Well, I like to have a Biscotti with my coffee, in the mornings. I buy boxed, and prepackaged ones, but they just aren't great. My wife and daughter like them too. Every once and a while they bring some.home, from some coffee shop or bistro. Way way too expensive. So, me being the tinkerer, in all things, I decided to make my own. I tried three different ones, and settled on two. My daughter likes them so much, she will be making some this afternoon. She will take some to school, to share. They are really easy and inexpensive to make. Traditional Almond Pistachio and Cranberry
I've been grilling for years, but just this year learned how easy and how good grilled pineapple is. Get a fresh pineapple. Slice off both ends. Peel, slice and core to make 1/2" thick rings. Melt a stick of salted butter and mix in a tablespoon of brown sugar and a couple dashes of cinnamon. Brush over rings, slap 'em on the grill, about 5 minutes each side. Enjoy!
As an adult, I learned that brussel sprouts are quite good roasted and also grow on a weird looking stalk. Last week, we watched this video and made the first two of these three recipes. They were both tasty, but I had never thought the sprouts would taste good raw. The sprout salad is one of the best salads I have ever eaten!
I’m not sure this qualifies since deviled eggs might not be considered cooking and I already knew how to make them. But as much as I like eating them it always seemed like too much prep time considering how small they are and how fast I can eat them. What would generally happen is I’d see them in the deli case at the grocery store, buy a tray, and get home with half a tray. Several weeks ago on a whim I made a few. That led to making a few more and eventually playing around with the ingredients trying to create subtle flavor variations. I’m actually having a little fun with it and they taste lots better than store bought.
I managed to make an MRE yesterday. Meatballs in Marinara Sauce. I used the chemical pouch that came with it to heat up the entree. That's the extent of my cooking. Hey Itchy Whiskers - would you be willing to share your Biscotti recipe? My beloved bride is interested (and unlike me, Ms. Baxendale is a swell cook)! - Bax
Since retiring, I have had time to experiment. I have learned to make buttermilk biscuits, and several different marinades.
Perfect! I've started making sausage gravy! I keep meaning to start making biscuits. Pressure cooker. I have chickens, and the eggs start piling up around here. And fresh eggs don't generally peel nice and clean. I have cooked 2 dozen eggs in my 6 qt pressure cooker in no time and they just slide out of their shells.
I've been experimenting with Pickled Eggs(Tavern Style and Cajun Style). I prefer the Tavern Style, with smoked sausage and carrots in the mix. My daughter likes the Cajun Style. The secret is to let them marinate for at least three weeks. The longer, the better, if you can hold out.
My ex wife insisted that we needed one of those Insta type electric pressure cookers. I never liked it. When we remodeled the kitchen, the new cooktop precluded the use of my simple old pressure cooker. I used that electric thing for making beans and few other things, but was never impressed with how it cooked. So, when it divorce happened, I was left with the silly appliance and it mainly took up space in my cabinets. After I sold the old house and moved to a smaller place, it even took up more real estate in the cabinets. Yesterday I had a hankering for black beans (the actual hankering started the night before, so I started soaking the beans before I went to bed). The silly electric thing quit working! Yay, so it went to the dumpster! I trotted right down to the big box place and bought the only model of pressure cooker they had and brought it home. Diced up some thick sliced bacon and started it browning, diced some onion and tossed it in, along with a bit of garlic, added chili powder and cumin, popped the beans in, covered with water and let the magic of the pressure cooker get after it. My girlfriend came over after work and saw the pressure cooker on the counter and said, "That thing scares me." I just quietly handed her a bowl of beans and watched her expression. Her smile told me that her fear was overrated. Black beans along with fresh tamales made Tamale Tuesday awesome!
Two things A Tree to Table Tart Cherry pie, I have never really been a Dessert guy, but I got the opportunity to go pick the cherries right off the tree, and take them through the whole process of making the filling and the crusts I really liked being able to adjust the "Sweetness" myself as given a choice I will always choose tart over sweet That was my first real fruit pie I also learned how to make a better, crisper, Chicken Parmigiana Just some small tweaks to the cook and presentation made it way better IMHO