For some reason, I have never made biscuits from scratch. I frequently make scones for breakfast, but I have always depended on Bisquick for biscuits. Part of the reason for this is that I really did not understand the difference between the two. While I was making biscuits for biscuits and gravy, I discovered that they are easy and, by themselves, the are a delicious and versatile bread.
Karl’s American Biscuits
Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
I thought the kids were not coming over this weekend, they have been on and off on a low carb diet. Myr just got back from Italy and they had a friend’s wedding on Saturday, so I thought they were not coming over. Jan had challenged me to do a gourmet “pigs in a blanket.” The kids have changes their minds and are coming over, but they will eat high carb.
Karl’s Pigs in a Blanket
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pork
Jan and I did not have eggs for breakfast today, so I thought I would make deviled eggs for lunch. Jan is constantly worried about her cholesterol, so she keeps a strict limit on the number of egg she eats. Plain soft boiled eggs are the rule at this house, but I like to spice things up occasionally.
Karl’s Deviled Eggs
Filed under Side Dishes, Vegetarian
When I left home I copied all of my favorite recipes from my mother’s recipe box. Strada is one of those easy to make and infinitely flexible dishes that can be adapted to breakfast, brunch, lunch, potluck, or dinner. One of Jan’s friends invited us to a “bring a dish” New Year’s party, so I decided to make a strada.
Karl’s Chicken Sausage Dinner Strada (Strata)
Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry
Before I left home for the first time, I sat down with my mother’s recipe box and wrote down my favorite dishes. One of the dishes I copied was Cherokee Fry Bread. The name she called it is not politically correct, but those were the times.
Cherokee Fry Bread
Filed under bread, Side Dishes, Vegetarian
My original plan for this year was to get a small turkey (10 pounds) and to spatchcock it. I was planning to lay the turkey over the dressing so that the turkey juices would drip onto the stuffing. However, for the second year in a row, Whole Foods got my Kosher turkey order wrong. I still got a turkey, but it was 16 pounds—way too big to lay over the pan if I opened it up. I would have to go with a more traditional approach.
Karl’s Thanksgiving Orange and Sage Roast Turkey
Filed under Holidays, Main Dishes, Poultry, Turkey
My Thanksgiving stuffing is based on my mother’ s dressing. I may play around with the other sides and how I cook the turkey, but this is something that I always make very close to the same way each year. I have made many improvements on my mother’s recipe over the years, but this—more than the turkey—says, “Thanksgiving” to me.
Karl’s Thanksgiving Stuffing II
Filed under bread, California Fusion, Side Dishes
When I left home I copied out my favorite recipes from my mother’s card file. These recipes were limited to what she could fit onto a 3×5 card. They were meant more to remind her how to make a dish, rather than to instruct someone else on how to make them. They were sometimes quite cryptic to the uninitiated. The Thanksgiving stuffing I make today is a direct descendant of Claudia’s dressing. Continue reading
Filed under Side Dishes, Starches, Vegetarian
Baked chicken? Boring. I ate a lot of baked chicken as a kid, and it was boring. (Sorry dad). But stuffing baked chicken can be awesome. It transforms a boring, bland and surprisingly tricky dish into a delicious and spiffy one. This is the spirit behind the butcher counter pre-stuffed chicken: easy peasy elegance. Except for the fact that every pre-stuffed chicken I’ve ever bought has suffered from vague cooking directions, watery chicken, and too much stuffing. I’ve also screwed up a plethora of stuffed chicken recipes all on my own: over stuffing, over cooking, under cooking, simply falling apart.
So tonight when I made an awesome stuffed chicken, it was a Eureka Moment. All of my past mistakes were made clear, resolved by serendipity and hindsight. I had everything I needed, I treated the ingredients right, I listened to my gut when cooking, and I served right away.
The kids are not coming over this week end, so Jan requested baked beans and hot dogs. Most Americans would grab a can of Van Camps or Bush’s (Heintz, if you’re British) and be good to go. I decided that I wanted to make my own.
Karl’s Boston Baked Beans
Filed under Beans, California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pork
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Miriam
Jabberwocky Stew 