The Simon Speaks

A Special Commission

2011-05-14T20:03:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've done a painting specifically for someone, and with the content of the painting directed by my patron. In this case apiece of text from a favorite author was the inspiration provided...and I was challenged to find a way to work the text into the image on the canvas. This is the result. It's a fun piece and I took the opportunity to combine knife, broad brushwork, and a lot of glazing, which is something I have not done in many years. I think the result is something at once alike my other work, and also very different. fortunately, my "client" was very pleased.
This is another example of ideas growing onto the canvas as I worked. Some elements were planned and others just "happened" as I worked. The result is unique and at once familiar to me. I hope others who view this are equally intrigued.

The Beginnings of the Tuscany Series

2011-04-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes art just happens. I wanted to make one picture, and this one just came to be on the canvas. While it's no place I've ever been, some parts are aspects of places in Tuscany I have visited. Some people and their experiences have added ideas and images represented here. But the overall image is from a collage of ideas and images in my head. It's also one where i used a painting knife for the first time in many years...hope you enjoy the view.

A Pesto With A Twist

2010-06-06T14:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone thinks of red sauce when they think of spaghetti, but this one is green, healthy, and offers a refreshing change from traditional red or white sauces. Traditional pesto is made with fresh basi, but not everyone likes basil. Spinach is a great alternative. Best of all, it’s fast and easy to prepare, has few ingredients, and makes an attractive presentation for adults or kids… green pasta? Really? You bet!

Ingredients

1 cup chopped frozen spinach

½ cup pignoli nuts (pine nuts)

½ cup chopped white or yellow onions

2 cloves garlic sliced

½ cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

½ cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Preparation

Place 2 tbs of the olive oil in a small pan and add the garlic and onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the frozen spinach to defrost and heat through…. About 3-5 minutes.

Add all the ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.

Return mixture to the saucepan and heat, then spoon over your favorite pasta and serve.

Enhancements

Add one 4 oz can of mushrooms (chopped) and / or 1 can of chopped clams to the sauce… you can also blend in the clam juice of you like.

Enjoy!

What do you do with leftover stale bread? Why you make a salad, of course!

2010-06-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

There is little that’s more frustrating to find in a kitchen than a half loaf of stiffening French, Italian, or even old fashioned white bread. Too hard for sandwiches, or even for toast, and not quite a doorstop either. So how do you turn this lemon-like situation into lemonade? You make bread salad that will win you raves from everyone, who will marvel at your creativity, ingenuity, and resourcefulness—better still, because you aren’t wasting the bread, it’s a “green” salad even though there’s not a shred of any kind of lettuce or cabbage anywhere in the recipe. (Ok, there is some fresh basil, gimme’ a break!)Take all the credit…it will be our little “secret”…

Ingredients
2 cups of stale bread cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
1 roasted red or yellow pepper, peeled and cut into ¼ inch wide strips, then halved crosswise
8-12 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
3 fresh Roma or Plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch slices and then quartered
½ large red union, cut into 1 inch slices, the quartered
Salt
Pepper

Assembly
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, drizzle with 2-3 tbs of fresh balsamic vinaigrette, toss together to coat evenly, cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. Remove and serve.

Dressing
In a blender combine:
1 clove garlic
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
Blend on medium or high until smooth and opaque. Taste and if to sharp, add a bit of oil, and if to bland add a bit of balsamic vinegar….

Options
Add ½ cup of diced mozzarella cheese to the salad mix
Use bottled balsamic dressing instead of freshly made
Use large croutons when you have no stale bread
Use fresh bread you toast lightly in a 350° oven for 3-4 minutes, then remove to cool before adding to the salad
Add ½ cup of peeled, seeded, chopped cucumber to the salad.
See how smart you are?

It's time for dessert

2010-05-25T22:02:00.000-07:00

No meal is really ever complete without dessert. When my children were small we would often let them order dessert first when we traveled on vacation. After all, what could make a vacation more special than starting your dinner with an ice cream sundae? We embodied the old saw that "life is short, start with dessert"! At least when we were away from home! It's something they sometimes stil do today, even though they are both grown adults now. Gad they learned something useful from their childhoods.

So, in keeping with simple is better, and few cooking skills are more than enough, here is a simple recipe for ...

Fried Apple Rings

Ingredients
2 large apples, cored and sliced into 1/2" thick slices
(I prefer Rome apples for this but any will do)
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs butter

Instructions
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Place one layer of apple rings into the pan and sprinkle with 1/2 the brown sugar. Cook for about 5 minutes uncovered over medium heat, then turn over and continue cooking until then apple rings are soft and the sugar and butter have caramelized on the rings. Remove the apple rings and place into a small aluminum pie pan and keep warm in the oven (200-240 degrees) while cooking the second batch. Add the remainder of the rings and butter to the pan, make sure the pan doesn't get too hot and burn the butter or the apples. Cover these rings with the remainder of the brown sugar. Cook as you did the first batch, then remove them from the pan, add them to the rings in the oven, and serve.

These apple rings are fine by themselves. They also make a great addition to a Sunday brunch, are great along side bacon and pancakes, and make any brunch special.

For dessert, you can serve them alone, or top one or two with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or your own favorite if you don't like vanilla, and some chocolate or caramel sauce... be decadent and add some whipped cream too if you like... you cannot mess this one up!

Start your meal with them...life is short...have dessert first!

Circuit or Egg or...?

2010-04-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

I've noted before that cooking and technology have been major forces in my life...see??! So, what came first the circuits or the eggs? You're certain? Really? Are you really sure the machines didn't create the means for self propagating life? And why would such life, if it preceded machines, create them at any time? Maybe we co-exist for a reason, or maybe we co-exist in multiple frames of reference. Or maybe, just maybe, everything is current, there is only another "now" following the last, and linearity is the only illusion.....

But, those eggs sure look mighty tasty... what do you think?

A Personal Favorite

2010-03-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of those paintings that started out one way and ended another. Sometimes I think my subconscious just takes over my eyes and hands and does whatever it wants.

