Wailted Kale and Spinach with Ham
Wailted Kale and Spinach with Ham It’s so much fun cooking for Sherry; and it’s easy too. She loves fresh vegetables – especially fresh leafy greens. This is a winner, and the whole thing takes only a few minutes once the greens are cleaned....Wilted Spinach with Broccoli and Asparagus
Wilted Spinach with Broccoli and Asparagus The neat thing about this meal is I cooked it with three different appliances; and if you REALLY want to jazz things up, fire up the broiler and toast some ham and cheese on French bread to make it four. If you don’t...Chinese "Stir Fry" Casserole
Chinese "Stir Fry" Casserole I started out with a casserole in mind; but I didn’t want to put in any sort of starch binder like rice or pasta. But I DID want some cheese. And PLENTY of mushrooms. What resulted turned out tasting like a Chinese stir-fry...Fish with Clam and Mushroom Sauce
Fish with Clam and Mushroom Sauce I picked up a nice Red Snapper filet today and figured I’d make some sort of sauce to smother it in. I tried this, and the sauce was as good or better than the snapper. Ingredients 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 4 cloves of...Green Pea Soup
Green Pea Soup Sherry loves green pea soup; and it’s easy to make. Try it; you’ll like it! This is GOOD stuff! Ingredients 1 pound dried split peas 1-2 pounds smoked pork neck bones 3 T butter 1 onion, chopped 2 sticks celery, chopped 2 carrots, chopped...Cajun Seasoning
Cajun Seasoning I don’t know where I got this recipe; it might have been from a chef friend back in Memphis, Buddy Bland. But I just don’t remember. Ingredients 3 tsp salt6 tsp Paprika4 T onion powder3 tsp garlic powder3 tsp...Rachel’s French Dressing
Rachel’s French Dressing We have this recipe hand written by Rachel taped to the inside of one of our cabinet doors. I don’t know when Rachel wrote this. Ingredients 1 cup salad oil 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup white vinegar 1/3 cup ketchup 1 clove of garlic,...Smothered Cornish Hens
Smothered Cornish Hens Ingredients 10 cloves garlic, finely minced 2 Cornish hens olive oil salt and pepper Directions Stuff garlic under skins of hens. Truss the hens and place in baking pan breast side up. Pre-heat oven to 375. Allow hens to come to room...Mushroom and Shallot Bake
Mushroom and Shallot Bake I threw this together because I had mushrooms; I had shallots; and I was hungry. Ingredients 1/2 pound white mushrooms (or your favorite) sliced 2-3-4 Shallots, chopped 1 or 2 T raspberry or other jam or preserves 1 T hot sauce salt pepper...Fried Green Tomatoes
Fried Green Tomatoes Our grocery had green tomatoes on special, so I picked up a few. I always loved fried green tomatoes when I was growing up; but until now I’ve not had any luck getting them right. I think the secret is slicing them very thin. Ingredients 2...Chorizo, Green Chile, and Mushrooms – On a Shingle
Chorizo, Green Chile, and Mushrooms – On a Shingle When I was growing up my Aunt Marie introduced me to something she loving called “SOS.” I think it was an old Navy acronymn for something served on a “shingle.” Tonight, I had a couple of...Smoked Sausage and Green Chile Frittata
Smoked Sausage and Green Chile Frittata Sherry wanted a quick snack. This wasn’t so quick, but it was worth the time it took to put it together. Ingredients 6-8 eggs (I used 8 since they were on the small side.) 2 shallots, minced 1/2 pound smoked sausage,...Shrimp and Guacamole Panini
Shrimp and Guacamole Panini I’ve been having fun with this Nuwave Oven we recently put in to service. I’ve found it’s quick and easy to cook up some shrimp for a snack or sandwich.Ingredients8 small to medium shrimp; peeled and deveined1 small to...Rosemary’s Smoked Cheese Pizza
Rosemary’s Smoked Cheese Pizza Ingredients 1 pound mushrooms; cleaned and sliced 1 teaspoon dried dill weed 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 cup grated smoked cheese 1 cup grated mild cheese (Mozzarella, etc.) 1/2 cup scallions, chopped. oil for the cooking pan salt...Pan Seared Steak
Pan Seared Steak We used to grill steaks just about every Friday back when we lived around the corner from Southern Meat Market in Memphis. They’d cut us rib-eyes to order, and we’d grill them on a hibachi out on our front porch. Ahhhh….those were...Ensenada Slaw with Fish Tacos
Ensenada Slaw with Fish Tacos I heard this story on NPR today, and thought it was worth saving the recipe. Use any flaky white fish. The rub is inspired by a recipe that appeared in Gourmet Magazine from June 2007. Slaw 1/2 head cabbage, cored and shredded (about 4-6...Smoky Black Bean and Neck Bone Soup
