Wood-Fired Kentucky Bourbon Chili

Many of you may not have a place to start a fire in your backyard. If you’re like me, (living in a condo), there are rules regarding open fires. I found an acceptable product at Solo Stove that is allowed in a condo because it’s self-contained and virtually smokeless. Because of that, I get to…

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Chicken Cordon Bleu & Scalloped Potatoes – 398 Cal

When I tell people they can have Cordon Bleu on a diet, they usually laugh. The secret is portion size and a little cheating. In this version, each piece is 1/2 a chicken breast flattened; a small piece of off-the-bone ham (not processed); shredded cheese; and an amazing sauce. It’s not only delicious but a…

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Chuck’s Ultimate Summer Tomato Appetizer

Chuck is my brother-in-law, and although we have a lot of fun discussing recipes and how “Artichoke Hart” would cook things, I am obviously not the only chef in the family. This summer appetizer, served on one of the last hot days of summer, was so excrutiatingly tasty, I had to bow down to his…

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Nectarine & Tomato Salad with Fried Halloumi and Basil

I’m always looking for a new salad, and when it includes Tomato–and my favourite cheese, Halloumi–then I’m in. This one is based on nectarines, but they must be very ripe. The combination of sweet nectarines with juicy tomatoes, combined with the salty, squeaky pan-seared halloumi is remarkable to the taste buds. Be sure to have…

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Quick Halloumi-based Mediterranean Snack

  Artichoke Hart (New York Fried, May 2019) felt that the bar snacks served at the Oswego facility needed to be a little more classy than nuts or popcorn. So, this one became a hit with many of the delegates. Quick, easy to make, tasty and, in Hart’s case, done on the BBQ on the…

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Creamy Scampi & Chicken (Mild Jambalaya)

I am a Canadian of British heritage, so my stomach can’t tolerate most Cajun dishes, but my mind insists that I try.  Much to my dismay while visiting New Orleans twice in my life, I have found that “hot” spices do not make a dish tastier to my palate; they, in fact, make it intolerable.…

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Multi-Cultre Meatloaf

I call it multicultural because I have taken the best of several meatloaf recipes and come up with what I think is the tastiest, juiciest, exciting meatloaf I’ve ever tasted. It’s a little British, a little American, and a lot Italian. And it’s soooo good! Ingredients 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 3/4 cup milk…

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Shakshuka…a delightful way to start (or end) the day

My son visited last night. He attends University in Toronto and has been integrating himself with various cultures including the middle east, the Mediterranean, and especially Israel (he lives with a Jewish family). He offered to make this dish and since having another chef in my kitchen is a rarity, I offered him the stove.…

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Fried Green Tomatoes (aka Winter Caprese Salad)

If you have a bunch of these at the end of the summer…             Then turn them into this with this proven, basic recipe that I call a Winter Caprese Salad. It was one of the appetizers used at the President’s Address at the end of the summer in “New…

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How do you reheat steak without cooking it further?

If you’re like me, having left over steak leaves a lot to be desired. If you cooked it perfectly the first time, then any further cooking will turn it into charcoal or thereabouts. If you try pan frying but that just turns even the best medium-rare steak into well done in seconds, especially if you…

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