One of the simplest summertime dishes I can think of is also one of the most delicious: Caprese salad, which originated on Capri in the Italian region of Campania. The red, green and white colors of a classic Caprese salad represent the colors of the Italian flag. And, unlike in this country, no self-respecting Italian would even THINK about putting balsamic vinegar on a … [Read more...]

I love the Southern tradition of the Friday (or Saturday) night fish fry. Here is a recipe for super crispy fried fish that uses a cornmeal coating rather than a flour-based batter. Try it and I think you’ll love it. Even kids really like the crisp, crunchy fish nuggets.  Ingredients: 1 cup whole buttermilk 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp hot sauce, such as … [Read more...]

Most of us have encountered problems with BBQ chicken on the grill. Too often, the skin burns and oozes fat onto the fire causing flare ups and more burning. By the time the chicken is cooked through enough to eat, it usually looks like a burnt mess. Here’s an easy solution: I cook the chicken first in the oven, and then just finish it off on the grill. The result is juicy, … [Read more...]

In this country, pad Thai is a very popular dish. But when I visit Thai restaurants, I also really like pad see ew, which is sometimes spelled pad siew.  As I understand it, in the Thai language pad means “fried” and see ew is “soy sauce.” That’s what pad see ew is: stir-fried noodles with soy sauce and (usually) a protein - chicken in this case - and veggies. It’s quick and … [Read more...]

Whenever I’m in New Orleans, I always make sure to get my fix of gumbo and etouffee. Gumbo is more of a soup, whereas etouffee is more stew-like - a little more dry. Etouffee is traditionally served with boiled white rice.  Ingredients: ½ tsp dried thyme ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp onion powder ½ tsp cayenne pepper ¼ tsp black pepper  ¼ … [Read more...]

This year for Memorial Day, many of us will be at home (where else?), perhaps firing up the grill for a Memorial Day barbecue. Here is one of my favorite grilling recipes; it’s for grilled chicken that is marinated first in lemon juice, garlic, herbs and shallots. This recipe calls for a whole chicken that has been butterflied. If you don’t know how to butterfly a chicken (it’s … [Read more...]

Because my wife is gluten free, I often find myself making two batches of food for meals when I cook something like fried chicken: one made with regular flour and another with gluten free flour. I love this recipe because it uses potato starch, which is gluten free, instead of regular flour for the chicken coating. And a bonus: the potato starch makes for a super-crispy coating … [Read more...]