recipes that are simple and delicious.

Goulash? Sounds like a funny word, but what it really means to me, is a great stew, if you will, with noodles. Growing up, goulash was one of those dishes that were commonly served throughout the work week, and now I know why. As I say on this site so many times, I reflect a [...]

On Saturday morning I was out running some errands. I called my wife, and asked the big question, “What do you feel like eating today?”. She immediately said “pasta”. Ok, I thought, pasta, but there are so many different ways to make pasta. I had to chuckle as when I popped that question, I thought [...]

It was not too long ago when I was talking about a deal I encountered at my local grocery store. It was one of those deals that was just hard to pass up. Basically, pay for a ham, and get a bunch of other stuff for free. This included a decent sized turkey breast. When [...]

My colleague goes on an annual fishing trip to Alaska, typically in the early Summer months. He comes back with an abundance of great fish, and often brings them in to work and tells us to grab what we want. Salmon and halibut are typically available for the taking. There is something about fresh fish [...]

I reflect a lot on the things that I ate while growing up, and there are plenty of great recipes that stand out. Some of the items that stand out were of the frozen nature. Things like soft pretzels, or twice baked potatoes. You remember the type of twice baked potatoes, the frozen kind, and [...]

As ironic as this might sound, and I am certain most parents have a child like this, but, I have one picky eater in my house. You all know the type. Chicken tenders and french fries could make this guy a happy camper for the rest of his life. He never gets tired of it. [...]

Not too long ago, a friend and old colleague of mine sent a picture on Facebook of a simple picture of salsa. That is all it was. A picture of a small ramekin of dark and delicious looking salsa. The foodie that I am, I responded immediately with a comment, and that built some small [...]

A couple of weeks ago I was at the store (go figure), and I was there to pick up some eggs for the kids. My kids, well, two of the good eaters, really love eggs. However you cook them, be it scrambled, or fried, but they are big fans of hard boiled eggs. When cruising [...]

Every now and then you need to step away from a traditional meatball and do something interesting to another type of ball. In this case, the spinach meatball. I recall these spinach balls while growing up and my parents would serve them at parties that they would host, whether they were company parties, or a [...]

I found it pretty humorous when I was wrapping egg rolls at the table and my wife looked at them with excitement. “Are you making egg rolls?”, she said. Without sounding like a smartalec, I said, “yes, but I am making Mexican egg rolls”. She got even more excited and said “Oh my gosh, my [...]

I say it time and time again, but I get excited mid-March. Why? Well, it is because it is that time of year when corned beef goes on sale. The standard corned beef goes on sale for at least fifty percent of the cost, and that is the time when I stock up. By default [...]

It’s that time of year again where we typically start thinking of things we can eat or drink to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. I know when growing up, my family would typically make some version of corned beef, and boiled cabbage, with an occasional potato or two. This time of year also excites me as [...]

Simply put, there is something to be said about a great bowl of mashed potatoes. I have a variety of recipes on this site, however, there are only a couple that I really go to, the ones that I find to be super comforting, and the ones that go great with most every comfort dish [...]

Back when my wife and I were dating, I made here a really great salad. To this day, I have not forgotten that salad, as it was not only creative in how I presented it, but it was just full of great flavor. So recently, my wife just landed a great job, and after working [...]

Who doesn’t love chicken marsala? I think Americans might likely choose a dish like chicken marsala at one of their favorite Italian/American restaurants, that or chicken parmigiana. So as I was browsing in my local market, I noticed that a nice bottle of marsala was on sale, and a sale that I could not pass [...]

Often times I come home from shopping at my local grocery store with two of one item. Sure, most of those times are large quantities of frozen waffles for the kids, but I am a real sucker when it comes down to thing like buy one get one free on mushrooms, or as this last [...]

My wife has literally been begging me to make meatloaf for some time now. I am not sure what her fascination is with meatloaf, but does she ever love it. I honestly think that she likes the mashed potatoes that are served with it, but I could be wrong. After all, I do make some [...]

