Giuseppepaolo

As you may already know, I cook chicken way more than I cook beef. Not only is it usually less expensive but it's a lot more versatile. Over the years I've learned what I like, what works, and how to optimize my chicken dish. I think the most important thing I've learned (and I learned it from Julia Child) is not to overcook your chicken. It really makes all the difference in the world. When you can cut your chicken with a fork....and it melts in your mouth almost like butter....you know you've cooked it to perfection. Julia Child from Mastering the Art of French Cooking: 'The flesh of a perfectly cooked [chicken breast] is white with the faintest pinky blush, its juices run clear yellow and it is definitely juice.......Press the top of it with your finger; if it is still soft and yields slightly to the touch, it is not yet done. As soon as the flesh springs back with gently resilience, it is ready . If there is no springiness, it is overcooked.' With that said,...

  This is a partial recipe post. I didn't make the beef filling. Just warning you....but, whatever shredded beef recipe you like, use it. Let me back up here. Tamales have been on my I'd-really-love-to-learn-how-to-make-that list since forever. One of my childhood friends from school informed me recently that she makes them every year. (What?!) When she offered to show me how, I didn't care that it was the middle of the summer and was going to be 90 plus degrees outside. I wasn't going to pass this up for nothin. So, Bernie (that's what I've been calling her since we were pre-teens....having water fights in the puddles whenever it rained) gathered all the makings....and made the beef at home in her slow cooker (with chili powder and other seasonings) and even had the meat shredded when she showed up on my doorstep. All I had to get was lard. For some reason, the main stream markets around here don't carry it very often. But I knew I could find it in the Mexi...

Limoncello is one of my favorite liqueurs. But it's a little pricey depending on the brand you buy. And let me tell you....brand makes a huge difference. I've tried a few. One of them was just awful. If I had tried it the first time I ever had limoncello, I would never try it again. Ya, it was that bad. Anyway...I'm not here to recommend what brand you drink or like...I'm here to show you how to make it yourself. It's not difficult. The most challenging part is getting the skin off the lemon without getting any of the pith (the white stuff) and of course waiting for the end results. Yes...it is time intensive. It's not cheap either. But it is less expensive than buying it from the store. I figure approximately 2/3 the cost (kinda like a "buy 2 get 1 free" sorta thing). Although I did get my lemons for free, which helped. I've heard a lot of talk over the years about various methods and scientific measuring based on the alcohol used vs the simple sy...

Dulce de leche, banana and peanuts.....'nuf said. Ok, so I do have more to say (come on, you oughta know me better than that by now). You know how when you "think up" a great combo in flavors, then you google it and of course it's already been done. A gazillion times over. Ya well....it happens to me all the time. I never get to think up anything new and original. But that doesn't ever stop me from making it and enjoying it and loving it. Especially this pie. It's no-bake and easy peasy. Perfect for summer. Or anytime when you don't want to turn on the oven. You can even let the kids make this. Of course, you'll end up with a sticky mess in the kitchen...but hey, that's half the fun when you're a kid, right? This particular recipe was found on FoodNetwork, courtesy of Marcela Valladolid and can be found here: Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie . I did make a few very slight changes and omissions. You can compare the two if you'd like and do w...

Its that time of year....for those gardeners out there, when you're picking more than you can eat. It's a great feeling, having an abundance of fresh vegetables. Friends and family get to benefit from our gardens generosity as well, as we hand out our 'spoils' by the bagful. It's also a time when we're racking our brains trying to figure out exactly what we're going to do with it all. Sure, there are Squash Casseroles , Zucchini Bread , fried zucchini and squash, Zucchini Pancakes , Zucchini and Potato Pancakes and many more. But what about the future? Something that we can make now and eat....later. Maybe when we're not so....zucchini and squashed out. You know? I made Summer Squash Pickles a few weeks ago. My first pickling experience. It's from a recipe in The Homesick Texan. It was so easy that it got me to thinking.....hmmm.....pickling and canning. Maybe I should start venturing into that arena. There's a lot of it going on right about now...

Yep....that's all there was left by the time I was able to snap a picture. This super easy, very yummy Strawberry Summer Cake doesn't last long once it comes out of the oven. (As always) I have a little story about this cake. You all are familiar with (or most likely have an account with) Pinterest.com   I'm not as hooked on it as a lot of people seem to be. I play over there every now and then. I have a few "boards" with some "pins" hanging around. But I'm not there on a daily basis by any means. So, with that said, I remembered a recipe I had "saved" for a strawberry cake a while back. It was time to make it but I needed to find it. I immediately went to my Google Reader and searched high and low through my tagged and starred recipes. Nothing. I knew it wasn't in a magazine or cookbook. I don't keep recipes all over the place on my computer or on the internet. Well, I try not to. I do have them stacked around my desk....but that...

Here you have some very basic, standard, simple ingredients. When you add a few spices and cooking techniques, they become exquisite. I'm talking about two fantastic recipes from The Homesick Texan Cookbook by Lisa Fain. I swear...I just LOVE this book. It has become one of my favorites and for some reason, as the days get longer and sun gets hotter, I start cooking more Mexican and Tex-mex meals. They just seem to go with the season. I have a feeling that my new favorite cookbook will be getting a whole lot of use over the next couple of months. Carnitas Printable Recipe 3 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 2" chunks 1/2 cup orange juice 1/4 cup lime juice 4 cloves of garlic (wait...what? only 4 for all that meat? I used the whole damn head of garlic) 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste In a large heavy pot, combine all of the ingredients Add enough water to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil and then simmer, uncovered for 2 hours. Don't touch, do...