Smoky Black Bean and Neck Bone Soup This one turned out very nicely; but then it took me two days to do it. You can do it in one day if you like. The reason it took me two days is I smoked the onions and peppers (rather than grilling over direct heat). I just got a...Shrimp Smokenator
Shrimp Smokenator I tried something I’ve never tried before. I put some medium to large shrimp on the grill with the Smokenator fired up. It was running about 200-225, and I cooked them 10 minutes on the side farthest from the Smokenator. I didn’t marinate...Microwaved Potato Skins
Microwaved Potato Skins I got this recipe off a bag of small potatoes (Mountain King Petites). Ingredients 8 petite potatoes, unpeeled 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup picante sauce 3 Tsp bacon bits 6 chopped green onions 1/4 cup shredded cheese Directions Wash potatoes and...Peppers, Pasta, Onion and Clam
Peppers, Pasta, Onion and Clam Sherry asked me to get in the kitchen and whip up something, so I came up with this. I wish I could think of names for these dishes. Ingredients 1 red bell pepper 1 yellow bell pepper 1 poblano chile 1 Texas Sweet or Vidalia onion (Red...BBQ is Not a Verb
BBQ is Not a Verb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ubTQfr_tyY&feature=youtu.be Really fun video about southern...Shrimp Fajitas – Stovetop
Shrimp Fajitas – Stovetop Sometimes I just don’t feel like firing up the grill. This is a fair approximation of a grilled fajitas dinner. Sherry gave it a thumbs up. Ingredients 1/2 – 3/4 pounds medium shrimp; peeled and deveined. 1 red bell pepper;...Cucumber Salsa
Cucumber Salsa Thanks to Sherry for sending this along. I have no idea where she found it. Ingredients 2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber 1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato 1/4 cup chopped red onion 2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley 1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and...Instructed Eucharist by The Reverend Sam Todd
Instructed Eucharist by The Reverend Sam Todd Several years ago, The Rev. Sam Todd conducted an “instructed Eucharist” at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church in Houston, Texas. Fr. Sam graciously shared his notes with me and granted me permission to use them...Dry Milk
Dry Milk To make one cup of milk, mix 1/3 cup dry milk with 7/8 cup of...Shrimp with Mushrooms and Collard Greens
Shrimp with Mushrooms and Collard Greens I love throwing together a quick meal for Sherry on demand. That is she says, “I’m hungry,” and I say, let me see what I can fix.” I had these collard greens already prepared and in the fridge, and I had...Tommy Moore Sightings
Tommy Moore Sightings Thanks to my brother, Dwayne, for tipping me off to these two sightings of the Tommy Moore picture. One on the local Fox News affiliate in Memphis, and the other on CNN. The Fox News segment apparently lifts verbiage straight from this blog post....Shrimp BBQ’d in Skillet
Shrimp BBQ’d in Skillet First you get some shrmps. Then you heat up some butter nearly to the burning point. Then you throw in the shrimps. Then you add the good stuff. And I added a bit of Kraft BBQ Sauce too. Then, you cook until done. And put...Kale and Asparugus with Shrimp
Kale and Asparugus with Shrimp Yes, we are on a kale kick around here. It’s inexpensive; it’s healthy; it’s easy to prepare; and it’s delicious! It’s hard to go wrong with this stuff. For this meal, I happened to have on hand some fresh...Kale with Chaurice and Pasta
Kale with Chaurice and Pasta We have this most delicious Chaurice sausage by a company called “Frenchy’s” here in Houston. I happened to have a bunch of Kale on hand, and decided to look around for possibilities. Thanks to the people at...Souvlakia #2
Souvlakia #2 I did a version of Souvlakia today, and we were quite pleased. Ingredients 2 pounds pork country ribs; cut into 1″ dice 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup Soy sauce 1/4 vinegar black pepper salt onion powder garlic powder thyme basil oregano 1 yellow bell...Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale
Quesadillas with Chicken and Kale Yes, I know it sounds strange, but trust me on this. One of the fun things we do around here is play “stump the cook.” Sherry will say, “I’m getting a bit hungry; can you fix me up a little something?”...REVEALING HEAVEN
REVEALING HEAVEN Our good friend, the Rev. John W. Price, has written about his conversations with over 200 people who’ve had a “near death experience.” His book, REVEALING HEAVEN – The Christian Case for Near Death Experiences, is available...More about Dumplings
