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Category Archives: Cooking Websites

The Dinner Kit Is Served – NYTimes.com

The Dinner Kit Is Served – NYTimes.com.

This is an interesting article in the New York Times today regarding these home delivery services that allow you to get an entire meal delivered. All of the ingredients and the recipes are included with the meal and everything is packed fresh and delivered to you. You just need to prepare the meal yourself. I do find this as an interesting alternative for some people who would like to make their own dinner but may not have the time to put in to get all the ingredients or find the recipes on their own. I was wondering if anyone out there may have given this a try before and what they thought of it? Feel free to leave your comments on what you think of the process and if you have tried it, how has it worked out for you.

My personal opinion on it is kind of split. While I do think it gives some people a chance to eat a home cooked meal instead of getting take out or dining out all the time, I think there are a few flaws in the services. From what I can tell, there does not seem to be much of an option if you are cooking for a child. This seems to me to be a service designed for a single person or a couple where both partners work but still want the home cooked meal. The meal choices seem somewhat limited and lacking. While it’s true that I am lucky enough to have the time to prepare meals on my own for my family, not everyone has this luxury so I can see the appeal. I also think it is a bit pricey for what you get. If you had the time, you could get the ingredients on your own and probably for a better price. Personally, that would be the way I would go, but I do enjoy the entire cooking process and some people may just want it streamlined for them so it can be easier.

I think it presents an interesting option for people who want a meal at home but feel pressed for time. What do you think? Check it out.

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner

 

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9 Wintry Hot Cocoa Recipes for a Post-Sledding Warm-Up: BA Daily: bonappetit.com

9 Wintry Hot Cocoa Recipes for a Post-Sledding Warm-Up: BA Daily: bonappetit.com.

Tired of the cold winter, all the snow here in the Northeast and shoveling all day long? Then you might need to try one of these hot chocolate recipes from Bon Appetit. They give you some new ideas and twists that are perfect to help take off the chill and give you some great flavors. Check it out!

 
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Posted by on February 9, 2013 in Beverages, Cooking Websites

 

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Cooking a Valentine’s Day Meal at Home – NYTimes.com

Cooking a Valentine’s Day Meal at Home – NYTimes.com.

With Valentine’s Day coming next week, many people are looking to make a nice romantic meal at home. The New York Times put out this quick and easy menu as a suggestion of a nice steak, potatoes, salad and a one ingredient chocolate mousse. Check it out and see if it is something you might like to try!

 
 

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Game-Day Celebration | Williams-Sonoma

Game-Day Celebration | Williams-Sonoma.

If you are still looking for same game day snacks before the game starts, Williams-Sonoma has a good list of things you can make that will be perfect not just for today’s game, but for any kind of sports party you might be having. There’s a little something for everyone listed here. Check it out and enjoy the game today!

 
 

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4 Ways With Mussels

4 Ways With Mussels.

I love mussels myself. They are great in a paella, served over rice or just by themselves. I have seen them for some pretty good prices lately and you can get them pretty much year-round now. They may a great appetizer or a great entree. Don’t shy away from them and think they are too hard to cook or tough to make. It just takes a little bit of prep work and cleaning on your part and just a bit of cooking and they will taste great. Williams-Sonoma posted this on their blog about, cleaning, serving and storing mussels along with a few simple recipes. Check it out!

 
 

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Girl Scout Cookie Recipes: Thin Mints, Samoas And More

Girl Scout Cookie Recipes: Thin Mints, Samoas And More.

Since it is the Girl Scout cookie time of year, why not take a shot at making some of your favorites on your own. The Huffington Post pulled together these cookie recipes from different sites that they say taste just like what you get from the scouts. Why not give them a try? I might try the Thin Mints myself!

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2013 in Cookies, Cooking Websites

 

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The Playbook: How To Make A Snack Stadium | Food Republic

The Playbook: How To Make A Snack Stadium | Food Republic.

I haven’t done any posting recently and I do have a few recipes to put up, but in the mean time I saw this posted on Food Republic and thought it was a really cool idea for a Super Bowl party. It might take some work on your part, but it would certainly be worth it. Check it out!

 
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Posted by on January 29, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking Websites, Snacks

 

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Recipe of the Day: What to Cook in January 2013 : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network

Recipe of the Day: What to Cook in January 2013 : Recipes and Cooking : Food Network.

Everyone loves nachos and with Super Bowl coming up soon, you want to make sure you have just the right snacks for the big game. If you can’t decide how to make your nachos or want to try something completely different than the usual stuff, Food Network has compiled 50 nacho recipes for you to look at and choose from so you can make them on game day. Enjoy!

