Now, on to the issue of the consommé. A consommé is nothing more than a soup made from clarified stock. It sounds fancy and daunting, but it is really quite a simple process if you remember some basics about stock making. Follow up: For our duck stock we will need: (The first four items are… Continue reading Properly Prepare a Duck Consommé
How to Properly Quarter a Duck
So I’m hoping that my post on the duck has piqued your interest enough to go out and actually pick up a whole bird from your grocery store. Once you’ve got it home, there is the small task of quartering the duck to prepare it for cooking. OK, I know what you are thinking: “Why… Continue reading How to Properly Quarter a Duck
Chocolate Gingerbread with a Hint of Fresh Ginger
This week’s recipe is Fresh Ginger and Chocolate Gingerbread. I was a little skeptical about this week’s recipe, since I do not really love ginger. I did not use the ginger in syrup, nor did I use any fresh ginger. I intended to use the fresh ginger, but when I cut open my root, it… Continue reading Chocolate Gingerbread with a Hint of Fresh Ginger
Amazing Bavarian Soft Pretzel Recipe
I think this is because it is rare to be able to get bread, even from a bakery, that is as good as bread that you eat straight out of your own oven. Bread and cheese is a match made in heaven. I decided to make some Bavarian soft pretzels and cover them with Gruyere… Continue reading Amazing Bavarian Soft Pretzel Recipe
Utilizing Duck for Cooking
In this installment we will be tackling one of my favorite meals to prepare – duck. In the United States, duck is an often a neglected bird for many home cooks who find the task daunting. As I can attest to from experience, cooking a duck is a luxurious alternative to your usual chicken that… Continue reading Utilizing Duck for Cooking
Mussel Soup with Sausage and Kale
OK, OK. I know you’ve never heard of this recipe, neither did I until I did a literal translation of the ingredients into Italian. I’ve always thought of this soup as an Italian soup because the inspiration for creating it came from Italian wedding soup. They share some common characteristics: both are made with greens… Continue reading Mussel Soup with Sausage and Kale
Chicken Cacciatore with Green Beens
When it first came out and I am a fan of her healthy recipes because they refrain from using ‘fake’ ingredients – I don’t care for recipes that are ‘low fat’ or ‘healthy’ because they use artificial fat substitutes and/or overly processed ingredients. I belive the latter just can’t be healthy even if it may… Continue reading Chicken Cacciatore with Green Beens
Healthier Onion Rings Recipe
Whenever I am cooking anything, I can always count on Geoff to ask one of the two following questions “You’re cooking that in bacon fat, right?” or “Where is the pie?” That pretty much sums up the boys’ cooking philosophy. But then again, who doesn’t love pork fat and butter fat? I sure do. I… Continue reading Healthier Onion Rings Recipe
The Trick for Bacon Bits
I love bacon – in almost all its forms – and sprinkling some fresh bits on top of a twice baked potato or into a garden salad is an effective way to spruce up an otherwise banal dish. There is no question that fresh bacon bits are significantly better than the shelf stable junk that… Continue reading The Trick for Bacon Bits
Corn Muffins v2
Now that that’s out of the way, let me start out by saying that I actually do like corn muffins and corn bread, I like them a lot in fact. I will almost always go for the corn bread first in a restaurant bread basket. Even though I did not enjoy the Savory Corn Muffins… Continue reading Corn Muffins v2