Articles

Celts are all over the world, not just in the Scotland, Wales, or Ireland. They've been in Egypt, Scandinavia, and Germany. In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a country where the Celtic nomadic peoples have not been a part of their heritage.

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Being born into a loving family is a blessing. My first memorable experience of learning to share that love with the rest of the world was in grade school . . . every year on Valentine’s Day.

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In the 90's we started making our pizza on the grill instead of the oven . . . especially in the summer when we don't want to the oven to heat up the house. There is very little clean-up and it gives us another excuse to be lakeside and enjoy the activities the lake has to offer.

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What makes for a successful gathering of gardeners? Well for starters (and not necessarily in this order): good weather, good folk from near and far, good conversation, maybe a fun activity or two, some plants to be swapped....and oh, let's not forget the FOOD!

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A technique traditionally associated with Asian cooking, “Stir-Frying” is a cooking method and not a particular recipe. We learned the stir-fry technique years ago while living in Southern California, by taking a Chinese cooking course taught by a Chinese woman. Once you master the basic technique, you can get good results with many different combinations of ingredients.

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In November we took a step back in time. A few weeks earlier, I had spoken on the phone with a good friend from Southern California. She asked me to host a dinner for Dinner Club with her.

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What? . . . make my own pasta?! Think I've lost it? Actually it doesn't take any longer to make the pasta than to use packaged pasta. And it tastes so much better!

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Arriving home after a two week trip to California, there was nothing fresh in the refrigerator to cook with.

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Every October when the air turns crisp and Winter is just around the corner, there are a few moments to stop and catch your breath. The garden is done and busy hands can rest for a while. Then JJ telephones and there is more to do . . . .

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My son, like many children, has a few favorite meals that are rather plain, simple, and not really that full flavored or nutritious. I have found some ways, however, to keep him happy and well fed, both nutritionally and in wanting to have more. I have also discovered some ways to add in flavor and nutrition to my own helpings of his favorite foods, so we can both look forward to having dinner. There is also a bonus morning recipe.

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Last month, my friend here on the lake, SSC, called me to come over and taste a dish she had made . . .

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Now that cold weather is approaching, there is nothing better than to warm up the house with the smell of bread baking. These little breads can replace the bread in your meal, can be taken to parties as appetizers or just kept around for a quick snack. They freeze well before or after baking.

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. . . and it wasn't easy because she didn't have a food processor. If pastry crust is a challenge for you, perhaps trying our method will bolster your confidence. This tart is simply a baked pastry crust, a layer of lemon scented mascarpone cream, and a layer of freshly sliced peaches. Garnish with whipping cream at serving time and you have a yummy dessert!

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Do you smell the aroma wafting through the house? Meat and Mashed Potatoes . . . How can you go wrong? Here is a dish that can be made with many variations. Historically, Shepherds' Pie (made with lamb) and Cottage Pie (made with beef) were made with leftovers. We can't wait for leftovers so we make it straight up.

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This sandwich is for those of you who like easy cooking but very special results. . . this hits the spot!. . . French Dip Sandwich Au Jus. The term au jus, French for "with juice" refers to nicely seasoned meat juices which are served along side the sandwich in a ramekin. You dip the sandwich into the juice before taking a bite; this results in an incredible juicy burst of flavor.

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Roasting tomatoes is very easy. They take up very little space in the freezer. Here in Iowa, we wait patiently for that first ripe tomato. When August arrives we have an excess, and although we keep our neighbors supplied, we still have an excess. You can enjoy your tomatoes all winter long.

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Here are two recipes to easily use up that fruit you are not sure what to do with, especially in the hot time of the year. Neither require the stove or oven, so they will not heat up the kitchen. And one of these can be a full cool-off-in-the-heat meal, if you make it with some of the extras. And as a bonus, there is also an easy tomato recipe at the end.

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Seared tuna with a mango salsa is hard to beat for a healthy and eye candy dinner. Let's use sustainable rod caught yellow-fin tuna.

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Have you been hesitant to try your hand at putting a recipe in the database? Yes, it can be a challenge to try something new . . . but think of the benefits.

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Don't be intimidated by the word Database . . . it's just a "Recipe Box". Where do you keep YOUR recipes? Hmmm . . . I'm going to make banana bread today. Now where is that recipe? Do you find it in the glovebox of your car? How about under your bed? Or maybe it's in the Ice Box. . .

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I have fond memories of my Swedish grandmother working in her farm kitchen, always wearing an apron, and a long wooden spoon in hand. Her hands were never idle and she shared many cozy visits with me as she labored. At the age of 10, I was sent to stay with her to help her out. She had broken both of her wrists and could do nothing. I learned from her how to cook, do laundry, clean house and pick eggs. Working in the kitchen was my grandmother’s job. Women have always worked, especially those women who are in the minority and those of lower economic levels. In the early years of our country, there weren’t many jobs easily available to women, except domestic positions.

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Much more flavorful than poached chicken . . . with the busy & hot, humid days of summer, bake in the cooler hours of the day and refrigerate for using in salads, sandwiches, or just pull out and nibble. As a main course, fresh steamed green beans, tossed salad, and bread round out the meal. Rice also goes well with it.

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Bell peppers for some have been a comfort food. But my friend Moby (Mary) gave me an idea how to kick it up a notch.

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Thinking back to the 60’s & 70’s Rumaki was being served everywhere. I’m a liver-phobe, so we just had bacon wrapped around water chestnuts. Now it seemed like it could be re-invented; all you needed was bacon, something crunchy to replace the water chestnut and one other ingredient.

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For those of you who have lost a mother our hearts go out to you. This is not an unusual story. Our mother (Swedish) married our father (Norwegian) and to please her man learned to make the Norwegian dishes he enjoyed. But that is where the tale takes a turn.

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Those of us who have been watching the progress of the Yum Yum Divas Cubit have discovered that it is a fast growing database filled with over a thousand recipes and growing. Many of these recipes are Arlene's, although she has also been aided in this enormous effort by several other great cooks. But who is Arlene? She is a woman who has managed to be successful in two very different fields and I have come to admire greatly. If you are as curious about this remarkable lady as I am, you will enjoy this article from her home town.

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Why is it that all Banana Bread is NOT created equal?

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This is a cooking method that we have been doing for years but never could find a name for it. So I have coined a new cooking method term-"Smoked Grill-BQ" A big Thank-You to AlwaysWeeding for coming up with the term.

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Over the last 30 years many who had previously used charcoal grills stepped away from them in favor of the gas grill for ease in use. Do you notice your meats missing something . . .a little boost of flavor that just isn’t there?

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Remember the first serious cookbook you ever got your hands on? At the time, I thought mine was "AnneMarie's Personal Cookbook" by AnneMarie Huste. I found this recipe, and never having tasted lentils, presumed it must be something really extra special. After making the recipe, with great success, I was on a mission to make every recipe of hers that I could.

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