Baking for the holidays has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. Both my Grandma Menard and my Mom were excellent bakers, as was my Aunt Harriet Hendrickson. I helped my Mom a couple of times during the holidays, but it was a humbling experience. Mom was so good and I was such a …
Sometimes it’s just too hot to cook. That’s when having a good imagination can come to the rescue. Tuna salad and egg salad are two creations that I can remember Mom fixing when the thermometer pushed above 80 and close to 90, especially since we didn’t have central air conditioning. A nice sandwich of either of those always was satisfying …
There’s something special about summer other than the warmer temperatures, especially when you live in the northern climes where winter can get awfully cold and snowy, even a bit too long. What makes summer extra special for me is that my cuisine mainly is centered on the vegetables from my garden and fresh fish. Although not the angler that I …
One of my favorite side dishes from my childhood was cucumbers and onions in a cream sauce. We used to have them at holidays, for sure. Aunt Harriet always had them whenever we would go over for ham dinner on New Year’s Day. And Mom often made them in the summer when the cucumbers started producing. I had the first …
There are many schools of thought on what ingredients make up aioli sauce. Many recipes include egg yolks and lemon juice, and one ingredient that almost all recipes feature is garlic, a favorite of mine. A quick version of aioli that I like contains garlic, lemon juice, mayonnaise and some fresh dill. Aioli perfectly complements grilled salmon. And a good …
It would be hard for me to point out one vegetable as my favorite. Of course, the tomato rates right up, even though technically it’s a fruit. And I can’t forget cabbage, which is great just about anyway it’s prepared. Then there are onions. Who can cook without them? But there is one vegetable that’s climbing the ladder quickly, and …
Mushrooms and onions are a good combination when sauteed in butter or olive oil. Add some potatoes to the mix along with coconut milk and you have a pretty delicious entree. This dish would pair up nicely with just about any meat that you would like. Or if you prefer, a stand-alone meatless meal, which is the way I had …
The combination of cabbage and sauerkraut might seem like a cruciferous overkill to some, but to those who are aficionados of superfoods, that would be right up their alley. The following soup recipe has both cabbage and sauerkraut, as well as several other vegetables including carrots, potatoes and tomatoes, some of my favorites. So when I spotted it on the …
Sometimes I like to try recipes that are posted on my Facebook feed. One such is for Hunter’s Chicken. It came from the website Les Repas de Mon Enance, which translates to “Meals from my Childhood. The author of the recipe is Daniel Parenteau, who describes himself the child of French-Canadian parents who was raised a small town called Biddeford …
Cabbage is a German tradition. It doesn’t matter if it is fresh or in the form of sauerkraut. Or if it’s red or green. Or steamed or pan-fried. Germans love affair with cabbage is second to none. And pairing cabbage with sausage is about as German as you can get. You don’t have to be German to enjoy the following …
Some people say too much cabbage can be bad for your health. It’s true, eating cabbage in excess can result in abdominal discomfort, diarrhea and flatulence, but the benefits strongly outweigh the health risks. Cabbage is highly nutritious vegetable, rich in vitamins C and K, fiber and potassium and may help with heart and digestive health. Studies show those who …
Many people who grew up around gardens in this neck of the woods probably aren’t real familiar with eggplant, a delicate tropical perennial plant often cultivated as a tender or half-hardy annual. I wasn’t. Dad’s garden had all the usual suspects — tomatoes, beans and peas, onions, cucumbers, cabbage, plus a few other vegetables such as radishes, carrots, beets and …
There’s something very special about vegetables straight from the garden that just can’t be replicated by supermarket fare. If you’ve ever eaten a tomato from the store know what I mean. Many of those are shipped before they are ripe and taste nothing like one from your garden or the farmers market. That’s why I so love this time of …
Cooking food in the oven isn’t always an option when summertime temperatures drift into the mid-80s to near 90 degrees. Grilling is one option when this is the case, but a quick skillet meal is also a good substitute. The following recipe allowed me to take advantage of about a pound of large shrimp in the freezer along with some …
They are called by several different names. In Iran, they are known as dolmeh, In Greece, they are called dolmas or dolmades. They are koupepia in Cyprus, tolma in Armenia, yarpaq dolması in Azerbaijan, yebra in Syria and warak enab in Lebanon. If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m talking about stuffed grape leaves. That’s all I knew …
