In Praise of Chicago Pizza Shipped to My Door During the throes of this pandemic, as we brace daily for whatever might be coming next, and try to tamp down our dread enough to enjoy the day, in spite of all that's changed, I think it's only appropriate that I keep bringing up in this... Continue Reading →
Drinking Tuna Water? It's Meow-valous Every dog has his day, so they say. And around our bustling household, that goes for cats, too. Or should I say, cat. (Thank God we just have the one.) Something to hopefully tickle your fancy today as the world continues with our hunker-down approach to the spreading corona virus:... Continue Reading →
Man Up Your Grilled Cheese -- With Steak I'd like to think that, having been a bit of a picky eater myself growing up, most of the dishes I grill and boil and fry and simmer are ones my kids can stand to eat. Yeah, dream on, Dad. I mean, I haven't yet subjected them... Continue Reading →
Sky Line Chili Isn't Exactly Ken Jennings's Dish In what has certainly become a trend, and is rapidly becoming a certainty, my oldest son, Jonah, is proving daily just how much cooler he is than Dad. Among his latest trendy obsessions is tuning in avidly to The Omnibus Project, a twice weekly effort by Ken... Continue Reading →
Lazy (Extra) Days in Nashville - Dad About Town After an early career as a journalist that afforded me titillating glimpses of the wilder parts of Sandusky, Ohio (the North Coast!!!) and the Chicago suburbs (Naperville! Downers Grove! Wheaton! Bolingbrook!!!!!!!!!) -- I've been blessed to upgrade from that scintillating travelogue to the farflung locales the... Continue Reading →
An Ohioan's Take on "Chili Soup" The first Super Bowl I remember was the post-1984 season clash between the Dan-Marino-led Miami Dolphins and Joe Montana's San Francisco 49ers. I guess it was played in January 1985. I would have been 8. But everything about it says 1984 to me. It's funny: You do a search... Continue Reading →
Flavorful Red Sauce in a Rush I've given all due credit and homage to my parents as kitchen tinkerers extraordinaire. My fundamental view of cooking is less about temperature and time and more about messing with ingredients. If you didn't mix 'em up a bit, add something new, did you really cook? As long as... Continue Reading →
In Praise of Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue I've devoted a fair bit of digital space here praising barbecue, and meats, and smoke, and especially, smoky barbecued meats. Whether giving due props to the men who made me into a man who makes meals; or sharing the tricks I've picked up to prepare killer crock pot... Continue Reading →
Do it Right: BBQ Pulled Pork in the Crock Pot I come from a long line of tinkerers in the kitchen. Or at least, I'm a direct descendant of the tinkerer extraordinaire. So I don't take too seriously the category "Do it Right" that I put a lot of my recipe posts in. This just... Continue Reading →
Making the World Safe for My Father's Chili On this post-Thanksgiving, football-rich weekend, let's throw back to a column I wrote in 2008 to capture one of my family's culinary obsessions: Cincinnati-style chili spaghetti. Be sure to read to the end for the recipe. This article originally appeared in the Youngstown Vindicator on Feb. 27, 2008: I... Continue Reading →
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