Earl Cooks Celebrates National Bacon Day

In honoer of my favorite holiday after Christmas and before New Years Eve, I am celebrating by linking to all of my recipes and posts that include bacon, no matter how little or how much! I am also including reviews I did from foods I ate elsewhere that have bacon. No Canadian bacon here, this is OUR national bacon day! If you aren't cooking, go get a Baconator at Wendy's or your favorite BLT or breakfast anywhere. 

Kevin Bacon from bacon!

I will be including bacon in all of my meals today!
And don't forget Kevin Bacon! You can watch his movies (the original Footloose is my favorite), or you can find the degrees of separation from Mr. Bacon.
Click Below for Bacon Overload from Earl Cooks
Links to my posts that include 'Bacon'

Earl Cooks Easy Lemon Crème Pie

Okay, as I have said before, I don't bake very often, and I didn't bake this. The reason I call it 'easy' is because I made it with 3 ingredients,  which I  had already and which served as my inspiration and then it just needed chilling time!. I went to my pantry (a.k.a. cupboard) looking for something that I needed to use before my wife threw it out (because she reads the sell by dates). What I found was Jello Lemon Crème Pudding and a pre-made graham cracker crust. The pudding even had a recipe on the side.

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Ingredients:
Fat Free Milk (1¾ cup)
Lemon Crème Pudding (1 box)
Pre-made Graham Cracker pie crust

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Instructions:
Step 1—In a medium bowl, mix pudding with milk
Step 2—Pour or spoon into pie crust
Step 3—Chill for at least 6 hours
Step 4—Top with whipped cream or cool whip

Results & What I Did Wrong & Would Change:
I tried whipping cream for the first time and it was a total failure! I used my immersion blender and it didn't work at all. My wife came to the rescue using her Kitchen Aid mixer. It didn't work great, because of my attempt, but it did make it better. I also learned that the whipped cream should not be applied too early. Next time I would put some extra creamy cool whip stirred gently into the pudding to give it more volume.

Earl Cooks Miracle Crock-Pot Lasagna

Miracle Lasagna with Garlic Toast

It is often said that this is the season of miracles, and I am now a believer because I made a lasagna that my wife (A.K.A. "Turkey") LIKED! This may not seem like much of an accomplishment, "Who doesn't like lasagna?" you are probably asking and my answer is my wife. Over the years my daughters would ask me to make it and I would spend hours doing so. Once I even dropped the whole thing and the glass baking dish and all of the ingredients crashed to the ground, glass flying everywhere.But I digress...

My father-in-law loved pasta in all of its forms. His daughter, "Turkey" does not. To her, it is like eating school paste. Consequently, we eat very little around here since we are empty nesters and I cook for her too. But today the stars aligned and I had all of the ingredients on hand and found an inspirational recipe that made the lasagna IN A SLOW COOKER! I have heard of this, but never tried it. It just didn't seem right! Dairy & pasta don't seem like natural fits for a slow cooker, but this inspiration led to a result that was the equivalent of a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review, My wife wanted to take leftovers for her LUNCH! It was not only good enough to eat, it was good enough to eat AGAIN! What's more, the simple garlic toast I made with her homemade bread got the same accolades! Here are the ingredients and the steps to make your own Miracle Lasagna!

Start with these ingredients:
Medium sized onion, Ground Beef (1 lb.), Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles (8), Jar of Alfredo Sauce (1), Jar of Pasta Sauce (1), Shredded Mozzarella Cheese or Italian Blend (1 pkg or 3 cups), Diced No-Salt-Added Tomatoes (1 can 14.5 oz), Basil leaves dried but I used Basil stir in paste (1 tsp paste or/½ tsp dried), Crushed Garlic (1 tsp.), fresh grated Parmesan Cheese.






Step 1—I normally avoid slow cooker recipes that require cooking before slow cooking, but you want your ground beef to be browned. Start with a bit of olive oil and sauté the onion. Add the beef to the pan. I used 85/15 but leaner beef could also be used, Be certain to DRAIN the beef mixture before proceeding.

