phone and directing incoming email traffic. Regardless, lunches are special for my wife [...]

It was only a couple of weeks ago when I surprised my wife with a dinner of cedar smoked salmon. I must admit, the salmon was really delicious and it was a nice twist on the standard Friday night fish fry that we typically have in Milwaukee. Surprisingly enough, we had plenty of leftovers, and [...]

Shrimp and grits have been on my mind for a very long time now. I have no idea why, or what has made the thought stick in the back of my head, but it has been there for a very long time. This past weekend, I had to get that thought out of my head [...]

It was not too long ago when a new Asian market opened up a few miles from our house, and as always, I was pretty darn excited. Granted the distance was the same to this new store as it would have been to any other Asian market in town, but this one was special. This [...]

The question comes about almost every Friday, well almost every day in my house, “What should we have for dinner tonight?”. I will admit as much as I love being up for a challenge every night, waiting for my wife to come up with something out of the ordinary, a challenge if you will, that [...]

I go to the store quite a bit. When I was growing up I would always joke that it was my dad that would make that run. It always seemed, and most likely was the case, that he would go to the bank and then to the store. My dad knew every checkout girl by [...]

A couple of weeks ago I was greeted by one of my coworkers who rushed into the office and had a bag of herbes de provence in her hands. With excitement, she said “I know you love to cook, and I just got back from Paris, and thought you would enjoy this!”. My only words, [...]

I know that I have posted that my coworkers and I literally start a conversation on the topic of food, around 9:45 every morning, almost every day. No lie. As busy as we are and as many requests that we service every morning and afternoon, it is really nice to discuss something that everyone enjoys, [...]

It was not too long ago when my wife and I decided to get out to lunch and escape our busy work schedules. I will admit, it is not that often when we both get a chance to get out on the same time to get a bite to eat, especially one that does not [...]

It was not too long ago when a few families got together and decided to have dinner at an Italian restaurant in downtown Milwaukee called Rustico. At first I was thinking ‘why are we eating at an Italian restaurant on a Friday night?’. If you are not familiar with Milwaukee tradition, it is typically the [...]

St. Patrick’s Day is a time of year that I get excited about. Not only is there a sense that spring is so much closer, but it is also a time when corned beef becomes on sale at the store. Yes, that is probably what I get excited about, the sale of corned beef. But [...]

I am going to be up front with you and let you know that I am not the type to use pre-made seasoning packets. I am usually the type who often uses the pinch method when using seasonings, eyeballing teaspoons and tablespoons, as after all, that is some of the fun in cooking. But… I [...]

The flavors of Indian food, in my opinion are so addicting. I use the term Indian very loosely in this recipe as many countries have their own version of what is called biryani. Biryani in its basic state is simply a dish containing meat, fish, or vegetables and rice that is flavored with some really [...]

If you do not know by now, there is one dish that I simply loved while growing up, and to this day, and that is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. I’ve stated it several times of the last few years on this site, and I am fine with that. My tombstone might say something [...]

Easter is quickly approaching and if there is one thing that I always make for the kids, it is hard boiled eggs. In my opinion, there is a bit of a trick to cooking hard boiled eggs. Be it the cook time, or the post cold water bath for them, there is a science to [...]

I love hearing my wife tell stories of how she grew up, in particular some of the Filipino food items that they would eat. My wife is part Filipino, and since being married to her, I have become very interested in Filipino cuisine. I will admit, you simply do not see a whole lot of [...]

I will be the first to admit that one of my pet peeves is smacking lips while eating, that, and probably aggressive slurping of soups. But there are dishes that you simply have to allow and enjoy the experience of just that; lip smacking and slurping. Laksa is no exception. After watching some television, I [...]

Not too long ago, I made some mango sorbet for the kids. Granted, I knew they loved my homemade ice cream recipes, but some times you just need to test their flavor palettes and offer something new, especially when it comes to trying new fruit flavors. I’m sure I was the same way as my [...]

I have no problem repeating the fact that my favorite childhood meal, and to this day, is fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and corn. To me, that meal just screams comfort food. I make it for my kids about once every two weeks. I do not do the fried chicken all that often, but I do [...]

A couple of weeks ago, I purchased a bottle of mango juice. Either something about the bottle, color, or label caught my attention, and my first instinct was to make some mango margaritas to sip on during a family gathering. The mango margaritas were really delicious, but the following day I realized that I had [...]

There is not a month that goes by when I think of our trip a couple years ago to New Orleans. It was our first time to the crescent city, and boy, did my wife and I have a wonderful time. We spent most of our time walking through the city, in particular, the French [...]

Not too long ago we had the family over for a preseason football party. Our team, the Green Bay Packers, was playing that night, and everyone was really excited to see them win the game. I personally do not know if I was more excited for the game, or for what I was about to [...]

The basic flavors of Thailand are really hard to beat in my book. Whether it is a subtle red curry paste with coconut sauce, or the distinct flavor of kaffir lime leaves, you will be sure you walk away from a Thai dish experiencing wonderful flavors. So this past week I used a bit of [...]

I have created a couple of nice mac and cheese recipes over the course of the past few years, but I am always on the quest to improve a standard recipe. As I had a bit of time on my hand from being off work this past week, I decided to create a new mac [...]

I will admit that there are things about cooking that excite me. One of those things, and yes you can call me a food nerd if you want, is going to the deli counter, and watching the folks slice meat to my desired thickness. It was not too long ago however, when I thought how [...]

If there is one thing I love while eating at a Chinese restaurant, it has got to be stir fried pea shoots. It is not very often that you see them on a standard, Chinese menu either. I believe I first encountered pea shoots while eating dim sum, many years ago, and as I wanted [...]

If you have never had fingerling potatoes, they are a must try. You do not see them in every grocery store, but I have noticed my local Sendiks store carries them. Their appearance reminds me of fingers. They are about the length of an average finger, and a bit knobby, like knuckles on a finger. [...]

It was my turn to host Christmas this year, and I have to say that I was excited by the fact. You probably know by now that I love cooking for people, and when it comes to having an intimate lunch or dinner with friends and family, well, then you know that you probably just [...]

Every year, around the Christmas season, my family and I make cookies. I will admit that we are no experts when it comes to baking cookies around the holiday, but we do like to offer a few varieties to the kids, and have them help along the way. For some odd reason, the cookie I [...]

I am a big fan of a great sandwich, and I think we are always in search of a great one. I think I just found, what could possibly be one of my top five, a super sandwich. My wife and I love sandwiches, and we typically order a sandwich on a Saturday. They are [...]

If you have never had a blondie, you will after your read this post. ‘Tis the holiday season and I have been getting in the mood to make cookies for family and friends. I typically make one or two types of cookies each year, and let my wife handle the sugar cookies, and decorating of [...]

I frequent the local Mexican supermarket, or as I know is El Rey Supermercado, in Milwaukee, probably about once a week. It is hands down one of my favorite places to go for a couple of reasons. One, is that you get great produce and fresh tortillas about half the cost that you would pay [...]

It is the season of comfort food. A season I cherish, well, I cherish every season I think because I live in Wisconsin, the state that has the joy of experiencing each season. Now we have hit the winter season. It is a time where many of us Wisconsinites hunker down and hibernate. Don’t get [...]