The Minnesota fishing opener is Saturday, and you can be sure there will be a lot of anglers bringing home some nice walleye fillets. Whether it’s pan-fried, deep-fried, poached or baked, most anglers will agree that walleye is one of the tastiest freshwater game fish. And just about everyone who fishes has a go-to recipe or two for walleye using …
A seemingly endless winter is always a good occasion to make soup. And if you have a pantry and freezer full of goodies from this past summer’s garden, all the better. I came across a soup recipe recently that did not require me to go to the supermarket. I had all the ingredients on hand and only a few tweaks …
Lent is just around the corner, which means it’s fish fry season. But I can remember a time when there was a fish fry every Friday night at the American Legion Club in my hometown of Crookston, Minn. I recall trips to the Legion as a kid, but they were few and far between. Our Fridays were usually dominated by …
Those who grew up in the 1950s and ’60s probably ate their share of hotdish and casserole. Not only were they standard fare of many a stay-at-home moms but also of school lunch programs. We always had hamburger and macaroni hotdish at least once a week at home and occasionally one made with leftover chicken paired with rice. School hot …
Coho salmon may not have the great-tasting reputation of its cousin, the Chinook or King salmon, but it certainly isn’t anything to catch and release. One of five species of Pacific salmon found in North American waters (along with the aforementioned King, Sockeye, Pink and Chum), the Coho has bright red flesh and a slightly more delicate texture than Chinook …
Stuffed cabbage rolls are likely a favorite of many who are fans of the cruciferous vegetable of the family Brassicaceae, which also includes cauliflower, kale, garden cress, bok choy, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. (The veggies get their name because their four-petaled flowers look like a crucifer, or cross.) The importance of the Brassica family of foods to our diet cannot be …
Many people think of Italian cooking when they ponder delicious sauces served over pasta, lots of vegetables, olive oil and cheesy pizzas topped with a variety of meats. Ancient Etruscan, Greek and Roman cultures contributed to an Italian cuisine rich in all of those and more. Like all Italian cuisine, Tuscan food is rich in those attributes. Tuscany is also …
Anyone who has raised a garden or grew up in a family that had one knows that nothing beats fresh veggies. The same be true of fruit. Picking an apple off a tree or raspberries from the canes and then eating them are one of life’s true pleasures. Now I know that not everyone can be as lucky as we …
I’ve always been a fan of baked beans. One of my favorite renditions was my late Uncle Curt’s. He used to make them on Christmas Eve and other holidays. And, of course, he made them the traditional way, soaking his beans overnight before putting the dish together the next day. Baked beans are a staple of summer outdoor dining events …
Among the favorite entrees at many Chinese buffets are the chicken dishes. Some of them combine chicken with vegetables such as broccoli, snow peas and water chestnuts. Still others are cooked a variety of ways and are mostly chicken, with names such as Coconut Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, General Tso’s Chicken, Sesame Chicken and Kung Pao Chicken. I’m kind …
There has been a lot going on in world news these days, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing as the result of global warming. But one of the most noticeable and talked-about events is the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. I live in East Grand Forks, in Minnesota, on the border with North Dakota, the …
Sauerkraut is one of those foods that you either like or don’t like. Honestly, I don’t know how a person couldn’t like sauerkraut. But that’s coming from someone who is mostly German. Some Norwegian friends of mine say the same thing about lutefisk, a delicacy in their minds, so who am I to argue. We have several quarts of home-canned …
Another day, another blizzard and below-zero wind chills. That’s the way it’s been this winter. So, there’s no better place to be than in the warmth of the kitchen, where you can create something that will make you forget about the weather, albeit for the time being. And nothing says warm and fuzzy better than a pot of soup. This …
If you are in search of a healthy and nutritious wholemeal pasta recipe, you can stop looking. Mediterranean Chicken, Mushroom and Rice meets meets both the aforementioned requirements — it’s loaded with vitamins and low-fat ingredients as well as being an entree that can stand alone as a main course. Combining this dish with a nice salad and vegetable such …