It may be difficult to see all the detail here, but it is one of a few paintings that made me say "wow" to myself when it was done. I do not take my painting too seriously, (and collectors and galleries don't either, for that matter) but friends, family, and some folks who have come into my home to do repairs or paint walls, or deliver things have seemed to like some of them...or maybe they were just being kind.

Regardless, it gives me joy to rub paint on canvas in new and different ways. sometimes I combine water soluble oil colors with traditional oils, and even metallic acrylics. You never know what might be unless you try. The paint manufacturers' reps have told many sales people in art supply stores that mixing the oil and water soluble "oil" colors doesn't work.... so i guess this painting isn't a reality after all...maybe it's a quantum effect in some other reality. what do you think?

Summer Potato Salad

2010-03-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

If it's summertime and you are planning a picnic, or just a fun dinner, potato salad is an American tradition. Like so many others, this one comes in many cultural variants and interpretations. I grew up with this one, and view it as a staple from Memorial Day through Labor Day. But it's good anytime. The best news is it's versatile, and the dressing components of this recipe work just as well to make macaroni salad, if you prefer that to potato salad. Couple this with your favorite grilled or barbecued meats or fish, add some grilled vegetables or cole slaw (and that simple recipe will post soon too), and you have the foundation of an outstanding summer dining event!

Ingredients
3-4 large white potatoes (about the equivalent of 4-6 cups, peeled
1 cup chopped yellow or white onion
1 cup chopped celery
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbs cider or white vinegar
1 cup lite or regular mayonnaise
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Putting It Together
Slice the potatoes into 1 inch think pieces. Place the peeled potatoes into a pot filled with enough salted water to cover. Boil the potatoes until fork tender. Remove from heat, and drain. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the potatoes . Taste the dressing. It should have a slightly acidic bite from the vinegar. If not, add 1 cap-full more, mix and re-sample.
Cut the sliced potatoes into cubes and fold into into the dressing. some of the potatoes may break apart and dissolve in the dressing...that's fine.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight if possible. Remove, mix again, and serve.

Alternatives
Instead of potatoes, cook 1 box (1 lb) of elbow or your favorite macaroni according to package directions until tender but still firm. Drain under cold water to stop cooking. Add 1/2 cup chopped green stuffed olives, and combine with dressing. Add macaroni, and refrigerate until serving.

If you like black olives more than green stuffed ones, use those instead. It's all about taste, not conformity. It's an American tradition!

Pictures Within Pictures

2010-03-12T12:44:00.000-08:00

Putting pictures within pictures is a recurring theme within many of my paintings, but I'm not exactly certain why this is so. This one accompanied one son to school. It was also one my earliest dabblings with including metallic acrylic within the overall oil mix. This is onle of two paintings done in a 3' x 5' size. That's as large as any I have ever done. At least so far. Look carefully and you can find a lot going on throughout. See what meanings you can glean from the images....

Pot Roast Anyone Can Prepare

2010-03-02T22:15:00.000-08:00

A good pot roast is a wonderful thing. And, it's easy to make. Some of the ingredients might seem a bit strange, but take a leap of faith and go along. Most often pot roast is made with a cut of meat called brisket. But this recipe works just was well with a boneless or "7" bone chuck roast. Best of all, you can make it in advance, refrigerate it, and reheat it later when you want to serve it.

Ingredients
1 3-6lb brisket or chuck roast
2 cups of water
1 large yellow or white onion, sliced
2 large yams or sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1" thick slices
1 package of baby carrots or 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2" lengths
1 small jar of grape jelly
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
2 tbs olive or vegetable oil

Preparation
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven, add the roast and brown on both sides. Add all the remaining ingredients. The liquid should just about cover the meat. If not, add a bit more water or some sweet red wine. Cover the pot, bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook for about 1-11/2 hours or until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat and let cool on a cutting board or platter. When cool, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour. Remove and slice against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices. Return the sliced meat to the pot. Refrigerate everything until about 30 minutes before you pan to serve. Then place the pot on the stove, and reheat over ow heat. Remove the meat to a platter, place the vegetables around the meat. Turn the heat to high and boil the gravy for 5 minutes, remove from heat and spoon over the meat and vegetables. Serve.

Some folks like grated horseradish on the side with this. Some just want some bread to dunk in the gravy. Try both or neither as you wish. This is a dish you can prepare a day or two in advance and then just reheat when you plan to serve. So it's a great dish to make on the weekend, so you can just reheat it and serve during the busier weekday evenings to follow.

2010-03-02T21:53:00.000-08:00

When each of my sons went off to college they left with one piece of home rolled up to take along...a 3'x5' painting to hang in their room. This is one of them. I'm not certain what real value they brought to each of them, but at the time it was important, and I was happy to comply. This, like all my paintings, tells a story... where it starts, what it says, and how it does so are the contribution you bring to each picture. More recipes to come, but I wanted to post this picture now.

Adam's Chili

2010-03-01T13:05:00.000-08:00

Adam, my oldest son, is a fine cook in his own right, and has been making some great dishes for a long time. This is one dish he particularly likes to make, and I can vote from experience on the flavor and quality...YUM! It does tend to be on the spicy side, but hey, life without some spice can become boring? No? Try this one and save it off in portion size containers in your freezer for reheating on cold fall or winter nights ...! Thanks, Adam!

Ingredients
1 medium to large white onion
4 Serrano peppers, deseeded and chopped
½ pound cremini mushrooms (small, or halved medium)
1 head garlic (or 15-20 cloves), chopped
3 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons of canola oil
3 tablespoons Emeril’s Essence
4 tablespoons of chili powder (in three parts of 2 tbsp , 1 tbsp, and 1 tbsp)

1 pound ground turkey
1 pound ground buffalo (bison)
½ pound hot Italian sausage

2 28oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 14oz can of tomato sauce
1 bottle of pear cider (I try to use Woodchuck when I can)

Preparation
Chop the onion into large pieces. I slice it into half-inch slices and then cut them into quarters. Give the garlic and basil a fine chop. Deseed the Serrano peppers and chop into small pieces. Larger if you’d like them to be a part of the chili’s texture. Wash the mushrooms and cut them in half if necessary. Put the onion, garlic, basil, and mushrooms into a large pot and add the canola oil. Saute until the onion breaks apart and becomes translucent. Add the Emeril’s Essence and 2 tablespoons of chili powder and saute for another minute or so.