More about Dumplings Growing up in the south in the home of one of the finest country cooks in west Tennessee, I acquired an early appreciation for a good dumpling. An old Kraft Foods rep I used to do business with years ago gave me a simple dumpling recipe that works...Cornmeal Dumplings with Greens
Cornmeal Dumplings with Greens Our neighbor made these for us, and we thought they were fabulous. I finally got around to trying it myself. Easy to do, and very tasty. Ingredients 1 lb. smoked turkey necks or wings 1 bunch collard greens 2 or 3 turnips, peeled and...Slow Cooker Candied Carrots
Slow Cooker Candied Carrots While watching the Hungry Girl show on the Cooking Channel. I started to type out the instructions when she posted her web address. Duh! Ingredients 1/4 cup apricot preserves (low sugar) 2 T brown sugar 1 1/2 T butter (lite spread) 1...Roasted Garlic and Onion with Shrimp
Roasted Garlic and Onion with Shrimp Sherry asked me to cook something, and I said, “But we have nothing to work with.” She knew better and invited me to figure out something. I roasted most of the vegetables in a dry skillet. Toward the end, I did drizzle...Pork, Cabbage and Hominy Stew
Pork, Cabbage and Hominy Stew This was going to be a version of green chile and cabbage dish Sherry loves so much. But I didn’t bother to look up the recipe, and just winged it. This is what happened. I don’t have a slow cooker big enough to hold it all,...Wilted Kale
Wilted Kale Sherry picked up a bunch of Kale, and I had no idea what to do with it. Let’s just say it wasn’t something we saw much of in the Byrd household when I was a child. Turnip greens, mustard greens, collards? You bet. But Kale? I don’t know....Shrimp with Sweet Potatoes
Shrimp with Sweet Potatoes Sherry said she wanted a snack, so I threw this together in a hurry. I already had the creamed sweet potatoes in the fridge. So I just quickly pan fried some shrimp in butter; warmed the sweet potatoes in the microwave; then topped the...Carnitas
Carnitas Found this interesting approach to Carnitas. Tried it on Jan. 24th with country style ribs rather than a roast. I put most in a 2 liter corningware, and the rest in a small cast iron skillet. I covered both with foil. After 3 hours in a 250 F oven, the ribs...Pollock and Shrimp Pan Fry
Pollock and Shrimp Pan Fry We had some pollock fillets down from the freezer that had thawed a couple of days ago. Along with other good stuff we had on hand, this turned out to be a pretty darned good breakfast. Not traditional by any stretch of the imagination, but...Seafood Combo
Seafood Combo Ingredients 1 lb. frozen Seafood Combo 1 lb good smoked sausage or Andouille cut into bite sized pieces 4 yellow onions (peeled) 15 ounce can of tomatoes in their juice 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 green pepper, cleaned and chopped 1 can chopped clams with...Christmas Dinner
Christmas Dinner When we first planned for Christmas Dinner, it was going to be Sherry, Sam, me, and possibly Sam’s housemate Jeff. I had pretty big plans for a variety of non-traditional menu items. The question of whether to expect Jeff wasn’t really an...Crock Pot "BBQ"
Crock Pot "BBQ" A work mate of Sherry’s gave her this recipe, and I thought it looked promising. Haven’t tried this yet, and I probably will not put beef in mine. Thanks to Hanh Nguyen for this. Ingredients 1 1/2 lbs beef cubed stew meat...A Walk in the Park
A Walk in the Park We are lucky to have a city park and a public elementary school right down the street from our end of the culdesac. The dog loves to take a walk around the park and school grounds, and today, for the first time we toured the on-campus Urban Harvest...Southern Style Biscuits
Southern Style Biscuits My grandmother used to make about 2 dozen of these every morning. She made enough so there would be leftovers for the dogs. I’d stand on the back porch and throw biscuits to Toby and Bullet; they’d catch them in midair and...Links
Links These are links to sites having to do with food and cooking. I’ve set up another page for links to things having nothing to do with cooking. aluminum foil faq Thanks to Reynolds amazing ribs asparagus recipes – California Asparagus...Girls at Work
Girls at Work These are some of our students at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church. They are SO much fun. Note the mural in the background. We have some fabulous artists at Palmer. Here are links to two of them who did the mural. Jackie Campbell and Katee Esser. ...Seafood and Guacamole Enchiladas
Seafood and Guacamole Enchiladas I make up a seafood salad from mock crab meat. It’s great for sandwiches or in a tortilla wrap. I served Sherry a wrap, and she suggested I heat it up next time. So I decided to try this combination. Ingredients 2 cups seafood...Seafood Salad
