Category: Food and Recipes

Everyone has their ideas when it comes to comfort food. I have several, but one of them I had a big craving for today. 

When I was little growing up in New Jersey, I used to go to many diners with my mother, Aunt Claire, and Nana. 

Two diners, in particular, stand out in my memory, The Linden House Diner and the Bayway Diner. We often went to lunch there when running errands with Nana or taking her to a doctor’s appointment.

I loved going to the diner! I never even had to open a menu because I knew what I wanted. It was on the children’s menu and was also on the regular menu in the deluxe form.

99% of the time, I ordered a pizza burger, and fries. When I got older, I ordered the pizza burger deluxe, which also came with coleslaw, a pickle, and fries. 

We always sat in a booth with me next to the window. I kept myself entertained after we ordered our food by making faces in the mirror on the side of the jukebox at the table.

I would ask for a quarter to play a song, but that didn’t happen. When the waitress brought us our drinks, I would look at the placemat, the same one I’d seen a hundred times, but every time we went, I was able to read more about the businesses sponsoring the placemats.

I would blow bubbles in my chocolate milk as I read the placemat. I loved to see how high I could get them to go without bubbling over the side of the glass. 

I never got to that point because it was always when my mother would scold me, “stop playing with your food!” “It’s a drink,” I would explain to her. That’s when she would grab my hand under the table and crush it until the bones ground together.

My grandmother was blind and listened to conversations around our table while my mother chain-smoked until our food came. 

Nana knew what was on her plate and where like telling time on a clock. The fish is at twelve o’clock, the potato is at three, and the vegetable is at seven. I liked being the one to tell her about her lunch “time.”

When my pizza burger was put in front of me, I smelled it first. It smelled so good! Then, I would pick it up and start eating it around the edges. Sam smells his food like I do. We smell everything, come to think of it, especially clothing straight out of the dryer. The bleach smell is our favorite!

I guess turning my burger around in a circle after every bite wasn’t considered playing with my food. I ate it like this to get every bit of sauce and melted mozzarella cheese oozing out the sides. Clever for a 5 or 6-year-old! 

Next, I would start working on one of my favorite things in the world, the fries. I still love fries today and would always choose them over any other starch. I love all kinds, especially bowling alley fries, which are greasy, golden brown, crinkle-cut sticks of deliciousness. Crispy outside and like mashed potatoes on the inside.

I am usually a giving and generous person until it comes to my fries. Whenever someone doesn’t order their own and thinks they can pick some off my plate, they are wrong; very wrong. I share my fries with no one, ask Marty.

Back at the diner, when I dipped my fries in the marinara sauce that was on the plate, I would run them through, pretending it was machinery driving through mud or something. I stopped quickly whenever my mother looked over at me because this was considered playing with my food. One hand crushing was all I could take. Lol.

Today, I had some leftover “sauce” and made myself a pizza burger before belly dancing. It came out perfectly, and so did the fries. I didn’t have coleslaw or good pickles, so it wasn’t a deluxe version.

I ate alone since Marty and Sam were on their way to Burlington, VT, to start to move Sam into his new home. During this trip, they are working on some repairs that need to be done and moving out the old furniture and in with Sam’s brand new stuff he bought. They won’t be back until tomorrow night.

This afternoon, I automatically started eating my pizza burger in a circle like when I was little. One night when visiting my biological mother, we ate in a diner. I ordered a pizza burger on a plate with coleslaw. 

The diner didn’t have a gluten-free bun, and their fries were fried in the same fryer where wheat items are also cooked, contaminating the oil, so I only could have coleslaw.

To my surprise, my mother also ordered a pizza burger deluxe. She said it was funny that we both ordered the same thing and loved them! This kind of stuff was and still is fascinating to me.

This also happened the first time we met in person several years ago. We went to an Irish pub to have a drink before dinner. We walked into the pub and realized that we both preferred to sit at the corner of the bar. That amazed me because I’ve never experienced this kind of stuff before.

I immediately went to the restroom, and she ordered a drink while I was gone. When I came out, the bartender asked me what I wanted, and I told him Captain Morgan and Gingerale. That was the same drink that she had ordered. Holy shit!

Another thing I want to mention about pizza burgers is while they are popular in Jersey and downstate NY diners, no one up here has ever heard of them. 

