It's been a great summer so far - I've already been able to get some great local peaches (early crop) and strawberries. In the "Taste of Summer" class I taught last Saturday, we made a Strawberry Peach Salsa that was great with chips and would also be great as a "sauce" over grilled pork chops. We often think of salsas…
One thing I enjoy about being part of the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) is attending the annual conference and meeting a variety of authors and chefs from around the country. (This is a bit convoluted, so stay with me.....). One of the friends I have met through the IACP is Nancie Mc Dermott. I didn't realize what a…
Sometimes I like to have something smoked, but don't want to go to the hassle of breaking out the big smoker, get everything set up and then cook it. This is especially true when I want to cook smaller amounts or food that doesn't take long to cook. Many years ago, I discovered the “stovetop smoker.” “Stovetop” is a bit…
For those times when we have people in for the weekend, I'm always looking for great dishes to make for breakfast that don't require a lot of effort in the morning. I've tried several different ways to make a Breakfast Strata. A “Strata” is a layered casserole. There are as many different ways to make this as there are cooks…