Break apart the sausage, turkey, and buffalo into the pot. The meat will cook with the vegetables. Add another tablespoon of chili powder and mix to make sure all the meat gets browned. Add both cans of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce. Add the last tablespoon of chili powder. Stir and add the pear cider, making sure everything is thoroughly mixed. Turn the burner down to low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until the chili becomes thick.

NOTE: Cayenne pepper can be added for extra spice. Today’s pot had about a half teaspoon of cayenne pepper added. For those fire-breathers out there who like things extra spicy, replace 1 of the Serrano peppers with a habanera pepper. For those who like a little kick, but may also want to taste things in the future, replace 2 Serrano peppers with 8-12 Thai chili peppers.

Speedy Eggplant Dip

2010-02-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh! You have company coming over, people who favor vegetarian treats, and all you have in the refrigerator is this eggplant! Now what do you do? Relax!! If you have an over or an outside grill, about 20 minutes of time, some garlic and olive oil, you are in good shape! Broil or grill the whole eggplant until soft, scoop out the insides into a bender with a clove of garlic and some oil, and voila! a vegetable dip for crudites that will be the envy of your friends and family!

Here are the details...

Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 clove garlic or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbs olive oil
salt and pepper

Preparation
Heat an outdoor grill or an indoor oven on high heat. Place the eggplant on the grill's grate or into a shallow aluminum pie pan and into the oven and cook turning one for 15-20 minutes or until the eggplant's outside is charred and the inside is very soft.

Remove the eggplant and scoop the insides (being careful to avoid including any of the charred skin) into a blender together with all remaining ingredients. Puree for 15 seconds or until smooth. Transfer to a small serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

Serve this with cut up pieces of fresh raw vegetables, spread onto crackers, or onto pita chips, cocktail bread, or toast.

Stir Fry For Those Days That Drive You Stir Crazy

2010-02-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Is the weight of your schedule bearing down hard on you today? Do you wish you had time to prepare something from fresh ingredients, that was healthy, tasted good, took little time, and, more importantly, made little mess? Well here is your one "pot" or wok solution!

(Though in order to serve with rice or noodles you will need a second pot, it's a small cheat.)

And it's a great way to recycle some left over vegetables or protein, if you have any around.

Ingredients
1 medium yellow or white onion, halved and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 pepper, any color, cored and sliced
6 fresh mushrooms, sliced, or one 6 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
2 large carrots, julienned if you know how, sliced thin if you don't
2 stalks of fresh celery, sliced into 1" pieces
1/2 cup chicken or beef stock
2 chicken breasts sliced thin, or 3/4 lb lean beef or pork, sliced across the grain into 1/8" thick strips
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 lb cooked noodles, rice noodles, or thin spaghetti (angel hair or vermicelli) or 2 cups cooked rice.

Putting it together
If you have a wok, (or a 12" skillet if you don't have a wok) set it over high heat, add the oil, and the meat, tossing frequently to stir fry until browned all over. Remove the meat to a platter or bowl.

Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic, stir frying for two minutes, then add the remaining vegetables Stir fry for 3-5 minutes or until they begin to soften, but they should remain "crisp-tender". If you have left over peas, broccoli, cauliflower, etc...this is a good time to add them in too!

Add the soy and broth and meat, combine together and cook over high heat for 1-2 minutes.
If you prepared any noodles or angel hair spaghetti to serve with this, you can add the pasta to the wok or skilled and combine...

Serve and relax! The cleanup will be a breeze too!

Some extra ideas
There are lots of ways to supplement this recipe. Use leftover meat in place of the meat or chicken ingredients.

Also, for a treat, substitute cooked shrimp or other shellfish, or calamari, or even a mix of those.

Sliced water chestnuts add some crunch, as would canned bamboo shoots, drained.

It's hard to mess this one up!

Fried Rice From Leftovers

2010-02-25T21:50:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder what to do with that container of white rice that was left untouched at the end of your last take out, or that came home with your other leftovers from your dinner at a Chinese restaurant? Here's a solution!

If you are starting from scratch, without any leftover rice, prepare some plain white rice according to package directions. Set the rice in a bowl and cover. Refrigerate it for at least an hour before making this recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked white rice
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 cup frozen peas
1 6 oz can or bean sprouts, drained
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs vegetable oil
1-1 1/2 cups of diced left over cooked meat, chicken, or shellfish

Assembly

In a large skillet, place the oil garlic and onion. Saute until golden over medium heat. Add the rice and toss with the cooked onion and garlic. Add the soy sauce and peas, then the bean sprouts and heat together. Add the meat and mix with the rice. Make a well in the center of the pan exposing the skillet surface. Pour in the beaten egg and stir until the egg begins to set and scramble. The mix the rice and egg together.

Set the mixture into a bowl and serve.

This is also a great way to turn leftover meat or chicken into something special.

Some Different Art

2010-02-25T21:40:00.000-08:00

This was one of my relatively recent efforts to paint a bit more freely with a looser style. I also wanted to play with more vibrant color. I like the contrast of mood and the bright hues. What do you think a good name for thus picture might be? Let me know what you think.

More Art...

2010-02-22T13:57:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite paintings,and one that kind of just happened while it was being done. Watch the "people" on the left go from counter to streetside.... It really is fun to watch your own mind take over your eyes and hands. Some pictures start with one idea and finish expressing another. Perhaps art comes from your subconscious, or perhaps I'm just not always attentive to what I'm thinking in background. Let me know what you think.

Chicken Soup

2010-02-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

No aroma is more eloquent at describing "home" than this comfort food classic. Crisp days, winter colds, sad moods, seasonal "blahs", all fall victim to the subtle but compelling power of chicken soup. Keep it for yourself, share with company or friends, or prepare it for someone special when they need some small gesture of caring. This is an easy recipe. The challenge is in finding some of the ingredients.