Years ago, we ate at a diner in the Pittsfield, MA, area. I asked if they could make me a pizza burger. It was as if I was speaking Swahili or something. They didn’t know what I was asking. Even after I explained it, they still didn’t know how to do it. 

My last noteworthy comment about pizza burgers is how they are in the lyrics of a Rolling Stones song. It goes like this, “I’ll never be your pizza burger.” I was shocked when I learned the actual words were a beast of burden! What does that even mean? I know pizza burger doesn’t make sense either, but a beast of burden?

Back in the day, you had to guess the song lyrics since there was no way to look them up. You would figure out some lyrics, and your friends would figure out other ones. We weren’t doing it to be funny; we really didn’t know what the fuck they were singing.

I knew Marty was a keeper when the song “Beast of Burden” came on the radio, and we both sang the pizza burger version. I thought it was only me who heard pizza burger, but apparently not. 😂

Today, my pizza burger and fries brought me back to my Elizabeth, NJ, days when I was a kid. I wish I had a glass of chocolate milk and a straw when I ate it. Of course, I would have still blown bubbles in it! 

By the way, I let my boys blow bubbles in their chocolate milk when they were little; they never made a mess, and the world didn’t end. So there!

***I’ve been searching for a box of old photos since I started my blog almost two years ago next month. I found them this week and am excited to be able to post more old photos in future posts.

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving or a nice day for those who don’t celebrate it. Yes, I have a friend that is adamant about not “doing” Thanksgiving, but he did take his mom out to brunch.

As you know, I tried a different method for cooking my turkey this year, and it came out fantastic! Not only was it easy and fast, but this method produced the most tender and juicy turkey I have ever made. It was the best turkey we ever had, hands down!

The turkey stock also came out better, flavorful, and clear. Again, it made a fantastic gravy, better than my usual turkey gravy. There was zero waste on the turkey since it was carved before cooking, just requiring slicing the breast before serving. So simple! 

The carcass I used for the stock was transformed into “dog food.” I mixed the turkey, rice, carrots, and leftover green bean ends with some stock. I removed the fat from the stock, and even though I always season everything well with salt, I didn’t this time, knowing it would be ok for the dogs. 

Otto had an upset belly while we were away last week. He had diarrhea multiple times every night we were gone. He wasn’t eating much, but he was drinking plenty of water. At first, we thought it was separation anxiety, but we’ve gone away before. Then I thought maybe he ate something disgusting in the yard or was getting old and sliding downhill.

Last night, I mixed some turkey and rice with his dry food, and he devoured it. He did at breakfast time and dinner tonight. He seems like he is feeling better; fingers crossed. 

He hasn’t needed to go out in the middle of the night for the last two nights, so who knows? We have an appointment at the vet in December, but we could bring him in sooner if he didn’t get better. 

The rest of the clear stock will be my “food” on Sunday. I have to consume only liquids for a colonoscopy on Monday morning at Dartmouth Hitchcock. 

I’ve had so many colonoscopies over the years for my ulcerative colitis I’ve lost track. The procedure is a snap; drinking that nasty shit is the most challenging part I hate; the rest of it, I don’t mind.

Happy Friday! The week has flown by since we went away; I can’t believe it’s our farmers market day again already tomorrow. Have a great weekend! I’ll check in with you on Sunday.

Before Marty and I created The Vermont Spätzle Company, I used to make regular spätzle like everyone in the world does, ours is the only one of its kind, and we make a lot of it. If you don’t know, we don’t use wheat in our spätzle, so it’s gluten-free, it’s also lighter, and you don’t have to boil it, just a quick sauté.

I used to make regular wheat spätzle maybe four times a year; I also used to make hot German potato salad from time to time as something different to serve. I should say that I haven’t made it often since the kids wouldn’t eat it or try it.

Hot German potato salad is a lost dish from the old country people used to make; I’m not sure if anyone makes it anymore. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it served at someone’s home or in a restaurant other than a German one.

Marty and his dad, Hans, used to belong to the Vermont Garden Railway Society. Members take turns hosting the event. The summer after Marty’s mother passed away; it was our turn. His dad was looking forward to it and was excited to come to our place and show off the garden railroad.

This was many years ago, long before our spätzle business. We didn’t have Otto and Klaus yet, so the grass was in great shape. However, the train layout needed work, along with the numerous flower beds and plants in the layout.

The property needed to be immaculate, and it was. Our local garden club sponsors tours of the people’s gardens and properties in town. The tour was the day after the train meet, so it worked out perfectly.

