Article Courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor This year allowed us an unusual five days in a row respite during the Thanksgiving holiday from the responsibilities of the day to day world. Thursday would be spent as a traditional Thanksgiving close family event hosted by my sister in law, with the usual suspects […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor When we are in the mood for a smoky, spicy taco, this is one of our favorites. To do so we need 1 chicken breast and some previously smoked tomatoes and chiles from a mother batch made earlier in the week. Rather than buy chicken breasts […]

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor This is a little twist on Southern style fried okra. Rather than cutting the okra into little chunks and dredging in corn meal I prefer to split the pod lengthways, soak in buttermilk, dredge in a little seasoned flour prior to frying. These cook up very […]

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor Although we think of dressing with poultry this time of year around the holidays it is a great way to use leftover bread throughout the year. It is savory, and has that wonderful herbed smell that brings folks into the kitchen or to the table. A […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor Typically I like to do this fruity, spicy, and hot version of grilled shrimp as an appetizer or as a portion of the entree. The last time we served the jerk shrimp, I used the appetizer size paired with half a Dungeness crab smoked in banana […]

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O., Nutrition Editor ‘Tis the season when cranberries are a much desired side dish to celebrate the festival fall season of cooking the holiday favorites. Don’t buy cranberry prepared canned sauce when it is so easy and so much tastier to make your own. Anyone can do this! Cranberry sauce […]

Article courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O, Nutrition Editor Little but big on taste and nutrition, shrimp (Caridea, swimming decapod crustaceans, as opposed to their crawling cousins the lobster and crayfish) are America’s favorite seafood, accounting for 30% of the seafood sold in the US.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor The following version of macaroni and cheese is based on an old Southern style of preparation of the classic dish. Country style mac-n-cheese more closely resembles a cheese and, in this case, vegetable lasagna. It is al dente pasta held together with fluffy, rich, custard of […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor Not only are sweet potatoes loaded with nutritious elements they are inexpensive, store well, and when cooked may be stored frozen or under refrigeration until future use. I found sweet potatoes at 39 cents a pound at one of my produce haunts and to get a […]

Article courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O., Nutrition Editor This is a vegetable you want to eat often! They are inexpensive, satisfying and a powerhouse of health and nutrition. The sweet potato is one of the oldest and most nutritious of all vegetables, dating back to prehistoric times.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor I usually have on hand in the pantry dried chiles, roasted peppers and sundried tomato paste among other storable goodies. I like to have ingredients stored that I can throw together quickly for lunch or a quick appetizer round for friends and family that drop in […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor Each day I try to plan to pass through the produce area in one of our local markets, on my way home, to see what is fresh or on sale that I can use for the evening meal. Shopping daily also allows me to get in […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor Most cooks that frequent the grill have a favorite, go to, barbeque sauce. There are many varieties, Asian, Jerk or Kansas City, to name a few, which start with various bases, mustard, ketchup, soy, ginger, etc. The sauce created with this recipe is a hybrid of […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor This is a one bowl meal that easily can come together in 20 minutes or less. If you’re a Chile Head you’ll appreciate the chile sauce together with the fresh basil and garlic. It’ll bring a little perspiration and release a few of the desirable endorphins […]

Article courtesy of The Organic Consumers Association Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) in our food supply are all around us. This technology breaks down the genetic barriers between plants, animals and humans. These organisms can easily spread and interbreed with other organisms and cannot be recalled if a problem is found. Monsanto provides roughly 90% of […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor The best thing about growing vegetables and other edibles in containers around our house is being able to eat them. This time of year the early greens are coming in as the temperatures have dropped into the sixties at night. The tomatoes, greens, beets, and more […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor There are many versions of gumbo, most combining shrimp, sausage, and vegetables with rice. This is a little different spin, using seasonal vegetables without rice, substituting mushrooms instead to enhance the richness of this brown sauce gumbo. Throw in a tasty salad a glass of wine […]

Article courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O., Nutrition Editor What is potassium and why do we need it? If you have had a GI illness or have been doing a lot of exercise, someone may tell you to increase foods rich in potassium. Why do these things cause your potassium to decrease? Where do you find […]

Article courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O., Nutrition Editor The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers–the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response.  However, the GI is not based on commonly consumed portion-sizes of foods.  So by using the […]

Recipe courtesy of Donna Hargrove, D.O., Nutrition Editor One of the many ways to use Kamut wheat. Equipment: Sauté pan, medium sauce pot with lid, chef’s knife, cutting board, measuring utensils. Ingredients: 1 cup dried Khorasan Wheat (Kamut) 4 cups water or unsalted vegetable stock ½ lb fresh asparagus spears, stalk end trimmed (save for […]

Recipe courtesy of Chef Bren Ankrum – Culinary Editor A couple of recipes ago I roasted a whole chicken on the grill stuffed with celery, sage and rosemary. That roasting and the subsequent saving of the breasts, the stuffing and the pan drippings form the basis and are essential for the deep savory flavor of […]