Ingredients
1 3-4 lb. chicken, cleaned of all giblets and washed
2-3 large carrots, peeled, and cut into 3" lengths
1 large parsnip, peeled, and cut into 2" pieces
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, scored
4 whole coves
1 small bunch of fresh flat leaf parsley

Instructions
Place the chicken into an 8qt pot, adding the carrots, parsnip, garlic, and parsley on top. Cut 1" deep scores crosswise into the onion. Then stick one cove into each of the 4 "sections" of the onion, and add it to the pot. Fill the pot with enough water to cover.

Set the heat on the stove to medium, cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly cracked. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 1-1.5 hours, or until the chicken falls away from the bones. If any foam floats to the top of the pot, remove it using a slotted spoon.

Remove the pot from the stove. Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables, parsley, and garlic to a bowl and set aside. Remove the chicken to a platter and set aside. If you wish, you may divide the soup into separate containers to refrigerate or freeze for later use. This makes several quarts.

Putting it Together
Bring the soup to a boil, add 4 oz egg noodles and cook until soft...about 8-10 minutes. Cut up some of the carrots into small dice, about 1/4" in size, and pace some into each serving bowl. Take some of the chicken and dice or shred it into smal pieces, and add it to each serving bowl. Ladle in some soup and some noodles into each bowl and serve. Serve with love.

Notes: I've read somewhere that the garlic adds theraputic value to the soup, but I doubt there's hard evidence. Still, kids will love this, and if you have a significant other in your life, and he or she has the sniffles... this is a relationship strengthener of significant potency. If you prefer some other pasta to noodles like pastina or acini, or even rice, feel free to substitute.

Family Thanksgiving Stuffing

2010-02-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a very big deal in our family. Historically it was always the one holiday always centered in our home. It's filled with memories of family, warm recollections of small rituals, rich smells of roasting turkey, tables stuffed with food and surrounded by many friends and relatives. There's nothing richer as an experience my family can offer than to share Thanksgiving. And as far as my wife and children are concerned, nothing more exemplifies Thanksgiving than this stuffing recipe...it's been one of our traditions for years.

This recipe easily serves 20 with leftovers, but it scales well so do the math for your own gathering. It's great with chicken too!

A word of caution, the recipe contains some walnuts, so if you are allergic, please leave them out...it will be fine without.

Ingredients

2.5 cups each chopped celery, onion, mushrooms

1.5 cups chopped carrots

1 cup chopped garlic

2 lbs ground sweet Italian sausage meat browned

1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

8 tbs butter

24 oz chicken broth

5 bags stuffing croutons

Salt, pepper

1/2 cup grated walnuts

Preparation

Split butter between two large pots, melt and divide celery, onion, garlic, and carrot between them. Sauté over high heat for 3-5 minutes or until onion begins to become translucent.

In similar manner add mushrooms to each pot; cook until they begin to reduce in size.

Add sausage, blend and then add 12 oz broth to each pot. Simmer for 10 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add parsley and grated walnuts; blend, then add croutons. Mix. If too dry, and a bit more broth …. Should be moist but retain integrity of the cubes….

Stuff bird

Place remainder in a foil pan, cover and heat last 45 minutes in oven… uncover, drizzle pan drippings over top, and return to oven for 15 minutes more or until top begins to brown….

Eat… enjoy.

This freezes well and can then be reheated in the oven... store leftovers in foil packets for easy storage and reheat in a 350 degree oven covered for 30 minutes then uncovered for another 20 or until thoroughly heated.

2010-02-05T13:39:00.000-08:00

My Art

In addition to cooking I like to paint, though I don't do this nearly so much now as in the past. This is one of my favorites, and i thought to start putting other pictures of my art up on the blog every week or so.

Most of these are done in traditional oils. Though I do like to also add in water soluble oil colors (they mix either way, though not so well once you add acrylics), acrylics, and whatever else I can find. Mixing media that aren't supposed to mix is something I like to experiment with from time to time.

It doesn't have a name, but you might want to suggest some on your own.

Shellfish in 15 Minutes or Less

2010-02-05T13:13:00.000-08:00

People always seem to be looking for something that's quick, easy to make, and simply delicious. Not always an easy set of requirements to fulfill, but this is one of those recipes. I no longer remember where I saw this done...probably in a cooking show from some years ago, because I used to make this when my wife and I were just married and we're looking ahead to our 35th anniversary later this year...poor lady....

Cook up some rice or noodles in advance and keep them warm. This dish takes so little time to make, you can just pour it over the rice or noodles, and be done....

Ingredients
1 lb scallops (bay or sea) or shrimp..shelled and deveined
2 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed in a garlic press
4 tbs butter or margerine
1/4 cup sweet vermouth
2 tbs chopped fresh parsley

Instructions
In a pan, melt the butter or margerine, and add the garlic. Saute for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the shellfish and cook, covered, until the fish is no longer translucent...1-3 minutes. Remove the shellfish from the pan, turn the heat to high, and swirl in the sweet vermouth, cooking for about 1 minute, to burn off the alcohol. Return the shellfish to the pan and swirl together.

Serve over rice or noodles and garnish with the chopped parsley.

How could this get simpler? And the taste is outstanding! Serve with a nice pino grigio or a chardonnay... heaven!

Great Steak for a Recession Wallet

2010-02-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry, if you're not a carnivore, better leave now before you scream.... For you meat eaters who find today's beef prices disqualifying you from enjoying steak as often as you did in the past... here's one solution. This recipe uses a relatively inexpensive cut, but prepares it so the result is flavorful and tender...

Ingredients

1 "7 bone" chuck roast, at least 2 " thick (or a boneless chuck roast if you prefer)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 meat thermometer

Preparation

Coat both sides of the meat with all remaining ingredients, pressing them into the meat to make them adhere. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Place a metal grilling dish or roasting pan into the oven while it's heating. If you have a grill, preheat it and sear the steak for 2 minutes on either side, just to brown the outside. If not, heat a large frying pan or skillet on your stove, add 1 tbs vegetable or olive oil, and sear both sides of the meat.