At the train meets, people bring potluck-type dishes. I told the club that I would provide the food without worrying about cross-contamination issues since we were extremely gluten sensitive.

People try their best to make safe gluten-free food but don’t realize gluten masquerades as many other ingredient names. They also don’t understand using a spoon from a gluten-laden dish and then taking something gluten-free with the same spoon will make me sick for close to a week. It’s true.

I served grilled bratwurst and other German sausages, red cabbage with apples and onions, hot German potato, and a black forest sheet cake for the train meet. I made a couple of other things, but I don’t remember what they were.

When I planned the menu, I didn’t know that 80% of the train club members and their wives who also came along were Germans. German people may be hard to please when it comes to German food, but I knew my dishes were delicious and if they hated it, so be it.

We had a gorgeous summer day and a big turnout for the train meet. I finished preparing the German buffet and called everyone to lunch. I admit I was nervous when grilling the sausages and reheating the red cabbage and potato salad. I took some vodka from the freezer and drank a small glass of “ice water.” I wasn’t nervous anymore.

I didn’t take any food photos; I didn’t even think about it since I was scurrying around getting everything out hot at the same time. I wish I had, though. The black forest cake was amazing!

The club members were older people, very conservative and traditional. Some looked stern others seemed nice. While they filled their plates, I refilled my “ice water.” I watched them eat, and everyone ate silently. Did they like it or not? It was hard to tell.

I thought they ate silently because maybe that is how they were raised. After they finished eating, I got compliments galore. Everyone loved the food! The one man who seemed stern said to me in a whisper, “Your red cabbage was even better than my mother’s.”

I started to cut the black forest cake and handed it out. I was relaxed and chatted with everyone. When someone told me how delicious the black forest cake was, I said to them that was the biggest compliment since it was gluten-free. Gluten-free, they gasped; I laughed and was pleased.

One man spoke up, almost for the group. He started by saying they didn’t know what to expect before arriving. He went on to say what a lovely hostess I was; the food was better than his mother’s German food too.

He added I made everyone feel welcome and made everything look effortless. Then he complimented Marty and Sam on the outdoor garden railway.

I stood there in my black sundress, both arms with tattooed sleeves, and my whole back covered in ink as well. When I talked to the wives earlier, they stared at my nose and the medusa piercing under my nose. I had an excellent buzz cranking and didn’t let it bother me.

I think the women were especially ready to judge me, but after meeting me, my tattoos and piercings didn’t matter, or that I was at least 20 years younger than everyone present. I was judged on my food and entertainment skills, not my appearance. Maybe I changed their minds about people living the tattooed lifestyle?

The railroad society members enjoyed themselves, and so did I, something I didn’t expect to happen. I stressed about it for a couple of weeks; I wanted everything to be perfect, which never happens.

In the end, we pulled it off. Marty and Sam did a lot of work outside to get everything ready for the meet, and it all paid off; people were impressed with their garden railroad!

Today, I am making a batch of German potato salad to take on the road with us this weekend; it will go with some German sausages. We are going to visit my mom (biological) for a couple of days. Yay!

We haven’t seen each other since last May, and we look forward to it. She and I are alike in many ways, and I love getting to know her better whenever I am with her. Marty notices how our mannerisms and other things are blatantly similar even though sometimes we can’t see them.

I respect my mother’s wishes and privacy, so even though I will take some photos of Marty and me, I won’t be posting any of her, but I will write about our visit. We won’t be back until Tuesday, so that I will catch up with you guys then. I plan to unplug and stay off my email and social media accounts, enjoying the people I am with in person.

Happy Friday and have a nice weekend, everyone! By the way, if you have a large turkey in the freezer, take it out tonight and defrost it properly and safely in a pan in the refrigerator; you’ll thank me Wednesday when you start your holiday prepping. ❤️

I found out on Sunday we’ve been eating spaghetti and meatballs wrong. I watched a Youtube video about tiny meatballs from Abruzzo, Italy. I added the link to the Youtube video to my “Always a student” blog post.

Right after I watched the video, I knew I wanted to make those tiny meatballs right away, so I did, and they came out fantastic. Marty and Sam loved them too!

The tiny meatballs were fun to eat and reminded me of those little meatballs in Spaghettos that I ate when I was little. I always pierced a meatball first, then used my fork to get the rings on the tines of my fork.

