Followers of this blog know that when it comes to fish, salmon is the family favorite.  It is readily available, affordable when purchased in bulk, and quite versatile as evidenced here, here and here.  We do salmon many different ways and they’re all quite tasty, but in my opinion, this method takes the cake. Smoked salmon.  The words get the kids running towards the table no matter what time it is.  We like it with bagels and cream cheese for breakfast, mixed with mayo for a lunchtime... more

If you saw Ole’s Greek burger post, you may have been left wondering what kind of summer salad you’d pair that with. (I know you were.) It’s not like a regular, ol’ creamy coleslaw would do the trick there. And something about putting tzatziki sauce on your burger doesn’t scream potato salad. It screams pasta salad, naturally. THIS pasta salad. Or something. I was thinking the other day that this would have really looked nice with halved cherry tomatoes and, while... more

To start off I have to say, this is not a grilling recipe.  I’ve never tried it on the grill, and I probably never will.  Certain things need stability – a high speed camera, a vintage moped and good cornbread.  The latter requires a type of stability that can only be provided by a highly predictable 400 degree oven.  Would it work on the grill?  Yeah, for the most part, but I can only guess that you would have varying areas of doneness depending on the temperament of your grill. ... more

Jen Isham went home on The Next Food Network Star premiere this Sunday for making green beans for a room full of Food Network stars. A simple search of their recipe index reveals that they have 186 sautéd green bean recipes. This doesn’t even begin to go into the total 1201 recipes that involve green beans on the site. What they’re saying is you can make green beans, just do it at home and not for a room full of Food Network stars. In fact, you could make THESE green beans. At home.... more

A lot of work goes into main dishes.  For the most part, I tend to focus on the protein portion of our meals, but when possible, I like to double – even triple up on items that can be put on the grill for any given meal.  I’ve already talked about the asparagus that can be done on the grill so today I’ll talk about what is probably the most popular non-meat grillable in the house – my soon to be famous, Super Garlic Toast.   Normally, I’m not so boastful about my... more

I’ve been wanting to buy fingerling potatoes for a while, and they have finally appeared on my local supermarket’s shelves. I am a big fan of the thin-skinned new potatoes, and fingerlings have a similar skin. However, these potatoes are fully mature when harvested and have a different flavor than new potatoes. These made their appearance served alongside the bacon-wrapped tenderloin and grilled asparagus. It was an easy meal to put together, and I spent the downtime in the grass... more

So, I realize that some of the things we do for meals may seem more involved than you want to get on your average weekday evening. Have you seen the Make-Ahead Meals section? Trust me. We have those nights too. In fact, we have those nights an average of 5 out of the 7 days in any given week…so we plan for them by alternating the involved with the less involved. However, some things that seem difficult are not. For instance, if you think guacamole takes a long time to make, you are mistaken.... more