Our 5th Taste – Umami by Nell Jones “Umami” is one of those words that you are searching for to describe the way something tastes but then convince yourself that there is no word to exist for it. Well thanks to a Japanese chemist, there is now a word for that savory, yet not exactly […]
What Is The Difference Between a Roux and a Slurry? by my daughter, Nell Jones November is an important month for citizens of the United States. Nope, not because of elections. Thanksgiving. Do you ever wonder how your mom got the Thanksgiving gravy so thick? She probably has some support. Thickeners Sauces thicken when a […]
What Does Organic Food Mean & Is It Worth It by Nell Jones, my oldest daughter The great thing about most grocery stores today is the array of options. There are at least ten different kinds of chickens and eggs you can choose from. One of these choices is whether or not to choose the […]
What Kind of Mint Am I Growing In My Garden? Someone recently asked me about the mint growing in their garden. Is it peppermint, spearmint or some other kind of mint? I had no idea so I did a little research so I had a better understanding of mint varieties and then went out to […]
All About Piave Vecchio from Italy If you like Parmigiano- Reggiano and aged Gouda, you are going to love Piave Vecchio. A wonderful cheese made with high-quality, pasteurized local milk and tastes like a young Parmigiano with a bit of aged Gouda. Nutty almonds with tropical fruit, this is another of what I would call […]
Common Mistakes When Seasoning With Salt Salt is critical for bringing out flavors in the foods we cook. One of my problems with eating out, especially at good restaurants, I find chefs often over salt their dishes. I’m not sure why and this would be a great topic for another article but I find it […]
A Simple Chart Describing Herbs & Spices & How to Use Them Let’s take a look at some of the more commonly available herbs and spices. These listings are by no means exhaustive. Many of the spice plants are not native to the United States; in these cases, I provide the USDA hardiness zone information […]
More Common Mistakes When It Comes to Herbs & Spices Mistake #2 Keeping Herbs and Spices Forever Most of us have a dark, dusty corner of our spice cabinet where old spices go to die. You know the place. It’s where you keep the rarified spices that you bought to make a special dish for […]
How NOT to Season Foods – Common Seasoning Mistakes & How to Avoid Them Spices and seasonings are our passport to a whole world of flavor possibilities. We are very lucky that we live in a time when a host of spices are readily available for our use and experimentation. In the past, wars have […]
What I Learned Today About Storing Onions & Potatoes Together What I learned from my Cuisine at Home Issue No. #127 is you should not store onions and potatoes together even though they taste so good when combined in cooking. Just think home fries. Yes, it is true you should not store onions and potatoes […]
I'm a work-at-home dad who enjoys cooking, learning everything I can about the culinary world and sharing it with you. To learn more about me... Read More
How to Make the Best Beef Wellington This Beef Wellington recipe has become a tradition in our house. We prepare it every couple of years for Christmas and made it again this year. If I’m lucky, we will have it next year and the year after that. My wife originally found a recipe in Fine […]
Christmas Standing Rib Roast Thanksgiving is a holiday in which turkey really shines. Many of you would rather not deal with another turkey just four weeks after Thanksgiving. Some of you might still have some frozen leftovers. The Christmas meal is a celebratory meal, and as such, celebration food is a natural at the Christmas […]
How to Bake A Ham For Christmas
Baked Christmas Ham Recipe Would you like to serve a wonderfully flavorful and juicy ham for the holidays? Here’s a can’t-go-wrong recipe that will have your guests asking for seconds, and for a plate of leftovers, as well. Be sure to read about the history of serving ham on Christmas and the various types of […]
