I was invited to a party by a neighbor not too long ago and I offered to bring an appetizer. I was feeling adventurous so I decided to make something new. Not “new” as in something that I had not made prior. “New” as in something that I’d never even heard of. I settled on…
When my wife was a child, her Dad would make a summer side dish that her whole family loved. He would slice potatoes and onions, season them and add a bit of oil. Then he would wrap it all up tightly in aluminum foil and throw it on a hot charcoal grill. After a short…
If you’ve spent any time at the Chef Hacker Kitchen website or YouTube page you may know that I have an early model Ducane Grill that I absolutely love. I bought it in 1997 and I’ve been using it several times a week, winter and summer, for the last 25 plus years! But what I…
Is there a roast that engenders more passion than a leg of lamb? I think not. People seem to either love it or hate it. Why Is That? I don’t really know but I do have a couple of suspicions that I feel have high odds of being correct. The first is, that some folks…
A lot of cooking is elemental. That is, finished dishes are often made by taking ingredients that have already been prepared and combining them with additional ingredients or preparations. One simplest of examples is Spaghetti and Meatballs. Perhaps you would first mix, roll and fry the meatballs. Next you might cook the tomato sauce. After…
Not only is this is classic and versatile side dish quick and easy to make. It’s also delicious and universally appreciated. Over the years I’ve made it for family and friends of many different social and ethnic backgrounds and I can say with certainty that everyone has enjoyed it. In fact, when I entertain I…
I’ve always liked the Green Bean Casserole dish that many families make as part of their holiday dinners. I also have come to understand that people who enjoy this side dish seem to fall into two separate camps – those who prefer it made with canned cut green beans and others who insist that only…
People my age love Prime Rib. The main reason is, of course, that it is a delicious and satisfying dish especially when paired with a dry red wine and potatoes. A second reason, I think is because folks born around the time that I was grew up during what I call “The Golden Age of…
When I was a child my Mom used to make a dish in the Italian Peasant style that we called Escarole and Beans and she would always refer to it as ‘Scadol and beans”, effecting a slight and endearing Italian accent that always made me think of her grandmother. Her version had a clear broth.…
Those of you who regularly read this blog or spend any time watching the videos at the Chef Hacker Kitchen Youtube channel probably enjoy the process of cooking. The tactile sensation you get when slicing through vegetables or meats. The sizzling sound when adding food to a hot pan. The aromas that fill your kitchen…
