Since our big pizza failure a couple weeks ago, I have been seeking pizza redemption. Since he could eat solid food, Ben’s been seeking tacos, so taco pizza on Monday was an inevitability. We are very grateful for Rob’s tip to use a cast iron skillet, and for Mary’s advice to use a slow-rise method…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Long December
Ben has been pushing HARD for this shrimp dish since spying it in one of his cookbooks. We changed it a bit, and I’m writing up a version of what we will do next time, based on our preferences. Citrus Shrimp Kabobs 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1/4 cup orange juice 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1…
When the Moon Hits Your Eye…
…Like a big pizza pie, that’s a bore, eh. Homemade pizza should be delicious, but whatever we did this week fell a little short of expectations. It wasn’t awful. We still ate it, but I can not, in good conscience, give our meal a glowing review. Making it was fun, though. Like usual, we used…
Puttin’ On the Gritz…An Unexpected Candlelight Dinner
Monday was my last day of Thanksgiving vacation, so Ben and I planned a dinner that takes a long time to make, but is really pretty easy (if you can start at 2:00 in the afternoon.) We made beef braised in red wine, cheesy grits, and Caesar salad. All afternoon, the house smelled incredible from…
“Pye of Several Things”
Many years ago, we found this recipe in Gourmet magazine, and have been making it every November since. According to the original write-up, it is an adaptation of a recipe found in a very early collection of colonial recipes. We can’t guarantee its authenticity, or if it was ever consumed by a Pilgrim, but we…
Ben Splits the Atom
What’s better than a Ben’s Day Wednesday? Two Ben’s Day Wednesdays. How does Ben pull off this feat when his mom is on her very last leg, and barely able to focus her attention on cooking with him once a week? I don’t know. Ben exceeds expectations. Saturday we made Chili-Orange Steak Bites and Creamy…
Lighten Up!
Coming off a weekend of unseasonably warm, beautiful weather, our Ben’s Day Wednesday session was brimming with energy. We made ginger-soy steak with pear-cucumber salad while whooping it up with a kitchen dance party. Ben’s Play List: Can’t Stop the Feeling – Justin Timberlake Shake It Off – Taylor Swift Firework – Katy Perry Poker…
A Hotly Contested Dinner Race
This week’s Ben’s Day Wednesday was fraught with strife. We were slated to make buffalo meatballs together on Sunday, but alas, the buffalo meat was not thawed enough, despite two days in the fridge. Ben had to settle for leftover soup with “pretty bread,” as he derisively called our garden focaccia. The disappointment was palpable….
Curried Goat! (Bet you didn’t see that one coming!)
Ben, as regular readers know, is an adventuresome gourmand. I am always pretty organized in my grocery expeditions, but when I spotted frozen “bone-in goat cubes” in the same case where I usually find sausage, I decided that Ben might like to try some Jamaican fare. I threw it in the shopping cart, along with…
Steak and Cheese Subs à la Hipster
This week, I needed a break. My school work load is really intense this year, so I nudged Ben towards subs. With steak as the anchor, it didn’t take much nudging. If I had it in me, I’d tell you exactly how we made this awesome sub, involving both butter and mayo, but I’m working…