 

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2013 in Appetizers, Cooking Websites, Snacks

 

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Oven Roasted Rack of Pork

This week was mostly a week of meals I had already posted recipes for, so I really didn’t have anything new to write about other than this one meal that I made. I had gone shopping at Adam’s last week and they had a center cut rack of pork on sale for a really good price. I had never made one before, the rack only cost about $5.00 and would more than feed the three of us, so I figured what the heck and I bought one. Then I had to try to find a recipe to use to make it. I looked around at all the usual places I got on the Internet for recipes, but I didn’t really see what I liked, so I put my faith in Google and went looking there. That is where I turned up this recipe, on a website called A Culinary Journey With Chef Dennis. The recipe sounded good, it was easy, and I had all the ingredients, so it was the winner.

Oven Roasted Rack of Pork

1 8 bone center cut rack of pork, frenched

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 carrots, chopped roughly

1 onion, chopped roughly

2 stalks of celery, chopped roughly

6 cloves of garlic, peeled

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, add the rough cut vegetables. Rinse the rack of pork and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the rack, fat side up, on top of the vegetables in the pan. Apply a liberal amount of olive oil to the pork, rubbing it into the meat. Sprinkle the entire rack with salt and pepper, and then coat with the Montreal Steak Seasoning (use more if you want more of coating to form a crust). Place the pan in the oven and roast for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue roasting for approximately 2 hours or until the internal temperature on the outside of the rack has reached 160 degrees. This will ensure that the outside of the pork is well done while the center cuts are not quite as cooked.

Remove the rack from the oven and place it on a cutting board and tent loosely with aluminum foil. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. While the rack is resting, place 2 cups of water in the roasting pan and place on the stovetop over medium-high heat. With a spoon, loosen all the baked meat scraps from the pan to help make a pan gravy. Allow to cook and reduce for 10 minutes. Strain out all the vegetable pieces.

Cut the rack along the bones, making even portions of pork and serve with the pan gravy.

It was very simple and made for a nice, elegant meal. This one might be better served for a weekend  when you have more time to cook it instead of a weeknight meal, but it is quite delicious. I served it with some wild rice and brussels sprouts and it was all very good and looked great on the plate.

Another easy meal for your arsenal! We’re going shopping so I still haven’t planned out the meals for next week yet, so we’ll have to see what comes along and is on sale for next week to make. Check back and see what I can come up with. Until next time, enjoy your evening and enjoy your meal!

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Posted by on January 18, 2013 in Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Pork

 

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Quick Skillet Salmon

Since Michelle and I both have pretty busy schedules, I am always looking for meals that can be prepared easily and quickly. One of the cookbooks I got this Christmas is from America’s Test Kitchen called the “Quick Family Cookbook,” with recipes that can be prepared in under 45 minutes and are perfect for families who need some weeknight meals without having a lot of unusual ingredients that you may not typically have around the house. It seems like a really good book and since I love the cookbooks from them I am sure I will use it a lot.

That being said, this recipe for Skillet Salmon is actually from the Food Network. I came across it a few days ago and we just happened to pick up some wild salmon, which was on sale for a really good price. Michelle only likes the wild salmon as the farm-raised often does not have the same good flavor that you get with wild salmon. Wild salmon, on the other hand, is often pretty expensive, except this time of year when you can often find it for a good price. I got mine here at Adams Farms for $9.99 a pound. Still pricey, but much cheaper for wild salmon. Anyway, I had everything else on hand for this recipe, so it was quick and easy.

Hoisin Skillet Salmon

One 15.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I actually used dried beans instead of canned and did a quick soak to get them ready)

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 cups broccoli florets

Four 5-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro, optional

Kosher salt

Combine the beans, 3/4 cup of water, hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic in a large skillet. Top with the broccoli and nestle the salmon into the broccoli. Bring the skillet to a simmer over medium heat. Once it is simmering, cover the skillet and cook until the salmon is flaky and just cooked through and the broccoli is crisp-tender, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with cilantro, if using (I skipped the cilantro, my family are not big fans of it). Add salt to taste and serve.

That’s all there was to it. I did add some white rice to the meal to round it out, but you don’t really need it with the black beans. I particularly love quick meals you can do all in one pot. It makes for super easy clean up when all is done.

Just a quick recipe for today. I do have a pork tenderloin I am cooking tonight, beef stew tomorrow, and then a frenched pork roast on Thursday, so I’ll be posting some recipes for those things along the way the rest of the week. I am also scouting around for some new lunch recipes as Michelle is looking  for different things to bring for lunch that are quick and healthy without using any bread, We’ll see how it goes and what I can find. If you have any suggestions, please pass them along. Until next time, enjoy the rest of your day and enjoy your meal today!

 

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Posted by on January 8, 2013 in Cookbooks, Cooking, Cooking Websites, Dinner, Seafood

 

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National Day Calendar

Fun, unusual and forgotten designations on our calendar.

Jennifer Probst

a little bit naughty a little bit nice

Laissez Faire

Letting Life Lead

What To Have For Dinner Tonight

Simple and delicious dinner inspiration