Cooking Articles

Hot dogs, hamburgers, sparklers. Oh my. America's annual birthday party is just around the corner. The year is filled with holidays specific to certain religions, but this holiday is for us all! America...

Amidst the everyday and the same old, same old calendar days come traditional holidays and rituals. I’ve noted how even a small celebration or recognition can shake up the ol' getting-to-be-boring routine,...

Independence Day is an interesting holiday, if only because it's an excuse to blow stuff up with firecrackers. Black snakes on the sidewalk, bottle rockets, the smell of sulfur: these are the things the...

All About Oils

We often begin the cooking process with oil. Like salt and pepper, it is such a requisite ingredient that we often do not really give it much thought. But that is precisely why we should. There are...

As American As . . . Tacos?

Sunday morning crossword puzzle, Fourth of July edition. Four down, two across. Clue: “As American as…” If you were born in this country, or maybe even if you weren’t, the answer to that line...

Preserve, Our Independence

With gas prices going up and food prices going up and the cost of everything going up, my trips to the grocery store have become very stringent. I don’t allow myself to purchase luxury items, and always,...

Adding Fresh Herbal Flavors to Your Slow Cooking

Fresh herbs are a wonderful way to add flavor to any dish. There is nothing better than growing your own herb garden in the warmer months, so you can add home grown herbs to your cooking at a moment’s...

On the Side, All Fired Up

Barbecue. Grill-out. Cook-out. Whatever part of the country you hail from and whatever words to use to describe it, the warm weather tradition of taking the kitchen to the great outdoors is as old as...

Can't Stand the Heat? It's All Cool in the Kitchen

They tell me it has been unseasonably hot here in So Cal the last week. I wish I could confirm or deny that rumor, but sunstroke has left me a little delirious and thus my opinion can hardly be trusted....

Light Up July Fourth With Sparkling Fruit Pizza

Whether this Fourth of July finds you under a starry sky watching fantastic fireworks or hanging out in the backyard with family and friends while the kids showcase a homespun sparkler show, it may seem...

As American as Corn on the Cob, Potato Salad, and a Hot Fudge Sundae

It’s the 4th of July and like any good American, you’re getting ready to grill some burgers and hot dogs, right? Well, before you make all your cooking plans, consider highlighting the foods that are...

New Food of the Month: Key Limes

July’s new food of the month packs a lot of punch into a little package, for it offers not only a cool and refreshing taste, but also an interesting history: the Key lime. Share this tidbit with the...

Knee High by the Fourth of July

Every gentleman farmer knows that corn in the fields should be knee high by the fourth of July. It’s an eagerly anticipated sign that the corn crop is on schedule for maturing on time. Our sweet corn...

The United States of Burgers

It is difficult to think of a food that better reflects the diversity of America than the burger. The hamburger, just like the constantly changing face of America, has evolved well beyond the patty of...

Independence For Your Veggies Too!

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to lug home a big bag of charcoal and spark up the grill, and if you're lucky enough to live in a place where minor explosives are legal, don't forget to buy some...

Mint Juleps Make the Mark

Ah, if anything evokes thoughts of a sunny summer, it’s sitting outside sipping mint juleps out of silver cups under a cabana striped umbrella by the pool waiting for the barbeque to heat up, right?...