Of course, I got yelled at for playing with my food, but I still tried every time I ate Spaghettos. I loved the little hotdog version too!

These tiny meatballs are not for the faint of heart when working in the kitchen and not for someone who doesn’t enjoy cooking to attempt. Trust me on this one.

Measuring the 1/2 tsp of meatball mix took me a while, but I didn’t mind since I love doing kitchen tasks and prep. Rolling the meatballs went pretty quickly, and of course, I had to space them out evenly because I am a perfectionist asshole in the kitchen.

After I cooked the meatballs, I added them to the sauce and let it cook until it reduced. I let it cool and popped it in the fridge until tonight. I am a firm believer that sauce always tastes better the next day. These tiny meatballs and the sauce tasted good indeed!

Even though we are noodle makers, I made gluten-free spaghetti because I wanted the whole experience; plus, we don’t have any spätzle at the moment since we are only making it for wholesale orders right now. Every noodle counts.

The interesting thing about these meatballs was instead of adding milk as I do with my soft and fluffy meatballs, the chef used ricotta cheese which I may continue to use even in my regular-size meatballs. He also mixed the meatballs differently; I will continue doing it his way since I like how they came out.

Will I make tiny meatballs again? Totally! Will I do it every time I make meatballs? No, they are time-consuming. However, I will be in the cooking mood on a rainy, snowy, or yucky day. This recipe gets two thumbs up! 👍 👍

Arrivederci! 🇮🇹

I love Chinese food! I love Chinese and Italian food so much that I could eat them every day and never tire of it. This was the biggest dilemma for me to choose when we went out for my birthday dinner when I was little. Chinese or Italian?

For many years Marty and I were unable to eat many of the Chinese dishes we love so much because they contain soy sauce which contains wheat, or dishes that are fried in the same oil that is used for wheat items. That’s called gluten cross-contamination.

Last year, we learned from a couple at the Troy Farmers Market who are gluten-free, not by choice like us, about a Chinese place in Latham, NY, that they love. Marty and I were like, what? Don’t tease us.

Sure enough, Ala Shanghai has many dishes we have missed. Everything is clearly marked on the menu, and the staff is careful about cross-contamination. The food and service are wonderful. It was last year’s food miracle for us!

We had a big delivery day on Thursday after production, which ended in the Albany area. We had to go to Troy, to the Atrium Building, where we set up our vendor booth for the first indoor market on Saturday.

It was almost 4 pm when we were done, and hadn’t eaten lunch yet. We went to our favorite place Ala Shanghai! We’ve tried a few things on their menu, and everything is delicious, but we both keep ordering Sesame Beef in Brown Sauce with Rice; every single time.

It’s pieces of lacquered crispy pieces of beef in a delicious sauce and with sesame seeds. It is so good that I get so sad while eating it that it will disappear. This happens to me a lot when I eat something I love; the happiness turns to dread until I can eat it again.

We found out a long time ago food is not the same when it’s take-out. I firmly believe besides pizza; most things lose their crispiness or freshness when shoved in a container to keep them warm. Soups, cold sandwiches, and mushy things are usually ok, though.

One day when we were having lunch at Ala Shanghai, we were sitting next to a young Chinese couple. They had so much food on their table and ate slowly. We noticed they kept their rice in the little bowl it comes in and used it as a resting place for the food on their chopsticks.

There are always plenty of Chinese couples and families in Ala Shanghai, and I noticed them eating this way as well. I tried it, and it’s brilliant! It took me 55 years to learn this or pay attention to how other cultures eat.

The people I watched didn’t load up the plate the restaurant provides for your entree; instead, they put the bowl of rice in the middle of the plate. When you take a piece of food with your chopsticks from a platter that is too big for one bite, you rest it on top of the rice. The rice soaks up all the flavors and is eaten slowly during the meal.

The other dish I order every time is Steamed Shrimp Dumplings. Dumplings are usually not gluten-free; oh, how we missed them terribly. Ala Shanghai has many different types of dumplings we can’t have, but they have the shrimp one, and I love shrimp. Double score!

The servers are always careful that the small bowl of soy sauce to dip the shrimp dumplings is gluten-free. The dumplings are made fresh, in-house. We have watched servers sit at tables after the lunch rush making dumplings for dinner.