I have had a real craving for sushi lately, in particular I have been looking for the balanced heat from the wasabi paste. I love wasabi, and I have only had the real root paste while living in Dallas when a friend of a friend was the owner of a killer Japanese sushi house. I [...]

Casserole cookery has been around since the beginning, and really, who doesn’t love a great casserole dish? We often think of casseroles of those one pot meals, the type of meals that you can mix a handful of ingredients, toss them in a casserole dish, cover, and place in a warm oven, only to bake [...]

I have a lot of favorite sandwiches, however Bánh Mi has got to be up near the top of the list. If you have never had a Bánh Mi sandwich, you must seek one out. I will admit that while living in Dallas, Texas for a handful of years, I was blessed with great Vietnamese [...]

I found it a bit amusing this past week when my oldest son asked “What are you?”. I instantly thought to myself, and at first did not know how to respond. While growing up ,and being as curious as my son was, I remember asking my parents that same question. I often joke to this [...]

I could probably classify these pigs in a blanket in a few different ways, as they are commonly known as sausages wrapped in some sort of dough, and baked. I have seen them as breakfast sausages wrapped in pancakes, as well as a hot dog, either wrapped in the standard crescent roll, or bagel dough. [...]

So like many of you, I was faced with what to prepare for last week’s Super Bowl game. I had plenty to choose from, however I wanted to do something a bit different for the party that our cousins were hosting. For some odd reason my first reaction was thinking about all of the great [...]

There are a few dishes I know my wife really loves, and recently, I found out that my sister-n-law loves as well. Actually, I am finding out that a lot of people really love a dish called pasta carbonara. I first found out about this dish years ago when we went out to eat at [...]

It’s that time of year. The annual celebration to see who is the best in the National Football League. The Super Bowl. New Orleans Saints versus Indiana Colts. As I am a Green Bay Packer fan, I am not really too concerned who will win this game, however I am concerned how happy it makes [...]

Ditch the usual American shrimp cocktail sauce that is typically served with horseradish sauce, and give this one a try. Shrimp cocktail is usually served as an appetizer, and typically found during cocktail parties, brunches, or during holiday parties. However, there is something to be said about Mexican shrimp cocktail. I recall about ten years [...]

I have said it from time to time on my site, that my middle child, is starting to explore the hot lunch program in his elementary school. As that often frightens me, I am glad that he is exploring the idea of having a variety of different foods on his plate rather than the typical [...]

You have to love a nice bowl of guacamole. There is nothing like it, especially when it is done right. The funny thing is that everyone seems to have their own version of this wonderful Mexican dip. There is one grocery store that I often frequent, and I am blown away every time I see [...]

Who doesn’t love a bowl of hearty soup? My Aunt Beth turned me on to this soup years ago, and I find myself making it about once a year, and always around this time of year. Let’s face it, it’s cold in Wisconsin, and when you finally get inside of the house, you need something [...]

If you have never had a taquito, you must. It has been some time now since I have made them, but I see them in the frozen section at the local grocery store, all of the time. They catch my attention every time, I kid you not. So not too long ago, I bought a [...]

This past week, I was given a task to pickup a can of Campbell’s chicken noodle soup for my son. The goal was to bring the soup into school and have the fourth grade students attempt to try different soups. I have to admit, I am not one to buy soup out of can anymore, [...]

I had one of those days recently. You know the type, the day before my birthday. After reflecting on the past year, and looking forward, I was realizing that I was going to be a year older, and a bit of sadness came into play. Not sure why, but it did. Realizing that my kids [...]

Winter season in Wisconsin brings a lot of good things, believe it or not. We are, for the most part, blanketed by white snow for close to five months, if not longer. I actually do not mind the winter season, and so far, it has been really great. Mild conditions have allowed our kids to [...]

Ever since I made a beef wellington for family and friends at Thanksgiving, I have been a major fan of making duxelles. Duxelles is a french term for basically rendering down a bunch of finely diced mushrooms into somewhat of a paste. If you have never made duxelles, it is a must. There is an [...]

It was not too long ago when I was discussing Thai food, in particular, carry out. There are just some items that are worth dining in for, and some of those in my opinion are the fried foods, and the soups. After reflecting on my Tom Yum Goong post, there was one thing that stood [...]

