Clik here to view.
Remembering Charlie Daniels
A Truly Nice ManI was shocked to my soul a few minutes ago by the news of the sudden passing of an old friend, the incomparable Charlie Daniels.I use the term “friend” somewhat advisedly because I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Air Fryer Bacon? Yes! (But With Conditions)
Bacon is the Duct Tape of the KitchenA couple of weeks ago, a fellow bacon-loving friend and I were discussing our favorite porcine ambrosia and she asked if it were possible to cook bacon in an air...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Just Ignore The Latest Lunatic “Hack” For Cooking Pasta
“Every Time This Technique Is Replicated, An Italian Dies”I thought I'd seen it all. I thought I'd experienced every crackpot “time-saving” and/or “labor-saving” technique and device out there for the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thoughts On McDonald's Perennially Broken Ice Cream Machines
A Strange IronyWhen I was young and so was McDonald's (we were both born the same year), my go-to order at the home of the Golden Arches was some of their life-changing French fries and an icy-cold,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Restaurant Review: First Watch, Winston-Salem, NC
First Watch or Last Choice?We were in Winston-Salem, North Carolina for some weekend shopping and business when we got a little hungry for a midday brunch. We did a Google search for such places and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Confessions Of An ALDI Snob
It's All My Mother's FaultI grew up an extremely brand-conscious kid. It's all my mother's fault. I shopped with her every week from the earliest time I can remember right up through my adult years.My...
View ArticleClik here to view.
You Don't Really Want to Dine “Al Fresco” in Italy
Just Hope There's Not A Prison NearbyA lot of people like to toss around foreign words and phrases they've picked up as a means of making themselves sound more worldly, cultured, well-traveled, or...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes? Oh, You'd Better Believe It!
Air Fryer Baked Potatoes Are The New Standard In My KitchenYou know, I jumped on the air fryer bandwagon when they first became popular a couple of years ago. I figured I'd find something to do with...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Forget the Big Box Stores. Equip Your Kitchen At A Restaurant Supply Store
Want To Cook Like A Pro? Shop Where the Pros Shop.A lot of people started doing a lot of cooking and baking in the last year or so. And most of them made huge mistakes by going to their local big box...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Want Quick, Easy Bacon? Let George (Foreman) Do It!
I Don't Know Why I Didn't Think Of This BeforeI have written quite a lot about bacon over the years. It's one of my favorite topics, to say nothing of its being one of my favorite foods. I've written...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time To Stop Wasting Sliced Deli Meat
Keep Your Lunch Meat Out Of The LandfillSome time ago I wrote about a pretty slick trick for saving bacon. (Bacon Is A Terrible Thing To Waste, April 12, 2017) When there's just one or two of you a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Review: The Open Kitchen, Charlotte, North Carolina
A Great Old-School Italian-American PlaceI was in Charlotte, North Carolina recently to attend a show at the Belk Theater at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (a fabulous venue, by the way) and was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Defense (and a History) of the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich
There's Nothing Wrong With A Good Ol' PB&JI was at one of my favorite Italian hangouts the other day hanging out with some of my favorite Italians. I had backed out of having lunch with them...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hey, “Patriots!” How About Showing Some Real Respect For Your Flag?
There's Nothing Wrong With Displaying Your Love Of Country And Your Respect For Its Flag. Except When You Don't.Newcomers to the United States are often impressed and/or mystified by the predominant...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Andrea Bocelli Is Simply Amazing
Il Maestro È Veramente MeravigliosoOkay, I'll admit it: when it comes to Andrea Bocelli I'm an unabashed fan. And I'm certainly not alone. The incredible Italian tenor has admirers in all walks of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Without Ham, Does Arby's Really “Have The Meats!”?
Last Time I Looked, Ham Was Still A MeatI drove past my neighborhood Arby's the other day. I've been doing that a lot since last fall when the chain wrongheadedly removed any and all traces of ham from...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Is It Marinara Or Is It Tomato Sauce?
It's More Than “Toe-MAY- toe” or “Toe-MAH-toe”Tomato season is in full swing and I've got buckets of the delicious little ovoids waiting around to be turned into sauce. But what kind of sauce am I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Okay! So I'll Use The Dishwasher
Being Slowly Dragged Into The Modern Age Of DishwashingMany years ago, I wrote a lengthy piece here (like anything I write is less than lengthy) on the proper way to wash dishes. I called it “How To...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Few CHEAP And Easy Tips To Help Keep Your Kitchen Organized
One Man's Trash … I've written a lot about kitchen and/or cooking organization because it's something I'm really passionate about. And if you've ever read anything I've written on any topic, you'll...
View ArticleClik here to view.
First Texas Pete And Now Barilla. Doesn't Anybody Read The Damn Labels?
Watch Out, Chattanooga Bakery. You're NextI was amused a few days ago when I read of a lawsuit filed by some guy in California who was claiming injury because he discovered that “Texas Pete” hot sauce...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Another Restaurant Bans Kids, Another Whiner Whines
We Are the Many, You Are the OneOkay, so an Italian place in New Jersey, a place called Nettie's House of Spaghetti, has joined a growing list of eateries making the decision to limit or outright ban...
View ArticleClik here to view.
At Last! It May Soon Be Illegal To Massacre Italian Words!
There's No “American Way.” Wrong Is Wrong.As regular readers know, I have long been on a quixotic quest to stamp out the egregious mispronunciation of Italian words. Italian is such a beautiful,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Praise For Plain Pasta
Don't Overlook the Simple PleasuresMmmm, pasta. You ought to see my pantry. You'd swear I had stock in DeCecco and Barilla. I love pasta. And that love affair goes way back.The very first pasta I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Don't Waste Money On Precooked Bacon!
Money Can't Buy Happiness. But It Can Buy Bacon, And That's Close EnoughI've decided to stop turning around in the grocery store because it seems like every time I turn around, the prices have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Jumping Off The Ozempic Bandwagon
No No No Ozempic!A cautionary tale.I'm old and I make no bones about it.One of the many downsides of aging is the concomitant decrease in metabolism. Whereas ten or fifteen years ago I could drop...
View Article