The shrimp inside the dumpling wrapper is flavored with garlic, toasted sesame oil, and snaps; it’s so fresh and crisp when you eat it. The dumpling wrappers are delicate and look like tiny parcels of deliciousness. Mmmmmm!

I made Italian food tonight that was so good I could have easily overeaten, but then I would have felt uncomfortable and upset with myself for making a pig of myself. I always put my fork down the second I feel full; this is dedication when I eat something I love. I must remind myself there will be leftovers to enjoy the next day.

I took demo photos of the dinner I made tonight. It has options to be healthier and even vegan if that’s what you want. I have to write the recipe and will share it when I am done. I took photos of a kitchen hack that made food prep faster.

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend! I’ll catch up with you guys soon!

I love history, especially American history. I also love food, so combining both is the best. If I ever wanted to go back to school, it would be to become a food anthropologist. I am intrigued by what people eat and where recipes come from. It is a wonderful way to understand how different cultures and societies lived.

I figured I would make an apple crisp to write about and post my recipe. I know many people still have a surplus of apples hanging around after apple picking. The number of apples never looks like much when picking them, but it’s a different story when you get home.

Apple crisp is a “newer” dessert. I say newer because it was created in 1924 during World War l and food rationing when ingredients for apple pies weren’t available. It became an instant success.

Apple crisp is made with apple slices, sugar, lemon juice, and spices. The topping is streusel made with flour, oats, sugar, butter, and spices. Besides the apples, all the other ingredients are essential pantry items.

A month ago, I wrote a blog post about a gigantic pear crisp I made for the night shift at our local hospital ER, where my son Sam works as an RN. I didn’t post a recipe since I didn’t have one. I just winged it and hoped for the best. It turned out delicious, thankfully.

Last week I picked up a bag of apples and decided to make an apple crisp. I wanted to write down my recipe and post it. It can be made with apples or pears. It’s one of the easiest dessert recipes; the most challenging part is peeling the apples and cutting them into slices or chunks. I like slices since I think they look better.

Classic apple crisp isn’t diet food by any means, but since it doesn’t include a fat-laden pastry crust, you can make it any way you wish. There are recipes for healthy, gluten-free (mine has the option), and vegan apple crisps.

You can add less butter and sugar, add more oats or different types of flour, add how much or little topping you would like, and add more apples or pears. You can add additional spices or leave out ones you don’t like. It’s such a versatile dessert.

Here is the recipe I used tonight. You can double it to make a 9×13 pan instead of the 8×8 pan I used. The amount of spices is to my taste, so if you want to add more or less, it’s up to you. The salt in the recipe is important as it brings out the flavors and rounds out the taste.

Please keep in mind I am not a professional food blogger with expensive fancy recipe-writing programs; if you are looking for nutritional information. My recipes are straightforward recipes that I have tasted and tested for accuracy cutting out fussy unnecessary steps and dishes. Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

The filling:

6 firm apples peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

The streusel topping:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats or gluten-free oats
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
8 Tbsp butter cut into small cubes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease an 8×8 pan with softened butter or pan spray; set aside.

To make the filling: Whisk all the filling ingredients together in a small bowl. In the 8×8 pan, add the apples and the filling ingredients. Stir gently or use your hands to combine until the apples are evenly coated with the spiced sugar mixture.

To make the streusel topping: Add all ingredients to a medium size bowl. Mix and squeeze the butter with the dry ingredients with a fork or your hands until crumbly. Continue to squeeze, forming large streusel crumbles.

Add the streusel topping covering the apples evenly. Bake at 425 degrees F until the apples are bubbling around the edges and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

To prevent the topping from burning, check often and rotate the pan halfway through baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold, topped with vanilla ice cream if desired.

Makes 6-8 servings

When my boys were small, I made a real Sunday dinner every week like I had growing up. Our family ate my Mema’s, their friend’s house, or restaurants. Remember, my mother didn’t like to cook. I didn’t mind because the food was always traditional and good.

I still make Sunday dinners; this week, we invited Noah over. He looks forward to it because he knows I always make something they like or know. Noah & Sam’s palates have grown in the past few years, so I can introduce new flavors or cuisines.

It’s so different and enjoyable having Sunday dinner as all adults compared to when they were small. Those dinners always ended with crying, complaining, arguing, negotiating, and stress.

One of our favorite Sunday dinners is pork, potatoes, and corn. I decided to make that but turn it on its head; I made an Oaxacan Sunday pork dinner.

