Cooking with Ben is a lot of work. Blogging about it, even more, but it is always worth it. What he lacks in technique, he brings in enthusiasm. Can I cook faster on my own? Of course. Do I make tastier dinners when left to my own devices? Often. Would I want to? Not a…
Author: Liz
Chef Ben – “Let’s Make a Party!”
Anyone who knows Ben, knows that this is his favorite phrase. Yes, he’s in it for the food, but he also has understood from a very early age that who you eat with brings just as much joy as what you eat. At least once a week, Ben attempts to engineer a party. To him,…
Jensday Wednesday!
This week we had our first Ben’s Day Wednesday guest! We’re not saying your name has to rhyme with Ben, but it doesn’t hurt! Jen has been a family friend for years. We had a great time teaching second grade together, but Ben positively fell in love when he first saw her eat a burger…
How about another fortune?
We did not go out to eat tonight. It was a compromise, of sorts, as Ben always wants wings, burgers and fries. We had delivery from New China Royal, and it was very satisfying. Ben reports that he liked everything “except the skinny white things that taste like veggies.” We believe he meant water chestnuts,…
Soup’s On!
It takes a lot of fast talking to get Ben to go with soup. I don’t believe he dislikes it, exactly. It’s more that he resents it for not being half a ham or a side of beef. This week, after an indulgent food weekend, and some chilly Pennsylvania weather, I caught him in a…
Sisters, Food, Music, History: A Road Trip Down South, Y’all
For the first time in decades, I had MLK day off, so we decided to travel down south to see Sophia. Due to iffy weather, Ben and Phil picked me up after school Friday and we barreled on to Sophia’s apartment, south of Richmond, Virginia. I don’t need to tell you that the traffic was…
Quick Chicken Cordon Bleu
When you plan a meal with Ben, you better bring your A game. He understands the need for a balanced meal, but he usually just throws all his favorite things out there and hopes that a few of them will stick. The moment you agree to something he suggests, he immediately adds another item. He…
Trail Inn – “One fine meal, I must say.”
Garlic Shrimp with Lemon Butter Cream Sauce
While the chef’s hat has proven invaluable in meal preparation, a close second would be a cookbook we got Ben for Christmas. The Simple Kitchen, by Chad and Donna Elick, has easy recipes that seem to be right up Ben’s alley, but best of all, it has great pictures so that Ben can browse and…
Snow!
It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. You would think that any kid (or let’s be honest, teacher) would be delighted to have a two-hour delay due to snow, but that wasn’t exactly how it played out in our house this morning. Ben goes to the work site every Wednesday….