I’m not Japanese, I don’t claim to know anything about Japan.  I do watch Iron Chef, but the only things I learn from that are how to make fish ice cream and brain pudding.  You will not find these things in my posts.  I do, however, dabble in very Americanized Asian cuisine. A few years ago I found an easy recipe for teriyaki sauce, and since then, I have modified it, made it a dozen times and experimented with it on various meats.  Some have been successful, others have not, and... more

Minnesotans take great pride in telling people where their ancestors came from and for the most part there are only three places of origin.  Norway, Sweden or Germany.  If you have relatives who came from anywhere else, say, Poland, you are considered “exotic.”  I’m a 50/50 Norwegian/German; Shaina is less pure, much less pure, which makes her “exotic” by some standards.  I guess that makes our kids mostly nothing, but we like to think of them as little Vikings;... more

  Let’s talk about meat (kind of).  I like it.  Most people do to varying degrees.  Some people try to live without it and some of them succeed.  I know a few of these people.  They occasionally attend my backyard barbeques, knowing full well that they do so at their own risk.   Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not at all hostile about their lifestyle choice.  I’m just wasn’t always sympathetic to their dietary needs.  They were welcomed to bring a few veggie burgers. ... more

Recently a coworker asked me what I thought was the best way to grill a whole chicken.  I had to think for a few moments because it’s not something I’ve done for quite a while.  After I described my technique, I went home and checked the freezer.  As I expected, I found the roasting chicken that I had placed there last year safe in its cryogenic coma.  This particular chicken was sad and lonely as it was missing its twin.  A few dollars can be saved by buying them in a twin pack... more

When a man works all day he wants to find some meat on his plate when he sits down for the evening meal (is it dinner or supper?).  With certain meals the meat can be hard to find, for instance, pasta.  Sure you can use a “meat sauce” but I’m usually back in the kitchen a few hours later looking for a snack to take me through until morning.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  I found a great way to bring the meat to the pasta AND use the grill to do it.  Plus it goes together... more

Flexibility is a necessity when you have to cook for a large group.  Flexibility is essential if you want to buy main ingredients in bulk and be able to use them periodically without repetition.  One of the “must haves” around here is chicken breast.  It is easy to portion out and a veritable blank canvas when it comes to meal options – it works on the grill, with pasta, in salads (or as a salad), you can stir fry it or pan fry it, you can stuff it and ….. you get my point. Well, today... more

Bacon-Wrapped Tenderloin – The Prequel (the cutting and bacon-wrapping portion) Sometimes we avoid cooking certain foods because we think they need to be complicated or the main ingredient is too expensive. It would be a shame to try a new recipe with a high priced piece of meat only to mess it up and end up eating cold cereal instead. Well, here’s a simple way to take an intimidating cut (beef tenderloin) and turn it into the culinary highlight of the week for your family. Bacon-wrapped... more