Seafood Salad In always liked the seafood sandwiches served by Subway, so I tried to emulate their recipe. Ingredients 1 lb. mock seafood, flake style 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 3 green onions, minced 1 tomato, finely chopped 1/2 cup mayonnaise 14 ounce can black...Trinidadian Style Chicken Stew
Trinidadian Style Chicken Stew Saw this interesting looking dish on Roger Mooking’s “Everyday Exotic” program on the Cooking Channel. It’s made my To-Do list. He also also featured Plantain Gratin and a Pickled Topping recipes that look worth...BBQ Sauce ala Emeril
BBQ Sauce ala Emeril Looking for a recipe for BBQ pizza, I ran across one used by Emeril Lagasse. This isn’t exactly the way Emeril did it, but it’s close. We did this up tonight with some slow smoked pulled pork I did on the grill on the Fourth, and it...Onion Sauce for Pasta
Onion Sauce for Pasta Had some extra onions on hand so I decided to see if I could find a recipe for an onion sauce to go over pasta. It’s on the stove right now. Note: Not finished yet, but the long slow cooking really reduces the volume of onions. I started...Crab Quesadilla
Crab Quesadilla Sherry asked me to whip her up something, so I found a can of crab meat in our pantry and decided to go from there. One can of crab meat is enough for two well stuffed quesadillas. I make up one for Sherry, and while she’s enjoying, I make up a...Red Beans in the Crock Pot
Red Beans in the Crock Pot We have a routine we fell into around here for making chicken stock over the weekend; we time this not because it’s a weekend, but because our solid waste visits on Tuesday mornings. (Yes, we make cooking decisions based partly on what...Seafood Pasta
Seafood Pasta Ingredients 1/4 cup chopped onion2 garlic cloves, crushed1 teaspoon butter1 teaspoon olive oil1/2 lb shrimp1/2 lb scallops1 (6 1/2 ounce) can clams, not drained1 1/2 cups chicken broth1 teaspoon basil2 tablespoons parsley1/2 teaspoon paprika1/4 teaspoon...Shrimp and Bread Stuffing
Shrimp and Bread Stuffing We try to keep stock in our freezer at all times. When I’m out of shrimp stock, I purchase wild head-on shrimp; use the shrimp for whatever I feel like doing; and make a stock out of the heads. Just boil the heads with a chopped onion,...Before There Was TV
Before There Was TV Acrylics on 11″ x 14″ canvas...Banana Bread, Sherry’s
We like to make up this banana bread with a few raisins added.
Rachel’s Stuffed Celery
Rachel’s Stuffed Celery This dish has been a favorite at Sherry’s mother’s house for as long as I can remember. It’s loved by all in the family, and everyone who tastes her stuffed celery wants the recipe. We happened to have Rachel’s...Shrimp Fajitas
Shrimp Fajitas I’ve been threatening to do fajitas ever since Sherry and I did a drive to Round Rock and had some grilled beef at a little Mexican Restaurant in Giddings, TX. I threw this together and did it indoors with a bit of Liquid Smoke to give it that...Sherry’s Fruit Cobbler
Sherry’s Fruit Cobbler Ingredients 1/2 cup butter (8 T)1 cup plain flour1 cup sugar1 T baking powder1/2 cup milk2 cups fruit or pie filling Directions Melt butter in a 10 inch baking dish and set aside. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder. Add milk to dry...Easy Turkey Meatloaf
Ingredients 2 lbs ground turkey (dark) 2 eggs 1 small onion (chopped) 2 cloves of garlic (minced) small can of tomato paste (use only 3 tsps; reserve the rest.) cayenne (a few dashes) 1/2 cup bread crumbs salt Sauce Reserved tomato paste Onion (chopped) 1 clove garlic...Stuffed Mushrooms #2
Stuffed Mushrooms #2 As I noted in an earlier Stuffed Mushroom recipe, I often times experiment with different ways of preparing them. I whipped this up this afternoon just as a light snack. Sherry loved them, and suggested I save the recipe. Don’t be afraid to...Pan Seared Pork Chops
Pan Seared Pork Chops Found a family pack of pork chops on sale, and decided to pan fry them. Turned out pretty good. Ingredients Sirloin Pork Chops (about 1/2″ thick or so) Salt Pepper Garlic Powder Oil Directions Heat (medium high)a few tablespoons of oil in a...Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day No, we’re not doing the traditional feast. It will probably just be the two of us. So, no huge turkey; no pies; no sweet potato casseroles. But we ARE going to make some corn bread dressing with chicken using Rachel’s recipe. I began...Chinese Pork Ribs
Chinese Pork Ribs I picked up some “Chinese” pork ribs at the Foodarama with the intention of cooking them in the crockpot. Just about every recipe I’ve seen calls for pork ribs to cook for 8 hours or so. I cooked these on low, and they were done in...