We watch cooking travel shows. I love Somebody Feed Phil and Rick Stein’s different travel adventures. I learn a lot in each episode, not only about the food but about the people, their culture, and their history.

Last week it just so happened that the episodes of both shows had Phil and Rick in Oaxaca, Mexico. I recognized different places of interest and attractions in each other’s shows.

When I think of Mexican food, I never think of Oaxacan cuisine or other parts of Mexico. Mexicans use what they have available, and recipes have been handed down for centuries. Mexican people are proud of their culture and their cuisine. I am sure most don’t even know what Tex-Mex is.

I made Rick Stein’s dark, thick Carne Con Chile a couple of weeks ago. I had to make some substitutions for the guajillo peppers I couldn’t find, but it still came out delicious. It doesn’t need too many tweaks, just a few little ones the next time I make it.

The week before, we were in one of our wholesale customers, Honest Weight Food Co-op, in Albany, NY, and I found dried guajillo chilies! I was so excited I practically skipped to the register. They were sold as a portion of bulk food, so I bought 8 of them. The guajillos were still soft and had almost a floral smell; I couldn’t wait to cook with them.

Both of the shows I watched on Oaxacan cuisine included mole sauces. This region of Mexico is known for several different types of mole sauces. Mexicans think about their mole sauces the way the French think about their mother sauces.

Mole sauces come from the Aztec and Puebla people of Mexico. There is a wide variety of moles, and each cook has its own variations. Even though moles can be so different from each other, most contain nuts or seeds, chili peppers, and dried spices.

Some moles use fresh or dried fruits or vegetables. The mixture gets ground or puréed together, making a thick but pourable sauce.

Mole sauces are divided into different types: hot chili-based, sour tomatillo-based, sweet fruit and sugar enhanced, spiced moles, and thick moles.

Mole Poblano is the famous mole that comes to people’s minds when they think of mole sauces. It is a chocolate mole that gets a gorgeous dark color and rich flavor from sugar and cacao, plus other ingredients I mentioned.

Other moles include Mole Negro, Mole Colorado, Mole Verde, and Mole Almendrado. These moles range in color from light brown to black, red, and green. Typical spices used in moles are cumin, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.

We have never had a mole sauce before, so after watching the two programs and having dried guajillos in hand, I decided it was time to make one. The only thing I didn’t have Mexican chocolate; however, I researched and found a substitute which was 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder + 1/4 tsp of cinnamon for each ounce of Mexican chocolate.

I found a mole sauce recipe for beginners. Mole sauces usually have between 20-25 ingredients; the one I made had 12. The recipe also included pork tenderloin, which I was planning on making.

The recipe was straightforward to follow, and the flavors developed quickly. I took a step or two I had learned when making Rick Stein’s Carne Con Chile. For instance, I toasted the guajillo chilis when I toasted the almonds, even though the recipe didn’t call for it.

The spice rub for the pork tenderloin was easy, and the meat cooked in less than 40-minutes. I made a sweet potato purée with cinnamon and buttered corn, both Mexican ingredients that mimicked my original pork dinner.

My family enjoyed the new flavors; the whole meal was delicious. They were disappointed I didn’t make anything for dessert, but you can’t have everything, can you?

Here is the recipe for Pork Tenderloin with Mole I used. I will be making this again and can’t wait to try making other types of mole sauces.

I love teaching people how to meal plan and cook several meals ahead. This is one step above planned leftovers, and I like to show people how to do that as well.

When I say cooking ahead, that can mean a dish in its entirety, like a pot of spaghetti sauce with meatballs and sausage, beef stew, or a pot of chili. It can also be cooking the most time-consuming or most challenging part of a recipe that can be thrown together quickly in a couple of days.

Today is Thursday, and I am cooking five meals ahead, including tonight’s dinner through the entire weekend. I am exhausted by the weekend, especially Saturday nights, after a long day at the farmers market, and don’t feel like cooking.

When meal planning, I think about dishes with similar ingredients but completely different flavor profiles using produce, meats, and sauces.

I also think about what type of equipment I will need; for instance, if I am going to get my blender out of the pantry, why not use it for two dishes? I also think about ingredient preparation, like chopping or blanching vegetables.

Let me share my menus with you; then, I will explain the method behind my madness.

