Puerto Rican and African dishes are full of flavor and variety. The plethora of fruits and vegetables available in their subtropical regions makes for a wild time in the kitchen. Pastelón bridges the gap- if there ever was one- between my two cultures in a delicious way. In the traditional dish, slices of very ripe, fried…
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Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner
I’m going to yield to peer pressure and hand over this Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe for your St. Paddy’s Day dinner. I’ll explain why I’m doing this begrudgingly in a sec. Baking, instead of broiling, gives this a more appealing flavor. No one ever raved about how amazing a boiled piece of meat, after…
Fish and Chips for St. Paddy’s Day
While I’m a sucker for a banging Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe, I have to admit that it’s not Irish. Well, it’s Irish-American. However, if you ask someone from County Cavan how often they eat it, they’ll probably reply with a blank stare. For a traditional Irish meal, let’s make something they actually eat in…
Serenata (Codfish Salad with Root Vegetables)
Let me sing to you the song of my people! No? Okay, then, let me just “serenade” you with a dish that seems ancestral. Serenata con Viandas is a dish from Puerto Rico that I grew up eating. Again, my mother didn’t have much time to cook, but when she did it seems like she…
Salisbury Steak in Mushroom Gravy
I know that I’m going to date myself here, however, we all know I’m no Spring chicken. On many nights during my childhood, dinners consisted of Banquet TV dinners. If you’re a young buck, you may feel lost and have no idea what I’m talking about. Let me explain: TV dinners were complete meals that…
Pork Picadillo Empanadas/Pastelillos/Empanadillas
I’m so excited to share this Pork Picadillo Empanada post, which is sponsored by the Wisconsin Pork Producers Association, with you! If you’ve been reading this blog for more than a minute, you know that I come from a family of pork lovers. If given the chance, we would eat pork seven days a week….
Beef Stroganoff: A One-Pot Recipe
Beef Stroganoff caused quite the controversy in my family. Turns out that it’s one of my husband’s favorite dishes. The twins, however, recoiled whenever I served it in past. After numerous battles that ended with, “If you don’t eat it, so help me GOD!!!” I finally quit making it. As a result, Hector also…
Merlot Braised Beef Short Ribs with Grits
Winter months require comfort food- especially if you live in a city with normal winter temps. But even I, living in a city with temps that average 60°F during the “coldest” months of the year, need cozy meals to make my insides feel warm and fuzzy. Merlot Braised Beef Short Ribs are the epitome of…
Cheesy Grits with Garlic
I love how interested you are in my life! After posting about my accomplishments in this post a couple of weeks ago, a few of you asked for more details on the TV show I auditioned for. While I won’t name names (mainly because their attorneys are bigger than mine) I’ll give you most of…
Puff Pastry Dough from Scratch
My most stressful class in culinary school was Classical Pastries. Chef Jan Bandula was the instructor and he was also a Certified Master Pastry Chef. And he was European. Failure was not an option in any of his courses. But Chef Bandula also wanted us to win. He never made us feel like idiots if…
