Summer is just a couple of months away, and we’re getting mentally prepared for all the sunshine and fruit and pool time we can get, especially after such a long break. One fruit that pops into our heads when we think of summer is cherry. In our opinion cherries go with almost anything, bring a …
Apple pie is as American as hotdogs, baseball, wide open roads, and really a damn delicious pie ! There are a few other desserts that are distinctly American, but apple pie reigns supreme. But why is that ? Why is apple pie so American ? Why not another fruit ? Why pie ? What about …
Chicken seems to be the meat of choice for a lot of people. It’s light, compared to beef, it pleases most people, and it makes the best damn soup. Most of the time you get chicken meat with the bones and skin already removed, especially if it’s chicken breast. Sometimes though, you buy a whole …
Summer’s coming right up and so is fruit. And what other way to enjoy fresh, delicious fruit than to bake them with a bit of pastry dough ? Now you have the option to choose just what you’ll be baking. If it a pie ? Is it a cobbler ? The cobbler vs pie discussion …
Pies are beautiful, delicious little things and they always put you in a good mood. Most of the time they’re sweet and you can’t get enough of them. Sometimes they’re savory and incredibly filling. One thing is clear: pies are loved by all, and they’re a staple for nearly every holiday you can imagine. So …
Pies are so many things to so many people. To some they’re patriotic, to some they’re nostalgic, and to some they’re an extra hassle when the holidays roll around. But there’s one thing we all know about pies, whether we like them or not. Pies are round, and there is no other shape for them. …
Mustard is so often used in parks, at picnics, at a barbecue, on roadtrips, it’s in your burger and potato salad, it’s everywhere ! It add a nice pungent, sharp, sometimes hot flavor to whatever you’re eating. And in some cases it can be the saving grace of some meals. Have you ever wondered why …
Olives come in many different colors, flavors, cultivars, sizes, and degrees of convenience. Some of the most famous olive types are black olives and kalamata, and people often wonder if they’re not the same thing, or how they differ. So today we’re going to take a close look at kalamata and black olives, to see …
Olives are beautiful, flavorful little things and it’s really a shame to waste them. You can get them either by the pound, or pre-packaged in tubs or vacuum bags, or glass jars. And if you don’t end up eating them all in one go – most people don’t – you may be wondering just how …
If you’re a big fan of lasagna but absolutely cannot stand the thought of tomatoes, or cannot find any, then you’re in dire need of a tomato substitute. Maybe your case isn’t as dire and you simply need something else to bulk up a ratatouille. Or, maybe you’d rather swap the tomato in a salad …
As beautiful and flavorful as tomatoes can be, they can also be a real pain when it comes to buying the perfect ones. They’re often too acidic, too tough, and unripe, and they may even have a tough, thick skin. What’s up with that ? And why are so many tomatoes consistently tough-skinned, across the …
If you’ve ever had a tomato you know it can get a little sharp in flavor. This can be good or bad, depending on your stomach problems and personal preferences. There are some vegetables and fruits that just seem to trigger heartburn, and tomatoes are one of the main perps. But why are tomatoes acidic …
Tomatoes are delicious and juicy, but often we get some really bland, cardboard-like red veggies instead of the real, flavorful thing. Sometimes though, you get lucky and find the really good ones, so you go back and get some more. But how do you store a whole bunch of tomatoes ? Should tomatoes be refrigerated …
A nice cauliflower cream soup sounds wonderful, but you don’t have the time to prepare it anytime this week. So you buy a nice cauliflower head and bring it home, with the idea of cooking it over the weekend. Where and how should you keep fresh, raw cauliflower ? Should cauliflower be refrigerated ? Can …
Cauliflower’s gotten more attention in the past decade than it ever has, and often it’s used as a healthy substitute. Whether to cut back on carbs, replace meat in a roast, chicken wings, rice, pizza crust, or anything else, cauliflower is way more popular than it used to be. So what happens when you simply …
Cauliflower is enjoying a whole new love, as it’s been recognized as a healthy food in the past decade. You’ll find it in many healthy substitutes, primarily low-carb ones like cauliflower rice, cauliflower pizza crust, cauliflower roast, and so on. One thing is always constant: the color. Cauliflower is white, and we’ve always taken that …
The amazing eggplant is both beautiful and mysterious. They’re not something you cook every day, mostly because they’re so darn confusing. So when you do get your hands on one, you’re likely to wonder just what the perfect storage option is. Do you put them in the fridge with the rest of the vegetables, or …
Eggplants get a bad rap for being bitter, bland, or just gross. But often it’s just the result of bad cooking, and not necessarily the eggplant’s fault. The best way to get eggplant’s true flavor is to roast it. But when it comes to cooking eggplants in general, should you peel it ? Is the …
Making the perfect mashed potatoes comes with some challenges, especially when you’ve got the potato flake box just looking at you. Tempting you to use them instead of starting from scratch. But there’s just something so good about fresh, home-made mashed potatoes that gives them an extra layer of deliciousness. So today we’re going to …
Mashed potatoes are a wonderful side dish. They’re easy to make, reliable, a crowd pleaser, and very filling. Sometimes though, you stop to wonder just what else you can make. A change is probably welcome every once in a while. The good news is that mashed potatoes are easy to substitute, and easy to enhance …