I recall growing up and my parents really loving a particular sandwich. I never really understood the love of the sandwich until I visited New Orleans last year. Sure, my wife and I made an attempt to try as much of the food in so little time, but simply got stuck on the wonderful shrimp [...]

Tom Yum Goong, or Tom Yam Goong simply translates to Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup. Thai food, what could be better than the perfect balance between sweet, spicy, sour, and salty? Not much if you ask me. There is something to be said about Thai food in general, as in my opinion, it really accomplishes [...]

Call it what you want, whether it be salsa verde, Mexican green Sauce, tomatillo sauce, or pure bliss, but this sauce seriously will lift up your food to the next level. I drizzled this sauce on the recent chipotle and orange pork tacos and it was amazing. On my spare time, I play around with [...]

Growing up as a kid, one of my favorite meals was fried chicken, box mashed potatoes, and corn. This could still be one of my top five favorite meals of all time, however, I do not know the last time I had boxed mashed potatoes. Over the course of the past twelve years or so, [...]

I was in a real sandwich mode this past week. The holiday break allowed me to think a bit slower on what I wanted to consume. These are good times, because it means I can slow cook practically anything, and trust me, I did. I started off the week slow roasting beef that I encrusted [...]

Believe it or not, but every morning I make it to the gym and workout for about 45 minutes. Running, walking, biking, and some light weight work is included in the daily routine. I walk out feeling great, and every time I walk out, I notice the Subway sign outside, stating what the sandwich special [...]

Simply put, shrimp in a rocking garlic oil. This past week I made a big batch of mojo de ajo, which translates to garlic sauce. Taking the time to break down the heads of garlic, and using some good extra virgin olive oil, yields something amazing. Something really wonderful that is just out of this [...]

If you have ever visited an American Chinese, which I presume many of you have, you might have seen something on the menu called Crab Rangoon. Crab rangoons are basically wonton skins filled with a cream cheese mixture of crab, onions, and other items. Once filled, they are sealed, and lightly fried. The end result [...]

The Christmas meal has left us with nothing but wonderful thoughts of kids opening their gifts early in the morning, to the celebration of an entire day. My Christmas morning was spent informing my kids at 5:45 in the morning that they really needed to get back to sleep. That did not work as I [...]

I am that guy who is always at the grocery store. I am pretty much there five days a week, grabbing miscellaneous items, or a cart full of the weekly grocery list. I will also admit that pretty much everyone knows my name, even Santa shouted “Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas Dax!” yesterday. It through [...]

It’s that time of year again where I make a big batch of my spice rub. I tend to make this rub about twice a year and use it on pretty much about anything. As I cannot truly yield all of the ingredients, I did want to share the idea to all of you this [...]

Roughly three weeks or so ago, a new Asian market opened up near my neighborhood. I cannot tell you thrilled I was to know that I actually could cut my commute in half when I needed a special Asian ingredient. The location of this store is in Greenfield, Wisconsin, near the intersection of Highway 100 [...]

Soup and stew season is finally here. As the snow falls on top of the house, the season of slow cooking takes shape. As you have probably noticed, I have had a real craving for low and slow tacos as indicated in my pork tinga recipe, and recently I really wanted to turn up the [...]

A few weeks back we had a bunch of family in town, and I wanted to do something special for them on game day. I could have went a bunch of different routes making a handful of appetizers, or firing up the grill, however I wanted to sit back and relax with the cousins. I [...]

This bacon could be sold in a candy store as it is just that good! As you know I have been tinkering with bacon for some time now, and for the most part, the experiments have been really amazing, but what bacon isn’t amazing? During the extended holiday break, I was able to experiment a [...]

I love Thanksgiving. The idea of planning, preparing, and cooking for friends and family is something that I consider to be quiet peaceful and comforting. Granted there is some hustle and bustle cooking for nearly sixteen or more adults, plus all of the kids, but there is some real payoff realizing that you took part [...]

Bacon. The sound of it, the smell of it, and the taste of it is something truly wonderful. I use bacon quiet a bit. It is one of those things that if I am making it in the morning, my kids get excited (I do to). There is something so powerful about bacon, even if [...]