Pan Seared Salmon
Pan Seared Salmon We buy frozen salmon fillets at the Walmart. They come in one pound packs each containing four individually wrapped fillets. I thaw out one or two fillets (in the wrapper) under running cold water in just a matter of a few minutes. Easy, convenient,...Crock Pot Pinto Beans
Crock Pot Pinto Beans Years ago Sherry gave me a book entitled Adventures in Mexican Cooking; Ortho Books, 1978. (Ortho was a division of Chevron Chemical Company, of all things.) In it was a very simple bean recipe that called for simply 4 cups of beans; 8 cups of...Carrot Soup
Carrot Soup Ingredients 2 teaspoons oil 1/3 cup onion; chopped 1 clove garlic; minced 2 cups carrots; peeled and chopped juice of one large orange 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt black pepper 1 cup stock fresh herbs for garnish Directions Cook onion in oil...Special Bulletin!
Special Bulletin! Sherry had a bad fall off her bicycle. It broke more bones in her face than we can count. Plus her elbow and her shoulder. We set up a separate blog in response to the many emails and phone calls from many friends wanting to check on her. Read up on...Swiss Cream of Potato Soup
Swiss Cream of Potato Soup Wally’s wife, Lin (RIP), gave Sherry a copy of Good Housekeeping Cookbook (Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc., New York, 1963) when we married in 1971. This recipe has always been one of Sherry’s favorites. It’s pretty good;...One Pot Pressure Cooker Meal
One Pot Pressure Cooker Meal My mother gave me her old pressure cooker that must be at least 30 or 40 years old. I used it last night to stew some onions and peppers; and then added some shrimp and mussels. Turned out pretty darned good. Clean 3 or 4 mixed sweet...Shrimp Boil
Shrimp Boil Tonight I fixed up some boiled shrimp for Sherry. I peeled and deveined close to five pounds of head-on wild. (They were fairly small.) Seasoned them up with pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and onion powder. I brought about a half gallon of water to boil...Alaska Salmon Cheese Bake
Alaska Salmon Cheese Bake I got this recipe off a can of Honey Boy Pink Salmon and they have an online recipe site you can check out for more. Ingredients 8-9 slices of bread 1 1/2 cups grated cheese (Your choice; recipe calls for cheddar.) 6 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/2 tsp...Chef Joel St. John
Chef Joel St. John Our across the street neighbor, Chef Joel St. John, is a real deal, award winning culinary professional. At first I was a bit daunted by the prospect of cooking for a real chef. The first meal I ever served him was my Kung Pao Shrimp, and I won him...Coconut Shrimp
Coconut Shrimp We tried these tonight, and got rave reviews including from Chef Joel St. John. Ingredients 1 lb. raw shrimp; peeled and deveined 3 T flour 1 T cornstarch 1 tsp. salt 1 T garlic powder 1 egg 1 beer 1 T Ranch Dressing Powder grated coconut 1/4 cup corn...Cards in Honor of Daddy
Cards in Honor of Daddy Click on an image to see a larger version. Then use your back button to return to this...Nick
Nick...Blackberries
Blackberries I got a call from Morgan yesterday. He asked me to paint blackberries. I said yes I will and found out that he also had asked other artists to paint blackberries that same day. It is called Sympathetic Painting when several artists paint the same topic....Portobello Mushroom Burgers
Portobello Mushroom Burgers We’ve done these for years on the grill out doors. Tonight, I decided to do them indoors, setting out to pan fry or oven bake them. But, the notion struck me, “What about the George Foreman grill?” This is every bit as...Baked Kraut and Sausage
Baked Kraut and Sausage Ingredients 2 lbs. Kielbasa; cut into 2″ pieces 8-10 sm. potatoes; cut into quarters or eighths 6 carrots; sliced 1 lg. can sauerkraut 1 onion; quartered and thinly sliced 2 tsp. granulated brown sugar 1 c. apple juice Directions Place...Billions and Billions
Billions and Billions Acrylics on 8″ x 10″...Nude Sketch
Nude Sketch Ink on Card Stock Click on Image for Larger...The Blues
The Blues Acrylics on 8″x 10″ Canvas Click on Image for Larger...