Cooking Articles

Market Fresh California Meets Asian Sauce

Inspiration for cooking comes from lots of places: new cookbooks, magazine articles, restaurant meals. This week’s inspiration derived from a combination of factors: a recently published cookbook on...

French Onion Soup-rise

Ah, yes, French onion soup. One of the yummy, warm, cheesy dishes that everyone loves.  A full meal with two of my favorite things: cheese and bread. Mmm. I've always said, 'All I need to live a happy...

A Rare Treat In A Soft Shell

The California desert is definitely not the home of the blue crab. But that is where I was, browsing the aisles of the upscale market Bristol Farms when I spotted a sign in the fish case declaring the...

School's Out For Summer. Now What?

You can hear it all around ñ the sound of the collective glee of school kids everywhere as they get ready to be set free for the summertime. But as your kids skip down the road and toss their backpacks...

Crockpot Camping

Camping tends to bring out the hidden "MacGyver" in all of us, and can inspire us to use resources in unique ways. This brings to mind the time I went camping with my closest friend last Memorial Day...

An Herbaceous Garden

Every year about this time I usually try to plant a small garden on my patio, and every year I fail miserably. But this year is different. Normally I just go about my modest garden with little more than...

Memorial Day Marinades

Break out the barbecue! Gas up the grill! Summer is finally here, and there is no better way to celebrate the official kick-off to America’s fun season than with a Memorial Day feast. Intense flavors...

Are Grilled Foods Hazardous to Your Health?

True or False: Eating grilled meats can increase your risk of cancer. Conventional wisdom says that grilling is a healthy way to prepare foods. But, you might be surprised at what Colleen Doyle, M.S.,...

Cooking Defined

In any profession where one is considered an expert, it is easy to forget our audience may not be as proficient in the lingo as we are. GRP, CPM, VPVH might sound like diseases to the average person but...

Birthdays: Easy Party Food

It was quite easy to take birthdays for granted as a kid—the games, the fun with friends, the presents. And, of course, the good food. Birthdays were a time to celebrate—looking forward to another...

Chinese Night

In the interest of figuring out what to make for dinner in a less painful way, I recently wrote about my plan to try out International Cuisines night. This week’s plan is Chinese. Hmmm, what to make? First...

Taming of the Jumbo Asparagus

To peel or not to peel, that is sometimes the question with asparagus. Actually, in most American homes peeling almost never happens. It is an extra step, a fussy extravagance we are more likely to associate...

The Other Steak Dinner

Years ago in England, a small group of American students studying abroad proposed an American-style marketing campaign to revive the beef industry post-mad cow disease. The program became a hit among...

The Mysteries of Rotel Dip: Revealed

There are many mysteries in life. Like, is the moon really made of cheese? Does Bigfoot really exist? Who in the world invented Rotel Dip? Okay, the last question might not be the burning question on...

Rat Pack Supper Club

A few weeks ago I attended a surprise thirtieth birthday party for a cousin-in-law. His wife is famous for her party planning skills and this time the party theme was casino night, complete with a blackjack...

Food Truck Frenzy

Have you visited a local food truck lately? Perhaps your city has an event this Memorial Day Weekend centered around a group of food trucks, live music, and adult beverages. It’s a fun way to kick off...