Transfer the meat to the heated pan in the oven. Cook in 200 degree oven until the meat thermometer reads 125 degrees for rare, 130-35 for medium, and 140 for well done. As a guide, a 2-3 pound roast will take about 40 minutes to 1 hour for rare. you will know the meat is nearing doneness when you begin to see some juices collect in the pan.

Remove the meat to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice in 1/4 inch thick slices across the grain and serve.

The slow cooking tenderizes and softens the meat, and you will find this gives you a rich, flavorful beef eating experience, that's tender, and for much less money than a prime or choice NY strip or rib eye.

In my experience this receipe works best for meat served rare or medium rare. The 7 bone cut is chuck, and when cooked to well done, does not fare well unless in liquid, like in a pot roast.

Enjoy with your favorite side dishes, a tossed salad, and a glass or 2 of red wine.

Cooking for Children, with Cheese

2009-05-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

Cooking for children can seem intimidating, because they are strong and fickle critics. Still there are many simple things anyone can do to make cooking for kids simple, easy, and fun...

Cheese...

when my sons were small, I'd offer that they'd eat rocks and sticks if covered in cheese...almost any kind of cheese. Melt cheese on a piece of bread, an English Muffin, or toast, and you're a hero... simple, but effective.

Cheese on burgers, grilled cheese, macaroni and cheese, and that's just a start.

Making french toast? Place a slice ot two between two pieces of french toast and then cook the whole sandwich in the pan, and drizzle with maple syrup... watch what kids do with that!

Melt cheese and add it to grilled hot dogs, mashed potatoes, drizzle it over french fries, layer it into omelets or stir it into scrambled eggs. Top poached eggs with it, sprinkle grated cheese into salads, or over cooked vegetables.

Cheese conquers all!!

Simple Chicken Cacciatore

2009-03-03T21:58:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into parts or 8 chicken pieces, with or without skin
1 large jar tomato sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green, yellow, or red pepper, diced
1 can sliced mushrooms or 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can black or green olives, drained (optional)

Assembly
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Arrange the chicken pieces, skin side up in an 11x14 pan
Pour 1/2 the sauce over the chicken
Add all the remaining ingredients
Cover with remaining sauce
Place into oven and cook 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender

Serve with cooked pasta, spooning the sauce over the pasta.

This is so easy it's almost too good to believe. The secret is in using a quality bottled sauce. If you like a spicy touch, go for a putanesca sauce, or one with garlic and herbs; whatever you like. It's hard to mess this up.

Enjoy!

Snow Day 2008

2008-12-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

It doesn't snow often in the Portland, Oregon area, particulalrly at elevations near the valley floor. So, when it does it's a major event. The local news media saturates us in coverage of every location from every possible perspective. Regular Sunday programming, like Meet the Press, is usurped to present more snow coverage. After all, some areas got almost 4 inches...imagine if we got some real snow, like 6 or 12 incles, or more.

It was a good day for ironing about three weeks worth of shirts, while watching lots of football on TV. Unfortunately, some games were more exciting than others, but it's been a good change of pace from the work week.

If this keeps up I may have to reopen my paint box after a 3 year dry spell. When I do, I hope I remember how to hold a brush. If you now are wondering what my pictures look like, I'll add some in the future

Easy French Toast

2008-04-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

6 slices of bread or 4 thick (1-1 1/2") slices Challah
1 egg beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbs butter

Combine egg, milk and vanilla
pour into a shallow baking pan
Add the bread. turning after a few minutes until most or all of the egg mixture is absorbed.

Melt butter in a large skillet. Brown bread slices on both sides over medium heat, then transfer to a cookie sheet and place int a 325 degree oven for 15~20 minutes or until slices puff up. Reduce heat, transfer slices to a serving plate and serve with maple syrup or top with fresh fruit and serve.

A Departure from Food...How We Could Really Support Our Troops

2007-10-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm going to get off the food and recipes topic for today to get something off my chest... I'm really tired of politicians and others talking about how they support our troops. They don't! They talk instead. Here's what I'd like to see:

Suspension of mortgage obligations for all troops on active duty, with life insurance to cover their mortgage in the event they are killed. Let the banks and other lenders have a tax credit or deduction for revenue losses under this program.
Reasonable pay for troops so they can continue to support their families while on active duty. Spending untold billions on contractors while our own troops are paid little and Congress rejects reasonable increases, is in my opinion, seditious!
Prepaid government medical insurance for all immediate family members of active duty troops. At least the equal of the insurance we provide for Congress today. If it's good enough for them, it's good enough for the folks who protect them, and our way of life. If that's too expensive, then we can't afford to fight wars anymore.
Suspension of income tax obligations for the period of active duty served.

With these programs, troops would be assured their families could live in reasonable comfort, safety, and dignity while they are putting their lives on the line. If this is too much to pay, they why should they be placing their lives and the futures of their children and spouses at risk. We are either all in, expenses and all, or we should all be out! I'd pay my share of the tax burden for this long before I'd celebrate putting another dollar into Halliburton's or some other contractor's pocket.

Have at me at will! I'm sure someone will have comments about this!

5 things you didn't know about me

2007-06-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

I was tagged a while back by Greg Hughes to do a "5 things you didn't know about me" post. These things are most revealing, and these are five things many who know me may not know. Anyway, here goes:

1. I was so fat as a small child, I was taken to a diet doctor for pills (probably amphetamines) to loose weight. Let's be clear, by fat I mean 80 pounds in kindergarten. I had a 38" waist. A sphere with hands and feet, and I think, a head--that was me! If there was a non-surgical means to lose weight in the universe, I've probably tried it at least once. Some worked better than others, and none were permanent. I have had some times in my life when I was "normal sized". It's a constant battle even to this day.

2. I used to run 2 miles a day 3-4 days/week. Needless to say, I was thinner then. And I really liked my endorphin high that resulted from the running, which I usually did on an indoor track...14 1/3 laps per mile. I loved indoor track running! A skiing accident messed up one knee and ended the running. I still walk a lot sometimes.