Nothing beats down the cold weather better than a bowl of hot soup, which is the perfect remedy for the subzero temperatures and wind chill that have held this part of the Midwest captive for the past week or two. A good choice always is wild rice soup, which can be made a number of ways. My favorite is one …
What do you do when you have an overabundance of tomatoes and have already made juice, canned whole ones as well as freezing 20 to 30 pounds of the juicy orbs? That’s been the dilemma I’ve been facing the past three weeks or so. Before frost put the damper on my gardens, I picked almost all of my tomatoes that …
Just about everyone loves a pasta sauce. You know, the kind with sweet Italian sausage, a lot of tomatoes and some nice mushrooms and peppers. And don’t forget the Parmesan cheese. You can count me in that camp. In fact, it’s one of our favorites when served with spaghetti. When my grandson come home for visit, it’s one of the …
Two of the garden vegetables that are first on the scene during the summer are eggplant and zucchini. Both lend themselves to a variety of recipes. Eggplant Parmesan and moussaka come to mind for the purplish aubergine, while the zucchini version of carrot cake and carrot bread get the nod in many corners. Pairing the two with tomatoes and pasta …
It’s not too late to pick some rhubarb for your next dessert or to freeze some to get you through the long winter. I’ve been doing a little of both the past couple of weeks. I’ve vacuum sealed and frozen several 4-cup bags of the “pie plant” as it has come to be known in the U.S. as well as …
Anyone who thinks rhubarb is a garden nuisance has never attended a rhubarb festival, where you can sample many different kinds of desserts, most of them quite tasty, that feature the “pie plant.” I’ve had the chance over the years to take in the annual rhubarb festival sponsored by University Lutheran Church in Grand Forks. In fact, I was asked …
Most recipes usually serve four people at the minimum and often are meant for eight. So that means if you are cooking for two, be prepared for a lot of leftovers. That’s the case with preparing an entire chicken. Whether the bird is cut up for frying or left whole for roasting, if you’re only serving two, there is going …
Nothing is better on a cold winter day than a big bowl of stew. And while most people think of beef at the mention of stew, chicken is a great substitute for those looking to cut back a little on their red meat consumption. The following recipe, which I came up with after contemplating what to do with leftovers from …
Hunters who are cooks are always on the lookout for new recipes. After all, variety is the spice of life. While perusing the internet recently for pheasant recipes, I came across one for creamed pheasant that piqued my interest. The recipe has the usual suspects — half-and-half, cream of mushroom soup and butter, i.e. — but I made a few additions …
What do sauerkraut, corned beef and Swiss cheese have in common? If you guessed a Reuben sandwich, give yourself an “A.” That eclectic sandwich is one of my favorites when I go to eat lunch, which hasn’t happened since the pandemic took center stage in our lives. Two places that come to mind are Sickies Garage Burgers & Brews in East …
Squash has been around quite a while, dating back 10,000 years to Mexico and Central America. Along with beans and corn — collectively known as the “Three Sisters” — squash has long been the center of Native American agriculture and culinary traditions. (The name squash comes from the Native American word askutasquash, which means uncooked or eaten raw.) It didn’t take …
Stir-fry dishes can be some of the easiest to prepare yet the tastiest. And you can often make a good stir-fry with just the ingredients that you have on hand. There is no better time than summer or early fall for stir-fry, when vegetables are readily available in your own garden or at farmers markets. Among my favorite ingredients in …
Gardeners know how expensive it can get buying started plants at greenhouses or nurseries. Singles can go for up to $3 to $4 apiece. Four-packs or six-packs (smaller plants) rarely can be found for less than $3. That’s why many gardeners like to start their plants from seed. I’ve been growing all of my tomato plants from seed for the …
Fall is in the air, with the possibility of Jack Frost making his first appearance any day. And that means some gardeners are scurrying about, deciding which plants to cover and which vegetables to pick — tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, squash. The list can go on and on and on. A proliferation of fresh veggies means only one thing to …
It’s the peak of tomato season, and that means farmer’s markets and backyard gardens are brimming with those luscious red (and sometimes yellow, orange, pink, green, burgundy, purple, streaked and striped) orbs. Gardeners can sometimes be hard-pressed to stay on top of their crops, despite canning whole tomatoes and making tomato juice and salsa. I usually don’t have too much trouble …