Sunday marks the official start of Spring, the time when we all start thinking about kicking off the ice from winter and getting a fresh start for the warmer months ahead. If you’re like me, that process includes giving your home a good deep cleaning. Cleaning isn’t high on most folks’ lists of fun activities, but it doesn’t have to be[…]
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Sun Studio in Memphis, Tenn., is the undisputed birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll. The Sun Records label, which launched the careers of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and more, began as Memphis Recording Service in 1950. Owner Sam Phillips started by recording local blues artists, including B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf, but two yeas later launched his the record label that would change the[…]
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The food: Is it clear yet that I have a soft spot for foods that are best described as ooey gooey? Whether it’s super moist baked goods or extra cheesy dinners, I love rich, delicious treats. Not healthy, but absolutely delicious. This certainly holds true when it comes to my favorite Italian dishes. Cheese manicotti with meat sauce is high on the list,[…]
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Pasta sauce out of a jar or can? Ick. In addition to being full of nasty preservatives, the pre-made stuff lacks soul. If you’re a fan of chunky, veggie-filled, and meaty sauce for your spaghetti, manicotti, and other Italian meals, give this recipe a shot. Yes, it takes a lot more time than just grabbing something from the pantry, but it[…]
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The food: I’m not a big fan of scones. Most of the ones I’ve tried from various coffee shops are too dry for my liking. When it comes to baked goods, I prefer ooey-gooey treats. After discovering a glazed berry scone at Panera that I actually love, however, I decided it was time to add these biscuit-like cakes to my baking[…]
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It’s August. How did that happen already? (I know, the “time flies” cliché makes me sound really old. Or maybe being really old makes me sound really old.) This is the time of year that I start saying, “Enough already, I’m stoked for jeans, football, and soup,” while my reality is still shorts, baseball, and ice cream. During this month, the[…]
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The food: Growing up in the Midwest, far from an ocean, my exposure to seafood as a child was mostly limited to fried fish sticks. Although I grew to appreciate the flavor of fish, mollusks, and other deep-sea finds, I never considered cooking them. Crab cakes, for example, sounded far too exotic for my limited culinary skills. Boy was I wrong! I decided to conquer my fear[…]
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The food: Sometimes you just want ooey gooey, all-American chocolate chip cookies. When the craving strikes, I like to bake rather than buy because homemade tastes so much better and they are really easy to make. I created this super-simple recipe by combining several I’ve used over the years. There are only nine ingredients and everything is basically a measurement of one or two, so it’s not terribly difficult to follow[…]
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The food: About a year ago, I ate Mexican street corn for the first time … and fell in love. It’s charred sweet corn, onions, jalapenos, lime juice, and seasonings, all mixed with a healthy dose of mayonnaise. The results are spicy and creamy — the perfect side dish for backyard barbecues, family potlucks, or Taco Tuesdays. Best of all, it’s super simple[…]
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The food: In my Q&A with Chef George Formaro earlier this week, I discovered his guilty food pleasure is a juicy steak with decadent Bearnaise sauce. He was kind enough to share his recipe for a classic steak Bearnaise, along with some helpful hints for getting it right (more on those in a minute). The music: In the same interview, George admitted he likes KC and the[…]
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Des Moines is an amazing city. When I sing its praises to people who’ve never lived in Iowa’s capital, however, they tend to look at me like I’m joking, crazy, or a country bumpkin. Ask anyone who has spent meaningful time there and you’ll discover I’m not nuts: Des Moines is damn cool. One reason for its awesomeness is George Formaro, the chef behind Centro, Django, South Union Bread[…]
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The food: Admit it. There are times when nothing (and I mean nothing) is as satisfying as chocolate. On those days, it’s smart to have this recipe for chewy chocolate cookies handy. These cookies super rich and moist, which tends to happen when you use a couple of sticks of butter, and they taste amazing on their own or warmed up and served with ice[…]
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The food: This recipe was a request…by the band I’m featuring. Say what?! Yep, I got to meet the band in question after a show (more on that in a minute), and I asked them what they would eat while listening to their album. How better to decide a perfect pairing? Their request was this (oddly specific) meal and a beer. I[…]
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The food: This year, we planted a pretty large raised-bed garden (it’s about 6 x 18-feet) and our six tomato plants yielded a decent crop. There was no way we could eat them all while they were fresh, so we had to learn a thing or two about canning. We decided to make several batches each of salsa and pasta sauce. Turns out, canning isn’t difficult–just[…]
Read More
Sunday marks the official start of Spring, the time when we all start thinking about kicking off the ice from winter and getting a fresh start for the warmer months ahead. If you’re like me, that process includes giving your home a good deep cleaning. Cleaning isn’t high on most folks’ lists of fun activities, but it doesn’t have to be[…]
Read More
The food: We were gifted a KitchenAid stand mixer with the ice cream maker about a year ago (thanks, dad!). Since then, I’ve been experimenting with recipes in hopes of figuring out the easiest way to get creamy delicious homemade custard. I think this fits the bill. Using this basic recipe, you can create almost any kind of ice cream in less[…]
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The MTV Video Music Awards are Sunday, Aug. 30. You read that correctly. MTV still awards music videos despite no longer playing music videos. If, like me, you were born in the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, aka “the MTV Generation,” you remember fondly when the cable channel actually played videos all day. You still have a little crush on Martha Quinn or Alan[…]
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The food: About a year ago, I ate Mexican street corn for the first time … and fell in love. It’s charred sweet corn, onions, jalapenos, lime juice, and seasonings, all mixed with a healthy dose of mayonnaise. The results are spicy and creamy — the perfect side dish for backyard barbecues, family potlucks, or Taco Tuesdays. Best of all, it’s super simple[…]
Read More
The food: In my Q&A with Chef George Formaro earlier this week, I discovered his guilty food pleasure is a juicy steak with decadent Bearnaise sauce. He was kind enough to share his recipe for a classic steak Bearnaise, along with some helpful hints for getting it right (more on those in a minute). The music: In the same interview, George admitted he likes KC and the[…]
Read More
Des Moines is an amazing city. When I sing its praises to people who’ve never lived in Iowa’s capital, however, they tend to look at me like I’m joking, crazy, or a country bumpkin. Ask anyone who has spent meaningful time there and you’ll discover I’m not nuts: Des Moines is damn cool. One reason for its awesomeness is George Formaro, the chef behind Centro, Django, South Union Bread[…]
Read More
The food: We were gifted a KitchenAid stand mixer with the ice cream maker about a year ago (thanks, dad!). Since then, I’ve been experimenting with recipes in hopes of figuring out the easiest way to get creamy delicious homemade custard. I think this fits the bill. Using this basic recipe, you can create almost any kind of ice cream in less[…]
Read More
Did you buy one of the 9 million vinyl records sold in the U.S. last year? If you’re among the many people who have rediscovered (or, for younger listeners, discovered) the magic of old-school albums, you may be interested in starting a collection. Before you buy, however, read these five tips for collecting vinyl records so you can avoid some mistakes we made[…]
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The food: Almost every week, we buy a bunch of bananas … and almost every week we have at least a few that get too ripe before we eat them. Instead of wasting the overdone fruit, I use them in bread. After all, other than the bananas, this recipe uses baking staples everyone typically has in the pantry (cheap!). Banana bread is one of my favorite things, so[…]
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The food: This year, we planted a pretty large raised-bed garden (it’s about 6 x 18-feet) and our six tomato plants yielded a decent crop. There was no way we could eat them all while they were fresh, so we had to learn a thing or two about canning. We decided to make several batches each of salsa and pasta sauce. Turns out, canning isn’t difficult–just[…]
Read More