You might begin to think that I am a pickling maniac, or that I love the color purple (as noted in a recent post), but that is typically not the case. Lately, however it seems to be the case as a couple of dishes I have made come out with a really vibrant color, and [...]

While I lived in Dallas, Texas, I found an abundance of crayfish, and blue crabs. Something that I really miss here in the Midwest. In all honesty, both of those items are really difficult to find, but with careful investigation, and my weekend shopping at the ethnic stores, I finally found fresh blue crabs. Trust [...]

Recently I made my rounds to my two local favorite ethnic grocery stores in the area; El Rey and Lanxiang. I go to these establishments nearly once a week to pick up some really common ingredients that the local food marts charge you an arm and a leg for. Examples being limes, shallots, avocados, and [...]

Thanksgiving could possibly be my favorite holiday. It is a time where family comes together and joins around a big table. It is also one of the few times out of the year where I get to bring out the fine chinaware we received nearly ten years ago. It is a comforting and relaxing time, [...]

I only know a few people who do not like olives, but I am not one of them. I love them. I love them stuffed, put in drinks, and placed in all kinds of foods. I think one of my favorite olives is the kalamata. Every time I pass by them in the market, I [...]

It must be everyone’s all-time favorite. French fries. I do not know if you are like me, but I grew up on fries, probably due to the Sunday night meals at McDonald’s. The salty, crispy goodness that keeps you coming back for more. There are so many varieties, and so many options when it comes [...]

While growing up in Milwaukee, there was not a whole lot of Greek food to be found. Sure, we had the common diner joints in the neighborhood (Omega) where you could get a roasted chicken, gyro, or a Greek salad, but beyond that you had to drive to the East side of town to get [...]

I have had a crush on Indian food for some now. My crush started many years ago, but continues to this day, and on a recent visit to Casablanca in Milwaukee (granted it is Middle Eastern), really brought me back to why I love really nice, balanced, and sometimes intense flavors. Now don’t get me [...]

While living in Dallas, Texas, I encountered a lot of different food. I talk about it quite a bit on this site, however I think it deserves to be talked about. Sure, I traveled to New York City a couple of times while representing Ad agencies in winning awards for websites back in the day, [...]

Yes, you heard right. Beer and Cheddar. When you hear that combination, one might immediately think of Wisconsin. I am cool with that. Beer and cheese is a great combination, however you place it. I have made a couple of dishes using beer and cheese (soup) (appetizer) in the past, and they were really delicious, [...]

You have probably had this soup some time during your life, and probably as a kid. It most likely came out of a can, you added water, and brought it up to temperature. I know I was one of those kids. We are big kids now, and big kids (and little) deserve much better than [...]

There are a few times out of the year where our family goes out to brunch. Not that I am picky about brunches, but when I know they are serving eggs benedict, I get a bit excited. I have always loved English muffins, probably due to the McDonald’s days where I would get the egg [...]

It is that time of year in Wisconsin. That time where the slow cookers are a common site in most kitchens. A time for warm soup, and delicious stews. After all, there is something to be said about a nice warm, comforting meal when coming in from a cold and rainy day. Beef stew is [...]

I could have made some of the best carnitas this past weekend. Normally I stick with my standard recipe for making a slow roasted pork shoulder, however this time around I really wanted something different. I had some dried chili de arbol peppers that I wanted to use, and I thought how great they would [...]

I was bragging about this recipe a couple of weeks ago, because it was all of that and more. As soon as the leaves begin to fall, that is the time I begin, what I call, ‘chili season’. I typically make a standard chili that was somewhat handed down from my Dad, tweaked by my [...]

Let me start by saying you cannot go wrong with this one, and it is so good, you would have wished you would have made a half a dozen. Our family recently did what most families do around this time of year, we went apple picking. This has been an annual event since my youngest [...]

Often times when people hear the word ‘Split Pea Soup’ their instinct is to be a bit grossed out by the idea of pea soup. Sure, the color of the soup has a bit of a brownish green color, but if you have never had this soup before, it is now time to try this [...]

