June 8, 2026

Bacon, mushroom, miso pasta

A mashup of several recipes resulted in a wonderful combination of flavors. Active Prep time: 15 minutes Inactive Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients: 5 pieces of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices 12 ounces spaghetti or bucatini 1 pound assorted mushrooms, sliced 4 scallions, white and green separated and thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter 4 Tablespoons soy sauce 1 Tablespoon instant dashi powder 1 Tablespoon red or white Miso paste 4 Tablespoons of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, grated Directions:

February 23, 2025

Spicy Fried Tofu

Adapted from several different tofu recipes from https://thewoksoflife.com, wanted spicy tofu, but it was a cold day, so I wanted it warmed up. Also, I’ve borrowed the image from one of their recipes, because I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish! I’ll replace it as soon as I make this again. Ingredients 1 Tablespoons oil 1 pound firm tofu 2 heaping teaspoons spicy bean paste (Doubanjiang) 3 teaspoons soy sauce 2 teaspoons chili oil/chili crisp 2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper 1 Green onion, diced 2 Tablespoons chopped Thai basil or cilantro leaves Directions

April 30, 2024

Chicken Lazone

Ingredients: 1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breasts 4 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons flour 1 Tablespoon olive oil 4 cloves garlic (2 Tablespoons, finely chopped) 1 cup whole milk 1 cup sour cream 8 ounces linguine (or other flat noodles) Seasoning: 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 2 teaspoons rosemary 2 teaspoons thyme 1 teaspoon ground garlic 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon oregano Salt & Pepper to taste Directions: Combine seasoning ingredients Slice chicken into two halves, if large.

February 28, 2024

Low and Slow Pasta Sauce

Good lazy day sauce, add-ins with what’s on hand. Ingredients: 1 Can (15 oz) whole or crushed tomatoes 1 Can (15 oz) tomato sauce 1 Pound ground beef 4 oz mushrooms (sliced) 1 medium yellow onion (diced) 4 cloves garlic (chopped or grated) Salt and Pepper to taste Directions: Add 1 Tablespoon butter, or oil to skillet Brown beef in a large skillet with salt and pepper, set aside Add 1 Tablespoon butter to skillet Add diced onion, cook until translucent and slightly brown Push onions to perimeter of pan Add 1 more Tablespoon of butter to skillet Add sliced mushrooms, and brown on both sides Add garlic, stir in for a minute Set slow cooker to low Add both cans of tomatoes Add beef, onions, garlic and mushrooms Cook for 6-8 hours Hint, if you don’t have 6 hours, cook on high for 1 hour, low for 3+ hours An hour or two before done, taste and add salt/pepper if needed

November 12, 2023

Beef Bourguignon Two

An easy to prepare, and very flavorful dish. There are a variety of ways to prepare, I consolidated my favorite ideas from a bunch of different recipes. Note, timings are really approximate. You can start this dish in the morning, and cook it for 8 hours if you like, as long as you keep the temp low, and don’t let the sauce turn into paste. Changed a few things up in 2023 to make it easier and or better.

August 13, 2023

Taco Meat Seasoning

Easy, cheaper than a packet, and you can customize to your own flavor profile… Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon chili powder 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp paprika (smoked if you got ’em) 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp cayenne (or go crazy!) Directions: Combine all ingredients, you’re done!

March 23, 2023

Mapo Tofu New

Original recipe from The Woks of Life You’ll find a couple other recipes for Mapo Tofu here, I really like this version, although I had to modify it to add a smaller amount of hot ingredients at the end, since I’m the only one who eats spicy food. update: 07-2024 - I’ve been substituting mushrooms for the pork, and I think I like it better that way! Ingredients: 1/4 cup oil 2 tablespoons chili oil 1 fresh Thai chili pepper, sliced 3 dried red chilies, chopped 1 Tablespoon ground Sichuan peppercorns + some for finishing 3 Tablespoons ginger (grated) 3 Tablespoons garlic (grated) 8 ounces ground pork or 8 ounces chopped crimini or other mushrooms 2 Tablespoons spicy bean sauce, divided in half 2/3 cup chicken broth (or water) 1 package (16 ounces) tofu (cut into 1 inch cubes).

March 22, 2023

Chicken Marbella

Original recipe by Katie Lee Biegel Ingredients: One 4- to 5-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 cup pitted dates, quartered 1/2 cup pitted Cerignola olives, halved 1/4 cup capers with brine 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 tablespoon dried oregano 8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely pureed or grated 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons light brown sugar 1/2 cup white wine Directions:

March 21, 2023

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

Original recipe Ingredients: One 32-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes 3 cloves garlic, smashed 2 sprigs fresh oregano 2 sprigs fresh rosemary Two 2-inch Pecorino-Romano rinds, cut into 2-4 pieces 1 cup grated Pecorino-Romano, for serving 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for drizzling 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces dried pasta, such as spaghetti or bucatini 4 tablespoons unsalted butter Directions:

October 25, 2022

Smoked wings

Since getting a pellet grill, I’ve been doing a lot more smoking than grilling. Here’s my favorite way to do wings on the smoker. I make the sauce optional, since after making these for years, about 10% of my guests prefer unsauced wings. I often make some unsauced, and 3 different sauce heat levels when cooking for a crowd. Ingredients: 2 pounds wings Dry rub (I use this one) Wing sauce (like this one, optional) Directions: