I have to confess, I'm not a lobster fan. Give me shrimp, fried clams, calamari if you must, mussels in a pinch, but forget lobster. Part of this goes back to my time attending Sayville United Methodist Church. They used to hold a "Clam Fest" fundraiser on the Saturday of Sayville's Summerfest weekend (August 1-3, 2008). We'd spend several days cooking endless gallons of clam chowder and bake countless clam pies; and on Clam Fest day we'd take orders for Lobster dinners. One year I brought... Read Full Story

Welcome June! Here’s to great weather and lots of time spent with family around the barbecue grill! Throw a steak on the grill to celebrate National Beef Steak Month. Or get creative and dream up the ultimate burger with a chance to win $50,000 in the “Build a Better Burger with Sutter Home” contest www.buildabetterburger.com now through August 18. What could be better with the ultimate burger than a cold glass of iced tea (yep, it’s National Iced Tea Month). If your sweet tooth is calling... Read Full Story

Can you believe it’s nearly May already? Winter never really happened this year, and Spring has just flown by. While for most people the summer “season” doesn’t begin until Memorial Day (from 1868-1970 Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30; since 1971 Congress has decreed it be observed on the last Monday in May), for my family the first Saturday in May has always been special – it’s Kentucky Derby Day. While I have never made the pilgrimage to Churchill Downs, my family has long joined in... Read Full Story

March is a great month for food promotions, from marketing co-ops hyping National Frozen Food Month, to the federal government designating the second week of March as National School Breakfast Week. There are “extremist” groups as well, promoting the evils of caffeine during National Caffeine Awareness Month® (those of you who can’t function without your morning cup are most certainly aware!) to a call for vegetarianism and saving animals on The Great American Meat Out Day (March 20, or the... Read Full Story

Possibly the greatest challenge people face in the kitchen is cooking for just one or two people. Why should this be so difficult? You know what you like to eat, so you don't have to worry about comments from the peanut gallery like "you KNOW I don't like fettucine!". What then, is the problem? For those who don't like or don't want leftovers, simply finding a recipe that is written for one or two portions is a challenge. With a little math, you could easily halve the recipe, which could be... Read Full Story

So I'm going after a chocolate bar the other night. I've been dieting with my wife the past three months, and it isn't bad. After the first two weeks, I'd lost the terrible cravings for snacks and sweets. I've even lost over 10 lbs. But every once in a while, something short-circuits in my brain and I've just gotta snack. This was a chocolate moment (as opposed to the "I'm-watching-college-football-bowl-games-and-I-NEED-Cheetos" type of moment) and I hit my emergency stash. Now, I don't know... Read Full Story

I'm excited to tell you that I got my first mention in a nationally published magazine! Men's Health Living, a splinter magazine from the publishers of Men's Health, has an article in the Winter/Spring 2008 issue featuring my turkey roasting technique. To be mentioned on the same page as Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin is an honor indeed. The article is aimed at getting all you guys who love summer grilling to keep on cooking during the winter - using your oven. So come on all you guys out there... Read Full Story

I'm a big fan of pears. Pears are the unsung hero of the autumn produce section of your local grocery store. Sure, there are dozens of apple varieties; apples have a better PR rep. But pears, ah pears, these require more than a casual fondling to check for bruising. No, pears require, nay DEMAND, a more intense relationship. They may appear inviting on the display, yet when brought home they may resist ripening. Or they may present an appetizing exterior, only to reveal a heart riddled by... Read Full Story