“Even in the most trying times, you can smile that you have food on your plate and a beat in your heart.” -Hiral Nagda Talking with friends and family this week about Thanksgiving Day plans, I was amazed at how many ways we all celebrate this holiday. I grew up in a family of seven siblings and for as long as I can remember it was a very wonderful tradition. There was … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun: “Life is a combination of magic and pasta” – Federico Bellini
Its that time of year now isn’t it? The time of the year where we begin to pull indoors and seek out comfort food. I’ve reflected on what I’ve been making these last few weeks and it’s a list of some of my favorite comfort foods: smoked tomato pasta, beef bourguignonne over mashed potatoes, creamy potato, Swiss and bacon soup, and the list goes on! This week, as part … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun
“Real soup is to the body, what Peace is to the soul” – Isabel Allende Some days around here it seems like Ground Hog Day. Tomatoes and peppers continue to pour out of the garden. So, sticking with my latest F=fall harvest theme I want to share a couple of the things I’ve been doing and making in our kitchen. First and foremost, I have been canning up a storm. You … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun
“Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad” – Miles Kington The summer abundance is upon us! There is nothing better than picking fresh and using the bounty of a garden this time of year. Basil, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cucumbers, herbs and more just spilling out everywhere! The basil took off like a rocket this year … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun – “AI won’t replace chefs, but it will expand what’s possible in the kitchen.” – IBM Chef Watson team
Ok, this is a departure for me, but I like experiments. This column (following my intro) was ENTIRELY written by an Artificial Intelligence interaction on Microsoft Copilot. I did not change a single word. I did not write a single word! I did NOT provide the recipe. I asked for a humorous story about a boy named Timmy making spicy chili, and to please include a recipe. … [Read more...]
“A plate of fried rice is like a canvas, waiting for the artist’s touch” – Chef Ming Lee
I got a few comments on my last column about making salsa verde and hopefully a handful of you tried it out. Writing about it triggered me into picking up all the ingredients and making a nice 4 cup batch. I made the roasted tomatillo, garlic, and serrano pepper green salsa and then put it a Dutch oven with 3 pounds of large trimmed chunks of country style pork ribs (which … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun
“I am my own muse, the subject I know best” – Frida Kahlo We were fortunate enough to spend an entire month in Mexico this year. My travels to Mexico span over 30 years, and I absolutely love the climate, the people, the culture and of course… the food! Mexican food, or at least the flavors and ingredients, are one of the anchors of my culinary style and tastes. Mexico is … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun “The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove then the hunger for bread” – Mother Teresa
Until a couple of weeks ago I was a virgin. Bread baker that is. My need to be creative and open minded about recipe following always seemed to be a non-starter when it comes to baking. I was always told that you can’t mess with baking recipes. You need to follow directions precisely. You can’t just change things willy nilly. “It’s the truth, trust me!” Well, that is just … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun
“You learn to cook so that you don’t have to be a slave to recipes” – Julia Child I am a combination of a man of a certain age, self-employed for 20 some years, and kind of retired. Together over the years it has allowed me to do a lot more cooking. Moving from the Twin Cities some 20 years ago, and living in the country without a new fun and interesting ethnic … [Read more...]
Eat Well, Be Well, Have Fun
“The way you make an omelet reveals your character.” – Anthony Bourdain Hello fellow food, drink and life lovers. Id like to take a minute to introduce myself. My name is Tim Blanski, I live in the country outside of Spring Grove with my wife Lisa Catton, our two goats Jack and Luna, our two remaining barn cats Geraldine and Hazel, our last remaining chicken named … … [Read more...]