The Cook’s Kitchen

And what the heck is he doing in there? Well, that’s a steam vent, more more commonly known as a “pie bird” or a “pie funnel”. It’s basically a 19th century baking tool that was invented to stop filled fruit and meat pies from bubbling over in the oven. Many of the […]

I enjoy all varieties of seafood.  Salmon is high on my list because of its availability and versatility.  Salmon can be baked, stuffed, poached, smoked, used in a souffle or made into patties … but when was the last time you had it pan-fried?  You know, with some french fries and maybe cole slaw on the side? […]

Walking down the soft drink aisle of my favorite market is an adventure in shopping I can do without.  The selection is truly overwhelming.  Rounding the corner of Isle 6, bottled water is the first thing a shopper lays eyes on.  At least ten brands, some imported, some domestic, some with flavor and some in […]

Just about a year ago I wrote an article about one of my favorite desserts, Key Lime Pie.  Now that previous article covers all the bases, including some history, but this recipe is so perfect for the holiday season, it bears repeating.  That, plus the fact that I wanted to show off this photograph I took over Thanksgiving, led me to a recipe […]

A couple of weeks ago I was kickin’ around on my buddies farm and we flushed a bunch of hens.  Immediately after a couple of pictures, we started talking turkey. Thanksgiving turkey that is.  More specifically, turkey techniques, which leads me to today’s article.  Hopefully one or two of these tips will be of help.  If […]

I have a new friend and her name is Karen. Karen is from the government and she is here to help us.  Really.  She works for the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.  I met her on the USDA website and her bio should read something like this:  Hi, my name is Karen and I’m a virtual representative.  […]

In the United states, we celebrate just about anything and everything.  In preparation for one of this months’ articles, I was looking over a few things that are celebrated in October.

Nationwide, October is Toilet Tank Repair Month.
National Chestnut Week is October 8th through the 14th.
And all day long on October 20th, Wewoka, Oklahoma hosts the Sorghum Day Festival.

The first […]

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are between 60 and 80 million cases of food-borne illnesses caused by Salmonella each year.  And according to statistics from the US Food and Drug Administration, nearly one-third of all food-borne illnesses start in the home.  Of those cases, 36% are due to cross contamination. 
I think I’m […]

I must ask my wife that question about a half dozen times when we cruise through cooking stores. She generally is very patient with me, but the first time I stall, admiring a meat cleaver or some other manly cooking tool, she ditches me.  At this point, I like to head over to the appliance section and browse around […]

August and September are the favorite months of the year for Chileheads.  That’s when the green chile harvest moves across the Southwest. If you live in that part of the country you have no doubt seen roadside stands, fields where you can pick-your-own, weekend festivals devoted to them and the very common chile trucks in […]