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Our patriotic, blueberry enhanced Strawberry Shortcake
Here’s wishing everyone a happy, safe, and delicious July Fourth celebration, on the 231st anniversary of our nation’s birth. (Here’s what started all the fuss.)

Every year around the Fourth of July, my friends Rich and Chigiy throw a huge barbecue party for their friends, and for number two son Dashiell, a July 4th baby. Every year, the talented Chigiy (pronounced “chi-gee”) makes this terrific salad with Chinese napa cabbage, radishes, snow peas, toasted slivered almonds, and a sweet [...]

Why is it that baked beans are so popular around the Fourth of July, but making them usually requires several hours of baking in a hot oven? Where we live it gets pretty darn sizzling in the summer and the last thing we want to do is keep the oven going for hours; the [...]

Anything special? I’m thinking some classic grilled hot dogs and buns, topped with mustard and sauerkraut. Along with some corn, coleslaw, and baked beans. To me, this is the 4th of July, though I think we could use a few more ideas. And you? Let us know in the comments.

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The first time I tried grilling corn-on-the-cob, by placing shucked corn directly on the grill, the results weren’t all that stellar. Too dried out and chewy. I consulted “She-who-knows-everything-when-it-comes-to-home-cooking” (a.k.a. mom) who informed me the way to do it was to cook the corn in their husks, directly on a hot grill. [...]

“OMG, these are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten in my life,” I mumbled to mom the other day, mouth full of cookie, one hand reaching for another. “Would you please get the recipe from Claire? Puhleeezzzz?” Claire is my mother’s friend, a lovely woman in her 80s, recently widowed, who brought [...]

It’s the film every foodie worth her salt has been waiting for. Pixar’s Ratatouille (rah-tah-too-ee) is about a rat with gourmet sensibilities who longs to be a chef, and manages to follow his dream into one of the best restaurants in Paris. It opens Friday, June 29th, 2007. If you catch it, [...]

An herbed butter is a great way to dress up corn-on-the-cob, veggies of all kinds, chicken, fish, prawns, pork, steak, you name it. Here’s an herb butter recipe, Southwestern style, with cilantro and lime. Do you ever make herbed butters? If so, what’s your favorite combo?
Continue reading “Cilantro Lime Herb Butter” »

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Black beans and rice is such a classic combination, especially in Caribbean or Southern cooking. There are probably dozens of ways to make it; this one is an easy recipe that cooks up quick and tastes great. Now, if you are really serious about your beans you’ll soak dry black beans overnight and [...]

I recently had the jerk chicken at a local Davis hangout, the psychedelically inspired Delta of Venus. The place looks a bit scruffy, but my oh my is their jerk chicken good. And hot. Reminiscent of Homer Simpson’s chili cook-off. My meal there led me to do some research on [...]