Homemade Vegetable Soup and Crabcakes with Natasha! My roommate Natasha and I have random moments of healthiness, and one night, we found ourselves with an abundance of veggies and a can of crab meat. Sticking to the plan of vegetable soup, it was time to throw together some crabcakes to round out the meal with [...]

Kosher Recipes for Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of a new year in the Jewish tradition, and it’s celebrated with an abundance of food filled with symbology.  Beyond that, though, it’s a chance to remember the past and begin anew.  And what better way to celebrate renewal than with a flavorful, tasty meal, [...]

My Homemade Ketchup Homemade ketchup is way easier to make than you might imagine, but there’s a lot more to it than tomatoes and vinegar.  Depending on your own dietary needs and tastes, this recipe can be adjusted to however you desire.  Personally, I use 2 tbs. apple juice and a teaspoon of honey for [...]

Spontaneous BBQ Sauce This Fourth of July, I celebrated by throwing things in a pot and calling it homemade BBQ sauce.  And, well, that’s exactly what it became.  Surprised by spareribs instead of the usual baby backs, it was time for one of those spontaneous concoctions that only an unknown ingredient can inspire.  Not that [...]

The Best Pulled Pork I’ve Ever Had And I made it!  This weekend, I decided to try my hand at making pulled pork.  Armed with hours of food television and a cupboard full of spices, I took a boneless pork shoulder and smoked it to juicy, tender perfection after getting a hard sear on the [...]

Grilled Chicken Summer is officially here, and that means it’s time for grilled chicken and other yummy goodness hot off the grill.  From burgers to ribs, nothing makes meaty dishes better than grilling.  This simple recipe allows for additions to suit your tastes, and is flexible enough to be used for a variety of applications. [...]

Meringues Made Easy Meringues, those tasty little air-filled puffs of sweetness, are easier to make at home than you think.  All it takes is some patience and a light hand – and ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.  I first made these a few years ago and posted the recipe on my old [...]

A Yummy Burger Burgers can range from fancy to simple, from restaurant-style exotics to fast food staples.  But you don’t have to drive around the Valley or wait for a table at some trendy Hollywood spot to feast on a gourmet burger.  After some experimentation, I’ve come up with an easy yet impressive burger sure [...]

Pork Cutlets, German-style One of my favorite dishes that I learned from my childhood travels is schnitzel – fried pork cutlets auf Deutsch.  In other cultures, it’s variously tonkatsu (トンカツ), milanesa, donkkaseu (돈까스), kotlet schabowy (schaboszczak), or the meat in the famous Hoosier Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. With boneless pork tenderloin cutlets, breadcrumbs, and hot oil, [...]

Chicken Nachos Recipe from Scratch Chicken nachos are super easy to create from scratch.  Leftover chicken, in almost any form, will do:  in the photo below, the chicken used had been roasted whole, beer can style (a secret to be shared another day!).  The next day, I pulled it off the bone and threw it [...]