Cooking Monster

Another Reddit Recipe. Pics to follow. Cake: 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 3/4 cup cocoa 2 cups sugar 1 cup oil 1 cup milk 1 cup coffee – cooled but not cold 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract Frosting: 2 sticks…

Amazon is selling 6 one-pound packages of arborio rice for $16.99. That’s .18 an ounce. The rice is vacuum packed so it’ll stay fresh for a long time. Stock up and make lots of Instant Pot Risotto all winter long.

When I need to cook just a little bacon (fewer than 5 strips), I turn to my air fryer. It’s important to use thick cut bacon with this method, but that’s the only kind I buy. So lay the strips down on the bottom of the tray, being sure not…

This recipe showed up on Reddit the other day, and since my mother-in-law loves chocolate, I decided to give it a go, and send her a batch. Ingredients 1 cup unsalted butter, softened ⅔ cup Brown sugar ⅔ cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla extract…

There’s a recipe over on Reddit that’s getting rave reviews. It’s weird name is explained by the OP, u/spider_hugs… “This was my mom’s recipe. Named so because my dad sheepishly asked me to make for his birthday, despite the fact they’ve been divorced for over 20 years. Use a cream…

These are a family tradition with my in-laws. Whenever two or more are gathered together, these sweet treats are made. (They’ve made them so often, there are metal cake pans that have scored cut marks in the bottoms.) They’re really delicious and pretty easy to make, and great for pot-luck…

This method works surprisingly well. It’s currently my go-to instant pot recipe, replacing the spaghetti and meat sauce recipe I made last year. Notes:  Be sure to have the onion and garlic already chopped, and your rice pre-measured before you turn on the pot, because they otherwise tend to burn…

So I’ve been making bread every couple of days for the last several months. I’ve come up with a method for sourdough that doesn’t require constant attention to the starter, and I end up with two loaves of tasty and satisfying bread, ideal for sandwiches or french toast. It’s based…

1 T Canola Oil 6 thin slices Jalapeno 3/4 c Onion 1/2 T Salt 2 T Peppercorns 1 T White Wine Vinegar 2 T White Wine 2 c Heavy Cream 2 c American Cheese, shredded 2 c Cheddar Cheese, shredded Heat a saucepan up and add the canola oil, and…

I sent out care packages to several people I know. I made an old favorite and two new ones.

INGREDIENTS 1 cup bread-and-butter pickles, drained, plus 1/2 cup of their brine 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger root 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce, such as Sriracha, sambal oelek or gochujang 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1 medium head broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds),…

1 lb ground lean beef (7% or less) 1 small onion, chopped 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional) 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 (14½ ounce) can of diced tomatoes ¼ cup tomato paste 1 T chili powder 1 t ground cumin 1 t…

Penzey’s Spices used to put out an herb mix that was great for roasting  chicken. Apparently, I was the only one who bought it, because they stopped selling it a couple years ago. Here’s how to make it yourself. Aside from the bay leaves, you’ll only use a portion of…

This is an afghan recipe called bouranee kadu or borani kadoo. Traditionally, it’s made with pumpkin, but it’s easier to find and buy butternut squash, already peeled and cut, though you’ll probably need to cut some of the pieces into smaller chunks. It’s sometimes served as a whole meal, with a layer…

It’s about 10 weeks to last frost here in zone 7. So if you live near me, then it’s time to start your tomato and pepper seedlings. This year, I’m trying five  new varieties… two big beefsteak heirlooms called Country Taste, and Grandma’s Pick; a medium-sized orange variety called Moonglow…

Why pay $7.50 a quart when you can make this gorgeous soup yourself?

(Even though this recipe is calls for orecchiette, I’ve made it with other shapes of pasta. Rigatoni works well.) 2 ¾ teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped 5 garlic cloves, crushed Freshly cracked black pepper 14 oz sweet Italian chicken sausage,…

You’ll love this practically foolproof dark chocolate cake with sweet marshmallow frosting.

A LOW-CALORIE WAY OF MAKING A SATISFYING SOUP

A LOOK AT SOME OF THE NEWER WORDS AND PHRASES RELATED TO FOOD AND EATING. haloodie n. A person who has an ardent interest in halal food. [halal + foodie] bliss point n. The specific concentration of salt, sugar, or fat that makes a food maximally tasty. food forest n. A garden that includes mostly…

A look at some of the newer words and phrases about food. pink slime n. An industrial meat byproduct consisting of compressed low quality beef trimmings treated with ammonia gas and used as a filler for ground beef. 100-foot diet n. A diet that consists mostly or exclusively of food grown in…

After you’ve trimmed off a bit of the stem end, and a bit of the pointy end, pack your one pint sterilized jars with okra, first filling the bottom with the enough okra to fill the bottom of the jar, thick end pointing down. Then cram as many more as…

When the production of your garden really starts to kick in during the summer, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with the bounty. This recipe helps, because by roasting down all of the vegetables, you intensify their flavor. And you’ll love the aroma of the roasting vegetables. Aside from the…

This may be the best thing that could ever happen to a chicken. I get a whole lot of compliments on this one. There are some members of my extended family who insist I bring this to any family gathering, regardless of the time of year. The technique of putting…