3. When I was eight I made up a design for a nuclear powered rocket for a science project. Then I got into trouble with a teacher who said I copied the design from some book. I had never seen the book she referenced, but it depicted some scientist's design, and it was a lot like mine. In fact, I'd never seen any book with a design like the one I had drawn...it was just one that made sense to me. Fortunately I had a reputation as a good student so the whole matter was dropped. Things were different back in the 1950's. Today the event would have been resolved in a courtroom at great expense to the school district and my parents.

4. I was a bank teller. And later on, helped develop and implement a NJ regional bank's first centralized teller training program. We ran the program out of a converted attic in a small annex building in the parking lot of its headquarters. The program was designed from scratch. We made our own training materials, tests, and course exercises. We had some counterfeit bills, and taught people how to detect them. That part of the program was vetted with a local FBI agent, who thought ours was one of the best he'd seen. Oh, and the last day I worked on the teller line before being reassigned to build the teller training program, I dressed in a tuxedo and worked the day that way. That drove my branch manager crazy, but my regular customers loved it!

5. I once oversaw the largest corporate installation of Macintoshes in the US. Unbeknownst to many, a leading NY bank had one in every branch, before there was an Internet, and used their proprietary network for inter-branch communications via email on the Macintosh. This goes back to the days of Macintosh II's. I was responsible for that email system, and the desktop standards for over 7500 machines in branches and retail banking operations and administration office across the US, including some customer service centers. Gee it sure was fun to go to MacWorld conferences back then.

Simple Pasta

2007-04-12T20:43:00.000-07:00

There are so many possibilities. This is one you can serve friends, or use to impress a special someone. If you are carefull, you can do this all in one pot. Boil the water, cook the pasta, then drain, and in the next 5 minutes, make the sauce then add the pasta, and presto, you are done!!

Ingredients
8 oz pasta (spagetti, linguini, shells, elbows, ziti, whatever)
1 tsp salt
1/2 white onion chopped
2 tbs fresh basil chopped
3 mushrooms sliced (optional. If you don't like mushrooms, don't bother)
1 12 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp sugar
2 tbs olive oil
6 small mozzarella balls, halved (you can find these in a water filled container at your grocer)

Assembly
Bring a 6-8 qt pot filled 2/3 with water to a boil. Add salt. Then add pasta. Cook according to package directions until cooked but still a bit firm. Drain in a colander.

In the same pot add oil and onions, cook over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add mushrooms and continue for 1 minute more. Add all the remaining ingredients except cheese. Lower heat to medium, and cook together for 3 minutes more, then add cheese ball halves and pasta. Toss together, and serve.

Options
Chop 2 cloves of garlic and add when you add the onions.
Top each serving with a light dusting of seasoned breadcrumbs.
Add 1 can of chopped clams and the juice from the can
White sauce version: substitute 1 cup of chicken broth for the canned tomoatoes and sugar, include the garlic

Simple Salsa

2007-01-21T20:41:00.000-08:00

Make this in 15 minutes or less, for way less money than the ones you can buy ready made. And this one is way better, fresher, and richer in spirit and flavor than any of them.

Ingredients
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup frozen kernel corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbs lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Mix everything in a bowl. Serve with chips or refrigerate for an hour and serve.

Substitutions & Supplements
If you like your salsa hot, simply chop one fresh or canned jalapeno pepper and add to the mixture

Hedonistic Macaroni & Cheese

2007-01-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

There's no question this is one of my family's favorite dishes. And my sons agree (even though they are now grown) it's one I do best. Most kids like macaroni & cheese. I made up this recipe in college, when weekend meals had to be cheap, quick, and assembled from whatever was around. It became popular with so many of my fraternity brothers that I often found myself making it for a crowd. Back then I baked it in a huge iron skillet (live-in fraternity houses with commercial style kitchens sometimes have these) so there'd be lots of crust. Now I use a glass baking dish. Macaroni & cheese is filling, healthy, and even tastes good. This recipe is inexpensive to make and easy, too. Maybe it's not nature's perfect food, but it certainly could be the perfect response to a cold Fall or Winter evening. Best of all, its leftovers freeze and reheat without decomposing.

Ingredients
2 lbs. elbow macaroni
1/4 cup tomato catsup
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
milk (enough to fill a soup can twice)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
3 Tbs margarine or butter
1 Tsp onion powder
1 1lb. brick of Velveeta lite cheese
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 slices processed American cheese, halved

Preparation
Cook the macaroni according to package directions, but for 1 1/2 minutes less than directed. Drain and set aside.

In the pot used to cook the macaroni, blend the cheddar cheese soup, milk, catsup, pepper, and onion powder. Simmer over low heat. Add the macaroni to the cheddar cheese soup mixture. Mix together until all the macaroni is coated with cheese sauce.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 11x14 baking dish with one tbs of butter or margarine. Cut the Velveeta into 1/4 inch thick slices. Spoon 1/3 of the macaroni mixture into the baking dish. Place 1/2 the slices over the macaroni. Add the next 1/3 of macaroni and cover with the remaining Velveeta slices. Add the last of the macaroni. Top with the American cheese slices, then sprinkle bread crumbs in a layer over the top (lots of you like crust, less if you don't), and finish with a few pats of butter or margarine on top of the bread crumbs.

Place into pre-heated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven carefully (it's heavy) and serve.

Serves 6 easily.

Supplements & Substitutions
Can't find the cheese soup? Buy an extra bar of Velveeta and melt it into 2 cups of milk. Don't want to use Velveeta? Try 1 lb. of sliced American cheese. Some people like to add 1-2 cups of frozen peas to the macaroni mixture before assembling the casserole.

Serve with...
A tossed green salad or cole slaw work very well with this dish. Tuna salad or fish sticks can be served along side to add some additional protein.

Phil's Sesame Noodles

2007-01-14T13:48:00.000-08:00

Phil was one of the most fascinating and wonderful people I have ever known. He loved to cook and eat. A former Green Beret, he could also fix any appliance, car, or machine that ever broke around him. He was good with electricity too! Phil was a best friend to many, and despite a contrived rough exterior, one of the most honest and gentle men I've ever known. He could accomplish anything, and this recipe was indicative of how he did things. There are some seemingly unconventional ingredients in this recipe--most notably the tea. Trust me, this one is great hot or cold. Thanks Phil!

