The food: Pulled pork is a hit-or-miss meat. When it’s good, it’s moist, flavorful, and nearly impossible to stop eating. When it’s bad, however, it’s dry, tasteless, and not worth the calories. The good news is I have an easy recipe for…
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… 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,… This is the 50th post on Cooking With Vinyl, and this week marks the end of the blog’s fourth full month. We’re still small potatoes in the blog world, but 100-250 people visit the site every day. Wow! We’re also closing in on 1,000 Facebook fans,… Why buy pizza sauce for several dollars when you can make your own for a fraction of the price? Bonus: It doesn’t have all the sugar and preservatives of the store-bought junk. This super-fresh recipe is sweet and spicy, and will make a few personal pizzas…. The food: Although I love cooking, there are many nights when I stare blankly at the ingredients in my refrigerator and pantry. No plan, no creativity, no energy. On those evenings, it’s nice to have an easy one pot recipe at the ready. Less work, less…
The food: Cheesecake—especially the classic baked New York style—is a true crowd pleaser. Its rich, creamy flavors appeal to most tastebuds, and both the taste and the appearance fool people into thinking it is difficult to make. In fact, it’s a relatively…
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 to make. Next time you fire up the grill, throw on a few ears of corn and whip up this treat.
The music: Mexican street corn makes me think of a lively street festival, and there’s no better music for that environment than folk legend John Prine. “Bruised Orange” from 1978 is Prine’s fifth album. There are 10 tracks, including “If You Don’t Want My Love”, which he co-wrote with the infamous Phil Spector. This album didn’t make a big dent in the Billboard pop charts (it reached 116), but Prine was never a mass-market hitmaker. He was a true storyteller, and his work is beloved by many modern folk revival artists (Bon Iver, Avett Brothers, Amos Lee, and Kacey Musgraves all cite him as an influence). Prine’s records are also pretty collectible, so if you find one at a record store or an estate sale, grab it, then crank it up while you host a backyard barbecue with a tasty spread including this street corn.
If you’re one of those poor people for whom cilantro tastes like soap, omit it from this recipe. Just know, however, that I weep for your taste buds because it adds an awesome kick to this super flavorful side dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
https://www.cookingwithvinyl.com/mexican-street-corn/ ® Cooking with Vinyl (do not reproduce without permission)
Run out of chili powder? Prefer the economics (or pride) of making your own? Either way, it’s super simple to make from-scratch seasoning for chili (or meatloaf, pasta, and more). All this easy recipe takes is five spices from your cupboard, and about one minute of your time.
When St. Louisans think about buying records, they head first to Vintage Vinyl. For more than 30 years, the store has operated out of a storefront on historic Delmar Ave., in the artsy U City Loop district just outside of downtown (and very near one of the…
The food: Every home cook needs a few tried-and-true recipes they can turn to on busy nights. For me, meatloaf is one of those. It’s an “everything but the kitchen sink” type of recipe—if you have ground beef, you can almost certainly find some…
The food: My boyfriend loves to grill. I love to eat BBQ. It works out well. When we were trying to decide what to grill last weekend, however, we were coming up short. We had fallen into a bit of a rut, cycling through steaks, chicken breasts, and pork chops on… 
Dress up chicken, beef, or pork before grilling, baking, or frying with this sweet and tangy Honey Mustard Marinade. It’s easy to make using ingredients you probably already have. With less or no garlic, this also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken fingers….
Almost everything tastes better with butter, and that definitely includes bread and other baked goods. I’ve recently learned about making compound butters, which is just a fancy way of saying mixing stuff into butter. If you like adding a bit of sweet to your muffins, toast, bagels, and the like, try this easy honey cinnamon butter recipe. It’s super simple (just three ingredients and 5 minutes!) and it’s pretty reminiscent of that delicious stuff they serve at Texas Roadhouse. Use it to top No-Knead Beer Bread or Sweet Cornbread.
I make no secret that I’m a novice in the kitchen. After two decades of making little more than tacos and spaghetti, I really focused on learning to cook about 2 years ago. My skills have greatly improved, but I have a long way to go before I’d ever feel…
I make no secret that I’m a novice in the kitchen. After two decades of making little more than tacos and spaghetti, I really focused on learning to cook about 2 years ago. My skills have greatly improved, but I have a long way to go before I’d ever feel…
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 while amassing our collection of nearly 2,000 LPs.
Start cheap: Shop thrift shops, hit garage sales, or visit estate sales. Mixed in with all the musical soundtracks and Perry Como records, you’ll likely find great foundation albums (the basics that everyone should own) in good shape for $1 or less. This is how I amassed more than half of my records, including pristine copies from crooners like Frank Sinatra and cowboys like Waylon Jennings. No, you probably won’t nab Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” or anything from The Beatles, but it’s a great way to get started without spending a fortune. It also gives you time to be certain you want to advance to spending big dollars on growing a collection.
Examine your picks:
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Unless you’re purchasing a brand-new, still-sealed record from a brick-and-mortar shop or online store that allows returns, there are no guarantees. I’ve made this mistake more times than I care to admit, ending up with an empty jacket, the wrong LP inside the jacket, missing albums in multi-disc sets, and records scratched to bits. Look over your pick before buying. If you’re shopping eBay, check the seller’s history, reviews, and return policies to decide whether it’s worth the risk.
Stick to originals: Whenever possible, choose original pressings of old albums over reissues. Why? Newer recordings are often made from the most recent version of the album because the record label may no longer own the original analog master. This only matters, though, if you’re into vinyl for the sound quality (reissues are basically just CDs on vinyl and lose much of the warm sound of the original).
Cover the classics: Not sure where to start? I recommend reading Rolling Stone’s picks for the 500 greatest albums of all time. We’ve been slowly chipping away at this list, starting with those $1 finds and then adding on with pricier purchases at record shops. I carry this list with me when we shop so we know where to start our search through the seemingly endless bins of possibilities. You just can’t go wrong adding the Bobs (Dylan or Marley), the Boss, the Beatles, or any of the others on this list to your collection. Not all will be easy to find, but it makes for a great wish list.
Collect what you love: Most of all, buy what makes you happy. If (like me) you love the Muppets and hate the Doors, more power to you. It’s your collection. Choose albums that you’ll play and treasure. Just because a certain jazz record is highly collectible doesn’t you’ll actually listen to it. That’s a waste.
The food: Sometimes you just want to clog your arteries a bit with a big, juicy steak topped with butter and cheese. When that mood strikes, make it worthwhile with a fatty bone-in ribeye and decadent gorgonzola compound butter (mitigate your guilt by adding a healthy… 
The food: One of my favorite things about Cooking with Vinyl is meeting other bloggers, especially those who like to write about cooking. This post is the result of tweeting back and forth with Jay and Dee in Birmingham UK (@jay_and_dee). Their blog is Cook It, Eat… 
Dress up chicken, beef, or pork before grilling, baking, or frying with this sweet and tangy Honey Mustard Marinade. It’s easy to make using ingredients you probably already have. With less or no garlic, this also makes a great dipping sauce for chicken fingers….
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…