Blooming, or bloomin’, these onions are going to knock your socks off. If you have never had a blooming onion, you will want to give these a shot. We were introduced to this appetizer years ago while eating at a restaurant called the Outback Steakhouse. I am certain many of you have heard of this [...]

As difficult as it might be to say, Carne Adovada, this is a dish that is typically found in the state of New Mexico, and one that is not commonly found on a Mexican menu. If you have never been to New Mexico, I highly recommend it. It is simply beautiful, and you get everything [...]

>You either love it or hate it, but I am not a hater, and this dish could possibly rank up there with the best of comfort foods. The shepherds pie is almost like a pot pie, and almost like a torta mixture, but it is not. This is a dish that we probably all grew [...]

Who doesn’t love a stuffed mushroom? I mean, come on. A mushroom, especially a baby portabella, has a enough flavor to hold its own, but when you stuff it with some really simple ingredients, it can really open up a whole new world. As you might recall, I like to make stuffed mushrooms a few [...]

Who doesn’t love the tortilla. To get it out on the table, I am a fan of the corn tortilla. Large or small, flour or corn, the tortilla is a beautiful thing. If you have followed me for some time, you would know how often I use tortillas. Just do a simple search for “tortilla” [...]

Ham is typically thought of as being served around the holidays, whether it be an Easter get together, or around Christmas time, however I am not a big believer in serving ham only once or twice a year. Now sure, deli ham is always in abundance in our house, and typically made for quick ham [...]

Lately I have been craving a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich. I think probably that is due because of the freshly picked tomatoes that have stared at me every day, asking me ‘What are you going to do with me?’. Growing up, the BLT was always around. Typically, plain old white bread, toasted, served with [...]

You probably hear me say “Asian Style” something or another quiet a bit on this site. There is a reason for that, primarily being that “Asian Style” has some really great flavors. Typically garlic, ginger, chilies, honey, sesame oil, and other items like lime, lemongrass, and other ingredients. When you throw these ingredients together, in [...]

If you love garlic, you will love this recipe, however just because it has one head of garlic, it is not overpowering. One of my wife’s favorite dishes, this pasta salad is sure to be a hit at your next get together. Smooth, minty, with a great taste of sesame garlic oil, it’s hard to [...]

I do not think I really experienced true smoked meat until I moved to Dallas, Texas in the mid-to-late 1990′s. Maybe I should not say that, after all, my Dad did have a canister smoker while I was in high school and he would experiment with fresh fish, beef jerky (here and here), and some [...]

You have seen them in your grocery store. They often catch you attention. Stuffed morsels. They are in the frozen section. The pierogi. Frozen dumplings stuffed, probably, with crappy potatoes, from the frozen section that is. I mean, who freezes mashed potatoes? Dumplings. What more needs to be said? There is something about a dumpling, [...]

You have heard it been called Puerto Rican rice, but the real name is arroz con gandules. I had friends talk about this dish for years as being probably one of the best rice dishes out there, and they could possibly be right about that. After our most recent vacation to the Jersey shore, we [...]

Bacon. Who doesn’t love it? I consider bacon probably one of the best food items on this planet. The smokiness, the flavor, and the overall feeling you get when eating it, really makes it truly wonderful. It is one of my kids favorite foods. He could eat bacon all morning long. He gets excited by [...]

I don’t know if you are like me on this issue, but I am often disappointed when I buy halfway decent pita bread from the store, only to have it go bad in a couple of days. Not only that, but the texture and the thickness of the bread is not what I was expecting. [...]

We have had a lot of relatives in town lately and it seems to have gone non-stop in terms of get togethers, typically surround by food and wine. Don’t get me wrong, I love these times as they include great stories, laughter, and result in exhaustion. You know you had a great day when those [...]

Lately I have had a serious craving for Lebanese food. I have been dreaming about it, and my mouth waters simply at the thought of the truly delicious flavors of middle eastern food. Garlic, fresh herbs, lemon. What more needs to be said? My garden is very well right now. Great tomatoes, peppers, beans, and [...]