Ingredients
1 cup of scallions (cut into 2 inch pieces)
1 Tbs of chopped fresh ginger
1/2 lb of thin spaghetti or Chinese noodles
1/2 cup milk
1 onion, peeled, halved, and sliced
2 tsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup hot fresh brewed Chinese tea
1 Tbs peanut butter
2 Tbs peanut or vegetable oil
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, sliced

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions or to taste. Drain and leave in colander. In the pot from the pasta, add the oil, onions, ginger, mushrooms, and garlic. Stir fry over medium-high heat for 3 minutes., or until the onions are soft. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add the peanut butter, and stir until melted and the vegetables are coated. Add soy sauce, milk, and tea. Blend until smooth and add the pasta. Mix well, then top with scallions and sesame seeds. Serve hot or cold.

Serves 2

Supplements & Substitutions
This is one of those basic recipes you can modify in many ways. It can be a great way to use up leftover protein. Add shrimp, scallops, or almost any shellfish to this dish. Sliced cooked chicken, pork, or beef would work too. So would cooked ground beef, or pork. If you like pea pods or celery, add those vegetables when the others are stir are fried.

Any kind of peanut butter will do. So if you like it chunky, use that! I often use low sodium soy sauce-- the taste remains, and my hands don't swell from the sauce. If you don't have any Chinese tea around, use regular tea or even herbal ones--except mint flavors.

Serve with...
Any kind of Asian style soup, other Chinese dishes, or as a supplement to take-out.

Gruel to Die For

2006-12-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

This was a favorite of mine in college. I'm certain the American Heart Association would condemn it as toxic waste, so, ENJOY!

Ingredients
8 slices of bacon cut into 1" pieces
1 lb of chopped beef
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
1 small can of tomato paste
1 16 oz can or jar of prepared tomato sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 lb of elbow macaroni

Preparation
In a heavy frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp. Add the onions and saute until golden colored. Add the chopped beef and cook until brown. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then add in the tomato paste and tomato sauce. Reduce the heat on the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes.

While the gruel is simmering, fill a large (8qt.) pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni, and cook according to package directions until it is done, but still a bit firm.

Drain the macaroni. Pour all the gruel into the pot, add the macaroni back, and mix the two thoroughly.

Serve.

Substitutes and Modifications
If you like mushrooms, slice up several and add them after the onions. Do the same with diced red, yellow, or green peppers too. Adding some chopped garlic with the onions always makes this dish special. Want things a bit sweeter? Peel and dice up some carrots and add them in at the same time as the onions.

If you don't like bacon, prosciutto ham or any other ham diced and rendered would be fine...If it's very lean, you may need to add some olive or vegetable oil. Experiment. See what works best for you

This dish goes well with a tossed salad (what? Too healthful you say? Aw' come on, it'll be OK!) Alka Seltzer, and or course, a cardiologist!

A Monster in the House

2006-12-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

Since I was a small boy, all my science fiction books, TV programs and movies made promises for the future. Space travel would become commonplace. Vacations on the moon would be easy to do. And TVs would hang on the wall like paintings. Well, at least the last is possible, so last month, I finally fulfilled a lifelong dream to place a TV on my wall.

Now, today a home theater system is made up of more components that just a flat panel TV; there's a receiver, and a DVD player, and some decoding box for satellite or cable signals. Each component requires configuration and management and each comes with its own remote controller. We have a small wicker basket holding them all in an arrangement. So, what do we use instead? Why we use a Monster Home Theater Controller 100.

The Monster is an intelligent controller that takes the place of all four others. It is capable of learning commands from each and allows construction of macro commands that let you do things like "watch TV" or "play a DVD" or other basic commands that really are the sum of numerous settings working together to deliver those basic services.

The Monster is one of a number of universal controllers. Initial setup is very simple. You load some software onto a computer and open a browser session to the Monster website. There a database of control commands is available. You simply select the devices you have by make and model, identify the functions you wish to perform, and assign the devices and settings necessary to achieve them. So "watch TV" becomes turn on TV, set resolution to automatic, turn on cable box, turn on tuner, set sound level to xxx, output sound to zone 1, etc., and save. Want to do something that requires the Monster to learn a specific command that it doesn't know? It can "learn" from the original controller. When you are done setting everything up, you save your settings to the Monster database in an account you set up and password protect, and then download it all to the Monster controller through a USB connection.

My home system was installed by Chelsea Audio/Video, in Beaverton, Oregon. They were amazing. Only one person came to my home. He was responsible for installing the speakers into walls and ceilings, setting up components, cables and wall mounting the LCD HDTV. He had to make all the cabling disappear (placing the components into a backless, open cabinet made this a real challenge). It was a magnificently executed installation. Cables were run, wire for speakers snaked, other cabling run behind walls...all without making any mess or missing a single connection. (I wish some of the network guys I've managed in the past were ever so skilled at dressing and finishing cables). And if you've ever seen one of these setups from the back, there are quite a lot of connections to be made. It was flawless, neat, and completed without leaving even a speck of debris behind.

Setting up the basic controller settings was smooth, efficient and simple. Then the fun started. There were a few commands we needed to complete the installation. But the software failed to sustain Internet connections. The controller also stopped learning, and then it failed to download command from the PC it was connected to by USB cable. ARGH! So we called Monster support, loaded and upgraded the software onto another notebook computer (an HP; it seems the Monster has issues with IBM/Lenovo T series notebooks), and started again. We had to try several different processes, and our level 2 tech, Christian, was amazing and did find some custom commands in a support database to fix one problem, but eventually got the whole system working. It took several hours overall. We tried to download the user manual, but only got error messages from the Monster database in reply.

