While working as a quasi-bartender, people often asked what I'd recommend. Of course I always needed more information. If someone just came from the gym, I wasn't about to pour them a hot chocolate. But any time someone told me they were in the mood for something fresh, my recommendation was always the same - […]
I've never met anyone who doesn't like Italian sodas. Who doesn't love going to an old-timey diner, sitting on a stool at the counter and ordering a burger, fries and raspberry Italian soda? It just makes you feel like a kid again, and if you're actually a kid, it just makes you feel important. I […]
All right, Jules is out for the rest of the week and I'm hijacking this blog. You're all mine for the next 4 days, so buckle up. Little known fact about ol' Chris here, I worked as a bartender (no, I don't drink - it was a non-alcoholic bar and yes, I realize that doesn't […]
I've been asked, not infrequently, how to grill corn. Unfortunately, the explanation is so long and intense that, unless I have a ton of spare time, I'm usually not able to explain it to them. Enter Blogsville. I can finally put it here, one time, and not have to go through hours and hours of […]
When I posted this photo a few days ago, when I was discussing our incoming tile, I got a few questions about those jars hanging out under the cabinet on the left. Those are Chris's most used, favorite spices. The cabinet above them holds the rest--he has a lot of spices. We originally had a […]
A man was living in Italy, doing some volunteer work. He had a particularly trying day and decided to visit a friend. The friend could immediately tell that this man had a rough day and asked the young volunteer to describe how he was feeling. The young man described his feelings of frustration, burnout and […]
We added a new member to our family. Meet Charly: She is a three year old St. Bernard/Pyrenees mix and we're head over heels. A true, gentle giant. You can really see her size in this photo I snapped with my phone: We have talked on and off about getting a dog, but I wasn't […]
Heyo, e'rbody! It being Memorial Day, we're spending time as a family and enjoying the freedoms others have fought for. We feel so blessed to live where we do, and pray we don't take it for granted. We hope you're able to spend some time with family and friends, and maybe get together for a […]
All right, here's a quick one for ya. And, as promised, it's a bit on the lighter side (as opposed to the ribs and chicken wings this week). Barbecued chicken lettuce wraps (enough for 2 people - multiply as needed). That's right, lettuce wraps don't have to be Asian. Let's go. I start with boneless, […]
These are not the world's greatest ribs. Is that a strange way to start? Let me explain. I'm convinced that the best way to cook ribs is for about 3 hours at 225 in a smoker (depending on the type of rib, with a proper rub and stuff). Do I own a smoker? You bet […]
About 3 years ago I was in training at a previous job, making $11.50/hr. We had a new baby, lived in a new town, and were what could only be described as "dirt poor." We often look back and stand in awe at the self-control we had with our budget, and also all the great […]
Confession time. Sometimes, there are things I make that are so great, I just want to keep them to myself. I've always thought that every cook needs a few things under their belt that just blow people away, and everyone comes up to you and is like, "This is amazing! Can I have the recipe?!" […]
I've received a few questions about olive oil lately that I thought I'd take today's post to address. See, whenever I'm explaining my dishes, sometimes I say stuff like, "Use light olive oil - not extra virgin" or "Use a fruity extra-virgin olive oil." The question I've been receiving is, "What's the difference?" This is a […]
For Mother's Day dinner, Jules requested "a good salad in a big bowl." I like salad as much as the next guy (as long as that next guy doesn't really like salad), but salad just sounds so boring. So I walked up and down the produce section of our local grocery store and found a […]
Roasting potatoes is something that everyone needs to know how to do properly. They're so easy to make, as well as versatile, but some people don't like roasting potatoes because they often stick to the pan, have a gummy texture, or are too oily etc. etc.. Well I'm going to change all that for you […]
So... we started that whole "Julia Loves Chris" blog, and then realized it was kinda pointless to have two separate blogs. So I'll be posting my food stuff 3 times a week here instead. As promised, I'm gonna share my crispy pork belly and roasted potatoes recipe today, but I'm gonna do it in 2 […]
All right, quick rant. You know what drives me up the wall? When people talk about liking one ingredient, but not another, as though they're supposed to be interchangeable. Miracle Whip and Mayonnaise, for example. "I like Miracle Whip!" "Well I like Mayonnaise!" Um... they taste nothing alike. Let's see, what do they have in […]
Cinco de Mayo is this weekend. Now there's an obscure holiday. I have no idea why it's a holiday, and I'm not even interested enough to do a Google search. All I know is it's an excuse to make sweet pork barbacoa, so felicidades! I have a couple versions of pork barbacoa, but I think this […]
A full year ago, we opened up spots for advertisers in our sidebar and then three months after, I decided to close them. At the time we decided to take a sponsor hiatus, we had a good amount of sponsors, but something felt forced. Honestly, I found myself mimicking one style of accepting advertisers and […]
Sweet and sour chicken - a dish about as Asian as I am, but available at nearly every Chinese restaurant in America. I often wonder how certain dishes become labeled as part of a cuisine. Another example is pizza. Nobody really knows if it originated in Italy, but it's branded Italian, so let it be […]
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