The Cook’s Kitchen

Cream of Tartar is one of those ingredients that, while I tend to keep it on hand, I don’t use it very often.  That means by the time I usually get around to needing it, I might have run out of it without even knowing it, or it might be rock hard and unusable. 
That’s why […]

I believe I experienced my very first taste of a lingonberry at the breakfast giant, IHOP. As crazy as it may sound, I was instantly smitten. Those delightful Swedish Pancakes are served up with a dollop of lingonberry butter and a small scattering of lingonberry fruits. Reminiscent of a cranberry, lingonberries are much smaller in size, […]

I hate summer in some ways:

I can’t run around in a swim suit all summer, just waiting for the lake to open each day at noon so I can swim all day long.
I have to get up by a certain time to go ‘work for the man’.
It’s hot, and I have to wear long pants! […]

Soup isn’t something you normally associate with summer, but served cold or at room termperature, it can be a simple summer meal with a fresh baguette.  Recently, I had 8 guests for dinner after working all day (what was I thinking?), and served appetizer portions of soup in tiny Chinese tea cups.  The look was stunning […]

A glut of rhubarb from the garden, combined with a pint of strawberries that had seen better days, forced me to come up with a mid-week dessert to satisfy my family. It was unusual to serve dessert on a Wednesday, but I knew my kids wouldn’t stand for another batch of rhubarb-pecan muffins, delicious though […]

I’ll admit that I’ve made small meals out of wine and cheese. I’ve also made meals out of boxed mac’n cheese, so don’t assume too much pretentiousness. Exploring foods is an interest that borders on passion. Over the last several months, the focus has been expanding my cheese palate.
Browsing the many cheese’s at Whole Foods, […]

I’m not much of a world traveler in the physical sense, so an easy way for me to connect with other cultures and far off countries is through their regional foods.  It’s really the techniques and seasonings that I love to learn about.  But it’s tasting that ties everything together.  My latest journey to re-discovery […]

… and that’s why at $13 for 250 ml, you might just want to pick up some.  It is packed with beta-carotene and Vitamin E and is high in monounsaturated fat (one of the “good” fats).  Also, if you do a lot of high-heat cooking, it has a high smoke point, which is very advantageous. 
But […]

Growing up in south Texas in the 60’s and 70’s gives one plenty of exposure to a variety of regional food.  Seafood like crab, shrimp and redfish from the home-waters of the Gulf of Mexico, Tex-Mex versions of enchiladas, tamales, fajitas and of course barbecue that consisted mostly of brisket, chicken and sausages was at my fingertips.  It would […]

I recently was given the chance to try some Nando’s Peri-Peri Sauce.  There are a variety of sauces available:

Extra Mild Lemon Peri-Peri:  Initial fresh lemon aroma, followed by subtle Peri-Peri flavor that ends with a pleasant lingering mild heat sensation
Medium Peri-Peri:  The original Peri-Peri sauce with perfect balance between lemon, garlic, Peri-Peri flavor & Herbs […]