Roasted Poblano & Sweet Corn Chowder
Mexican Style Chili
Manicotti with Marinara Sauce
Flammkuchen
Farmers Market Breakfast Sandwiches

I don’t make chili. I eat it a couple of times a year, while Marty could eat it often. It’s not that I don’t like it; I don’t want to make it. Everyone seems to have their own chili recipes, but I haven’t been inspired to make one myself. Quite weird, I know, for someone who lives to cook.

We watched Chef Rick Stein travel through Mexico, where he made Carne Con Chili, not the other way around. He said everyone in Mexico almost forbids beans in their chili since they serve beans and rice with it anyway.

Marty doesn’t like beans in his chili, and he perked up when we watched Chef Rick duplicate the chili he had in Mexico. Marty said, “I could eat that all the time.” Time to learn how to make chili.

I watched Chef roast dried guajillo chillis with unpeeled garlic and fresh tomatoes. While I am writing about him, I can hear his British accent in my head, changing the pronunciation of tomatoes. Lol.

Problem number one, I can’t find dried or fresh guajillo chillis. I even tried Trade Joes to no avail. This is typical living in Vermont; ethnic ingredients are hard to come by.

So right there, I couldn’t follow Rick Stein’s recipe. Fuck! Now I had to start researching substitutions for dried guajillo chillis. More complicated than you think. I didn’t want to use anything too hot since that is not what I am looking to make. It needs to be smoky with just the right amount of heat.

Rick Stein’s recipe also includes chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; that’s where my smokiness and heat were going to come from. Now, what can I roast with the tomatoes to make the sauce?

I went to the grocery store and found some beautiful red poblano peppers I’d never seen around here before. They also had green poblanos and immediately craved either Chili Rellenos or Sweet Corn and Poblano Tamales. Both dishes would require roasting the green poblano with the red ones. Similar cooking technique. ✔️

Ultimately, I decided to make roasted poblano and sweet corn chowder. Why? It’s easy, and the other two dishes are pains in the ass and very time-consuming, the time I don’t have.

Now the wheels started to turn once I decided on the chowder. Bacon. Bacon goes in the chowder. It is also a topping on flammkuchen, another dish Marty requested. ✔️

It can also go on the breakfast sandwiches we planned to make for ourselves on Saturday morning before the farmers market starts. We have a pan and a chef burner, so it’s quick and easy. One package of bacon for three separate dishes. ✔️

We bought a big container of ricotta cheese on sale last week at Shop-Rite; I knew I wanted to make a pan of manicotti for Sunday night’s dinner.

When I make my marinara sauce, I use San Marzano whole tomatoes, which require a blender. What else needs a blender? The roasted red poblanos, tomatoes, and garlic for the chili! Using a piece of equipment kept in the pantry for two separate meals! ✔️

I used roughly chopped onions for the chili, marinara sauce, and chowder. I chopped all the onions at once for all three dishes. Two dishes required garlic, so I chopped that right after the onions. While I was at it, I chopped celery for the chowder. One knife and one cutting surface. Similar equipment again. ✔️

Since no contaminates like meat were used, I could reuse the knife and work surface when I removed the skin from the tomatoes, garlic, and both types of poblano peppers. ✔️

I made five dishes, but you could start with two or three dishes to make ahead. Figuring out what to make is honestly the hardest part.

Here is a link to an article on Budget Bytes called mix and match meal prep that explains meal planning further.

Here is another link on Cook the Story titled Same Ingredients on Different Days. Lots of ideas for spending less time in the kitchen.

I also wanted to include some make-ahead recipes from Taste of Home titled 49 Make-ahead Meals for your Busy Family. When choosing recipes, look for similar ingredients, preparation, or cooking style. For example, if you have the oven on for one dish, use the already hot oven for a second one.

I hope some of these links will inspire you to make a few things ahead. Don’t forget that stew, chili, and spaghetti sauce all taste better the next day or two.

Facebook friends used to always ask me how I have so much time to cook so much food. I tell them I would rather spend a couple of hours cooking and doing meal prep than staring at my phone or watching Youtube. Time is what you make of it.

I took photos, so it all makes more sense since it’s difficult to explain. It takes some thought, time, and effort, but now, for the next few days, I have minimum meal prep to tackle while I am tired.

We just finished eating, and the Roasted Poblano and Sweet Corn Chowder was a flavorful hit. I am glad they liked it because I realized I forgot to put potatoes into the chowder as I ate it. Oh, well! 🤦🏻‍♀️

***I wrote down how I made the chili and chowder, look for those recipes this winter.

We have three pear trees in our yard. For a long time, we only had two. We never got one pear; it was so disappointing to the boys because they were still little.