Basics worked. But I had a co-worker come over who already had a Monster, to help review and refine some settings. He should have not needed more than an hour or so, but wound up spending most of a day repeating the software upgrades, command learning processes and overall configuration in order to finally get things fully set and running well. The effort is worth it! My system runs with simplicity and ease, and if I run into a problem, the Monster HELP button often corrects things in a heartbeat. My wife can usually destroy and computer program's operation in the blink of of an eye. She should be in QA. (You cannot imagine the things she's made MS Word do on screen...it would send shrieks through the being of Microsoft's Office Product Manager). She and the Monster get along just fine, and continue to play quite happily together.

We really like the Monster. The setup screens walk you through setup quite well, and if you run into a problem, the controller has a help button that resolves a lot of machine misbehavior should it ever occur. But it would be great if there were some user manual available. It would be very useful to be able to read more about how to set things up before engaging the screens and displays directly.

Regardless, the Monster controller makes using a complex home theater system as easy and simple as it should be. It does a great job of masking a lot of complexity, and it's much better looking than any of the ones that came with each component. It's backlight is motion sensitive, so you can count on knowing what you're pressing in a darkened room. And it comes with a recharging cradle. This means no AA batteries to replace.

Monster 100... I'm glad it's in the house. And thank you again Jeff and Kyle at Chelsea, you guys were super, so too were you Alex... thanks!

Grilled Cheese... As You Like It

2006-11-02T12:21:00.000-08:00

There are so many ways to make a grilled cheese sandwich I could make their description a term paper or a short novel. The basics aren't hard, but you must stay around and watch to make certain you don't burn the sandwhich while it's cooking. Burnt grilled cheese is the worst!

Ingredients
2 slices of white bread
4~6 slices of american or cheddar cheese
margerine or butter

Optional
3~4 slices of crisp cooked bacon
3 thin slices of fresh tomato

Layer the cheese slices onto one slice of bread. If you are adding in the tomato or bacon, sandwich them between layers of cheese.

Place the 2nd slice on top and spread a thin layer of margerine or butter on it. Place the sandwich buttered side DOWN into a pan, spread maregerine or butter on the side facing up, cover and heat on medium heat. Now every 2 minutes or less remove the cover and lift the edge of the sandwich so you can see how toasted it's getting. Once it's golden brown, run the spatula under the sandwich, turn it over, cover the pan and repeat the process. When the sandwich is done the cheese should be oozing from the sides and the bread toasted golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate. Cut in half with a bread knife or serrated knife, and serve.

Substitutions, options and alternatives
Like American or white cheddar better? Use them. Prefer Swiss cheese? Super, go ahead! Want to use them all...fine. Any cheese that melts smoothly will do, though some like mozzarella might be a bit runny to control.

You can use whole wheat or oat breads too. Rye doesn't work so well, nor pumpernickle, but almost any soft bread you'd use for toast would work for this recipe.

Tomato and bacon are standards, but you can put anything you want inside...pepperoni, ham, salami, whatever you like. Experiment! Cooking can be fun!

What goes with a grilled cheese sandwich?
Making this sandwich is an act of love. It's easy to do but requires attention and care. So, if you are by yourself, treat yourself to your favorite beverage. With your honey? Your kids? Both? Open a can or 2 of cream of tomato soup. Heat the soup in a pan or microwave, and serve the two together. I promise you hugs!

Now go and make someone happy!

Simple Roast Chicken

2006-10-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Nothing fills a home with a more inviting aroma than that of a chicken roasting in the oven. It brings images to mind of family and security, good times and great eating! Good roast chicken is a great thing, and it's done best with a simple recipe. Here's how:

Ingredients
1 4-6 lb chicken, fresh or thawed
garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 tbs dried chopped basil
1 tbs dried chopped parsley
paprika

Directions
Wash the ouside of the chicken in cold water
Remove any giblets or neck bones from the chicken cavity
Fill the cavity with water and pour out
Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle chopped dry basil around the inside of the chicken cavity

Place a rack in the bottom of a foil lined baking dish large enough to hold the chicken.
Sprinkle the outside of the chicken, top and bottom, with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Preheat oven to 325°
Place chicken into pan, breast side down
Place into oven for 45 minutes
Turn chicken over and cook another 45 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. You'll know the chicken is done when the leg moves easily skin is crisp...or when a meat thermometer, onserted into the thigh or breast, without touching bone, registers at least 140°

Remove chicken from oven and set on a carving board. Let sit, covered with a piece of aluminum foil for at least 10 minutes before carving.

For a demo on carving, click here.

Enjoy!

Deviled Eggs

2006-10-16T23:34:00.000-07:00

These little gems make a great breakfast or lunch item, and can serve as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre. They are quick and simple to make, and look great too!

Ingredients
4 hard boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
1 tsp catsup
1 tbs mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
paprika

Directions
Remove yolks from egg halves and place into a small bowl. Mash them with a fork. Add catsup and mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Using a small spoon, fill the depressions in the egg white halves with the yolk mixture. Sprinklw with paprika for color. Serve.

2006-10-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of topics to talk about but tonight I want to start with cooking. Some time ago I started a cookbook, but my old computer crashed and i could never find the files among my backup discs. So I'll start again here, tonight.

This is a cookbook for all those people who believe they cannot cook. I had intended the original recipes for single parents of young children-- guys in particular who found themselves wanting to make special dishes for their kids during their visitations. But I've learned since then that there are so many folks who need to learn the basics, and all they need are a few early and simple successes. That's where I'll start.

Foolproof Hardboiled Eggs

4 or more raw eggs

Directions
Place the eggs in the bottom of a saucepan or pot and fill with water until the eggs are covered. Place on the stove over high heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce heat a little so that water cointinues boiling but does not over flow the pot. Time for EXACTLY 10 minutes. Turn off stove, remove pan from heat, pour off the boiling water and fill it with cold water. Drain again and refill the pot 1/2 with water and add ice, at least 6-10 cubes or more. Let eggs sit in the ice water for 1 minute. take the eggs, one at atime, tap against a hard service to crack and peel.

Options
What to do with hard boiled eggs? Well, you can chop them up, and mix with mayonnaise to make egg salad. Or slice them up and make a sandwich on their own. Add them to a tossed salad, or make deviled eggs. That's easy and will be the next recipe.