Are Whole Grains Really Better for You?
My wife and I try to eat whole grain breads even though I grew up on Wonder Bread. You know - the one with the colored dots on the white bag that "helps build strong bodies eight ways?" But my girls? They'll only eat white bread. We've tried, but the only way they'll let whole grain bread touch their lips is when I make French toast out of it w...
In Memory of My Dad
January 31, 1922 - January 16, 2012
My Dad passed yesterday just a couple of weeks shy of his 90th birthday. He loved to cook and was not "reluctant" at all to try new ideas in the kitchen. He tried Chinese, Italian, French, but without much success, although his burgers and steaks were terrific.
As a little boy, I loved to stand with him as he started up the gril...
Eating Geographically In New Jersey
Sitting here on the beach in Avalon, NJ, one of the most beautiful places to vacation reading Mark Schatzker's new book Steak - One Man's Search For the World's Tastiest Piece of Beef, one of the most interesting books I've ever read on the subject of beef.
No, it's not a typical read for the beach. I enjoy a fast paced detective novel that I can scan through in a ...
Iced Coffee - Are They Kidding?
I like my cup of coffee in the morning. And now that the temperature been hovering around 100 degrees F, I like my coffee iced. Most mornings I'll brew a cup of half-caf with my Keurig Single Serve Coffeemaker, throw it in the refrigerator, let it chill for 15 minutes, pour it over ice, add a little milk and enjoy. Simple & cost effective.
However, there are mo...
I Hate Fake Food
The Real Deal
The other day I had lunch at a garden variety chain restaurant and ordered a cup of tea. The server delivered it with milk and the customary sugar container. As I spied the sugar holder I noticed it was stuffed with all the different colored packets of saccharine chemicals otherwise known as "artificial sweeteners."
There, amongst all the kaleido...
Do You Like My Blood Pudding?
Here's a new contribution from Chef Mark Vogel discussing how to handle friends who insist on knowing what we think about their cooking. - RG
Tell' em What They Want to Hear
I'm always amused when some public figure is in the limelight and being queried about possible misconduct or impropriety, or is simply avowing the quality of his product or services. Almos...
The Basics of Healthy Cooking
A Road Map to Your Culinary Destination
Electronic GPS devices were big sellers for the past two holiday seasons and many cars now have them as standard features. In this article, my friend Chef Todd Mohr explains how recipes, like GPS devices, can sometimes lead you to dead ends and you'll need to depend on your basic cooking skills to get you to your destination.
...
Join My New Facebook Fan Page!
I just created a Reluctant Gourmet fan page on Facebook! Join it here to to stay in touch and keep up with what's going on in the culinary world. If you do not already have a Facebook account, you can sign up here.
What is Facebook? For those of you who are not yet into social networking and I have to admit, I am learning most of this from my kids, Facebook is a way ...
Why Do Some Meals Taste Better The Next Day
I'm sure all of you have prepared a stew or lasagna and thought it tasted better the next day. I know I have and some meals like braised short ribs, I will purposely prepare them one day to eat the next so all the fat rises to the top and solidifies while in the refrigerator. I scoop out the fat with a spoon the next day for a delicious, less fatty sauce.
I rec...
Are You In a Cooking Rut?
I asked this question on my new Cooking Community Forum (Is Anyone In A Cooking Rut?) and wanted to post it on this blog so those of you who are not part of the community yet can leave your comments. I hear from so many of you who feel you are in a "cooking rut" and are looking for ways to climb out.
What I mean by cooking rut is you tend to prepare the same five, si...
How Many Cooking Catalogs Do You Get In The Mail?
I don't know about you, but I get a lot of catalogs in the mail this time of year trying to sell me everything and anything. Every time I purchase merchandise on the Internet (which is quite often) I get another round of glossy picture magazines sent to me.
A day doesn't go by when my mail box isn't filled with catalogs from clothing, gourmet, furniture, kids, just f...
My Costco Connection
You know from visiting my web site, I am a huge fan of Costco. In fact, I like to say, "Every meal you eat is 6 degrees of separation from Costco." I'm not sure what the heck that means but it's a fun saying and everyone seems to understand what I'm talking about.
Since I'm the primary cook in our house and still have a full time job working at home administering rel...
High School Musical - Interview with my girls
This is not food related so please excuse the inclusion but my two daughters were just interviewed by the Philadelphia Daily News on their upcoming visit to Disney's production of High School Musical. Just 7 & 9 and they are already getting more print than their father. I'm excited to see their names in print, I only wish they mentioned their dear old dad and http...
What Mayonnaise Tastes Best
I was looking through my latest addition of Fine Cooking, one of my favorite cooking magazines, and saw an article on "Rating Mayonnaise". I'm not sure what your favorite mayonnaise is but it's most likely the one you grew up with and you aren't going to change it no matter what their tasting results shows.
Mayonnaise is a combination of oil, egg yolks,...
The Perfect Jersey Shore Meal in August
There are few meals I look forward to more than the ones we prepare at the Jersey Shore in the month of August. This is the time when the corn is perfect, the beefsteak tomatoes are full of flavor, the steamers are plentiful and everyone is famished from spending the day at the beach.
Speaking of steamers, also called little neck clams, my 6 and 8 year old daughters ...
Dining on Vacation
Our first day at the Jersey Shore and it was wonderful. A bike ride in the morning, a day at the beach, ocean temp perfect, decent waves and dinner at our favorite local restaurant, Carmen's in Sea Isle City. Why do I like this restaurant? Several reasons and some of them hit on what I like and don't like when going out for dinner.
I think the dining experience start...
What's Cooking at Your House This Summer?
I've been going on in this blog telling you what I've been cooking this summer but would love to hear what you're cooking.
I interested in hearing from my newsletter subscribers, bloggers and daily visitors what special dish have you tried this summer season. I'm sure there's a lot of grilling going on and plenty of fresh seasonal produce making it way to your tables...
What Are Your Favorite Cookbooks?
Right now Philadelphia is hosting the 22nd Book and the Cook event that pairs cookbook authors with local restaurants. In past years, the event has brought Philadelphia such food stars as the late Julia Child, Craig Claiborne, Ming Tsai and many more.
So I thought it would be fun to learn more about YOUR favorite cookbook authors and YOUR favorite cookbooks. I a...