Finally, someone told us we needed a different variety of pear trees to act as the pollinator. Interesting! What do I know about growing fruit especially growing up in the busiest part of NJ?

We put in a different variety tree, and voila! We had pears on both the other trees. Not great pears, but we finally had pears. 

Most of the pears were tiny and funny-shaped with brown marks. Ewwww, the boys would say. Ugh, kids!

Over the years, the pears were still small but got better and better. Sometimes,  we couldn’t give them away; we had so many. 

This year only one of the trees produced fruit. The pears were the size you find in the store’s produce section.

They didn’t have many spots, so we picked them quickly since Klaus would try to pull the pears off the tree if there were none on the ground for him. Smart little bastard! 

All the pears were ripe at once, so Sam suggested I make a giant pan of pear crisp that he could take to his fellow ER night shift nurses who never get any of the goodies dropped off for the day shift. 

I made the best pear crisp of my life just by winging it. I made a small one for Marty and me to see how it came out. It came out freaking delicious! I couldn’t wait for Sammy to try it.

Maybe it was because I put so much love into making a treat for the nursing staff using local fruit; Sam said it doesn’t get any more local than this.

The night Sam brought the pear crisp in, he didn’t get to eat more than a bite since the ER was slammed. He said it was perfect, though. 

The next night we all know what happened, there wasn’t any left for him, but he was happy everyone loved it so much and said it was the best pear crisp they ever had. 

I am a cook through and through. My purpose in this life is to feed people, and I love doing so. When I see people eating my food, I get so happy seeing them enjoying it. 

Love is the most important ingredient you can cook or bake with. When people ask how we cook our spätzle, we give them instructions; then we tell them the most important thing of all is adding love.

Our customers think I am kidding when I say that at the farmers market, but love makes everything taste better. It’s funny when the customer’s kid says, “Yeah, mom, you don’t put love in yours.” 😂

This is the first of my short food posts about fall cooking and baking. I’ve been on a roll for a couple of weeks now. Stay tuned.

When I was a kid, I always watched the NY Rangers games. One of the broadcasters would always say after a goalie made a save at the goal, “Save, and a beaut!” Every single time. Lol.

Today, I had my own “save and a beaut” moment when making scones. I like to post my goof-ups as much as my successes. 

It’s an ass-ache every week trying to figure out what to bring to eat at the Troy Farmers Market. We leave the house at 6 am and don’t get home until 3:30 pm, so whatever I bring has to hold us over. 

We usually eat before the market opens since there isn’t any time once things get busy. Neither of us likes to squeeze in bites while giving the spätzle spiel over and over.

I decided to make large cheddar & chive scones that are easy to eat and filling. I’ve made them many times before, so it’s a snap. 

After putting the scones in the oven, I turned around to clean up and saw the can of baking powder; the one I forgot to put in the scones. 

I let out a frantic series of swear words and quickly took the scones out of the oven. They were only in for less than a minute, so I would try to salvage them. I hate wasting food and ingredients! 

I quickly took all the cut scones off the hot baking pan and threw them back into the bowl. I added the tablespoon of baking powder I forgot to add and a little more flour. 

I mixed and kneaded the baking powder into the slightly warm dough, then patted it into a circle. This time, I cut the scones into four pieces instead of six.

These scones looked better and were thicker than I originally wanted. I popped the scones into the freezer for 10 minutes, then put them back into the oven. They did what they were supposed to do and got a beautiful golden color.

The power went out just as it was time to pull them out. Thank goodness they were done baking completely, or they would have been ruined. Another “save and a beaut!”

My scones looked and smelled delicious. Talk about a “save and a beaut!” Two will be for tomorrow, and two will get wrapped up tight and put in the freezer for another Saturday. 

Here is the recipe for the Cheddar and Chive Scones I used, minus the bacon this time. 🙂

Happy Friday, everyone, and enjoy the weekend; the fall foliage colors are magnificent up here in Vermont this year! Truly outstanding! It still leaves me breathless and reminds me how lucky we are to live here.

Our area is packed with tourists along with bumper-to-bumper traffic going through Manchester. The leaf peepers that have flocked to the area after not coming for a couple of years will be given quite the show! 🍁 🍂