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It’s 11:30PM on December 31st, 1973, right in the middle of The Golden Age of Pompous Dinning. My Mom is handling front of house stuff…

Bread pudding is an ancient dessert, likely dating back to the 12th century. People soaked stale, rock-like hunks of bread in water to make them…

Chicken broth is such a useful ingredient to have on hand and it can be made in so many ways. This is one of them…

Easy to make stove top Pot Roast

Some folks love them and others would rather endure an ice bath in winter than eat leftovers. This should be an interesting discussion.

A hearty Italian American soup that uses Stelline - a tiny start-shaped pasta often called, "Pastina".

A super simple way to cook a Prime Rib roast to perfect medium-rare from end to end.

The Reports Of Pastina’s Death Are Greatly Exaggerated I know. I know! Ronzoni is no longer making and selling Pastina and I know it has…

Maybe you are hosting Friendsgiving, post Thanksgiving, and you and your friends have had their fill of turkey. Perhaps it is only two of you…

Dateline: Somewhere in the 1960’s My Aunt Shirley makes a few dozen of her legendary Cream Puffs for a holiday dinner she is hosting. She…

We hacked the Italian restaurant classic to add protein, fiber, flavor and texture – this is very much like the original only better! I got…

Chicken broth is one of the most versatile ingredients in any kitchen and I keep at least one can of commercially made chicken broth or…

Normally made with the small calms called ‘Little Neck’, at least in the eastern U.S., Clams Oreganata has been a favorite Italian appetizer since at…

This is a wonderfully versatile dressing that can be used with roast chicken, turkey, duck or goose. It’s great for stuffed pork chops and can…

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…

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,…

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…

My Great Aunt Mary served me a slice of this delicious pie many years ago and when I asked her for the recipe she handed…

I love to eat at diners. Fresh coffee in ceramic mugs. Hard top tables, booths and counters. Pastries on display under plasti-glass domes. Authentic gum…

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.…

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…

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…

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 my age love Prime Rib. The main reason is, of course, that it is a delicious and satisfying dish especially when paired with a…

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…

I had lunch at a local diner yesterday. I’ve been there before. In fact, I’ve been there many times over a period of almost 30…

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…

My culinary adventures have had me working in high end restaurants, factory cafeterias and local pubs. I’ve been a carny food booth cook, a tavern…

Mac and Cheese, once the staple of many a latch-key child, has gotten hip in the last 10 or so years. This uber-carb entree most…

Years ago, I was talking about the then current high levels of unemployment with a person who was not aware that I trained at the…

It’s a funny name for a soup. Don’t you think? Let me tell you about it. I worked in a restaurant in central New Jersey…

In the mid 1960’s when I was 6 or 7 years old I attended St Michael’s Catholic School in Union City, New Jersey. We had…

It seems like it was not that long ago that Kale was used mainly as a garnish. Something that your young child might glimpse on…

We love salmon fillets that are cooked outdoors and that is typically how we prepare them. And although I have been know to shovel a…

On occasion, my wife and I would find ourselves near Livingston New Jersey. When those occasions occurred near lunch time we would sometimes visit a…

Yes, that IS me being man-handled by Donnie Wahlberg in an episode of CBS’ TV show “Blue Bloods”. So how does something like this happen?…

Here is a straight up simple recipe that you may enjoy making with your children. If the adult handles the cutting and the oven work…

Someplace at some point along the timeline of human history someone moved beyond simply picking fruit and popping it into their mouth and decided to…

Who doesn’t love an ice cold glass of chocolate milk? (I know, probably lots of folks, but it’s a much loved expression so I’m going…

When I was a child my Mom worked in the restaurant business. At various times and often simultaneously, her roles included, waitress, hostess, menu editor…

Why do I use “commercial” to describe this dish? Because it was designed to enable 100 different people to individually prepare and package 10 servings…

We love salmon. Especially grilled salmon. So one day when my brother-in-law served us a shrimp dish along with Asian Cole Slaw it got me…

My(π) > Your(π) If you have lived in more than one area during your life you may have experienced a human characteristic that can be…