Step 2—Spray a 4 to 6-quart slow cooker (mine is a 6) with non-stick cooking spray. I used a slow cooker liner for easier clean-up. Spread 3/4 cup of the tomato pasta sauce in bottom of the slow cooker. Stir remaining tomato pasta sauce and 1 can of no-sugar-added diced tomatoes into ground beef/onion mixture. Add garlic & Basil to meat mix.

Step 3—Layer 3 lasagna noodles over sauce in slow cooker, breaking noodles to fit as needed. Top with 1/3 of the Alfredo pasta sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese (It used Italian Blend Cheese). Top with 1/3 of the ground beef mixture, spreading evenly

Step 4—Repeat layering twice more, using 2 lasagna noodles in last layer.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over top.

Step 5—Cover; cook on High for first hour then turn down to the Low setting for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours.

The amazing thing about this recipe is it doesn't use ricotta or cottage cheese, relying on the cheese in the Alfredo sauce for the smooth richness. (Click below for printable version)

Earl Cooks 2 Dishes and a Snack for a Christmas Feast at Daughter #2's House - Funeral Potatoes

We have always gotten together Christmas day with my Dad and Mom's family. Sometimes it involves travel, sometimes it simply involves scheduling issues, but we have always done it Christmas day. The kids hated leaving their new gifts behind, but the anticipation of opening new ones was always an attraction. Last year Mom's health had declined to the point where she could not make it, so we went to her. This year she is no longer with us. Kindly my second daughter offered her new home as a gathering place for Christmas. She and my baby sister organized everything. My daughter's home is made for entertaining...a great open plan where the kitchen/dining/living spaces combine so everyone can gather and mingle together while they eat and then open gifts and play games. This year we were 22 people, with one home ill and 2 almost 300 miles away, with another 4 out of state. It was a potluck affair with everyone doing what they wanted to do and it was wonderful! So much food and such a great variety. I chose to do 2 favorites and a snack. Let me start with the one that I considered the least successful.

Earl Cooks 2 Dishes and a Snack for a Christmas Feast at Daughter #2's House - Baked Beans

It seems the more I cook, and the more I learn about cooking, the more I find recipes that seem to copy my ideas on cooking. I know they aren't, or maybe they are catching up to a lazier way to a similar result. This happened recently while I watched Cook's Country on PBS. Right there was the way I had been making my baked beans in an episode from 2016. They called theirs "Backyard Barbecue Beans", but the idea is almost the same as the way I have made them for years! I'm not sure when I first made baked beans, mine have always been unique, or so I've been told. Mine are loaded with meats and a variety of beans. Mine have cooked onion and a bit of uncooked onion and more often than not, raw celery to give them CRUNCH. I always make them in a Crock-pot, since I discovered crock-pots many years ago. Slow cookers are great for large gatherings because you can keep everything at a great serving temperature and you can prep it and forget it...almost.

Earl Cooks 2 Dishes and a Snack for a Christmas Feast at Daughter #2's House - The Snack

This time of year is about holiday traditions. It is also the first Christmas since our mom's passing. My daughter #2 wanted to celebrate our mom's life this Christmas and I thought that was great!

One of those traditions from my youth was Mom making the original Chex "party mix" for a toy party she was hosting at our house in the late 60s, much like the Discovery Toys or Tupperware parties. They had the coolest toys to demonstrate, and as a young boy, I hoped one of them would be mine. It never happened, but what I do remember was watching Mom make the mix. The recipe was from the back of the 1966 Chex box. Every other “original” recipe I've found is not how it was then and not how she made it. A version is still on the boxes today, but I have always loved the original. 

The ad (pictured here) is a bit small so I will list the ingredients & Instructions here with the modification I make to enhance the flavor to match my memories, and I think it makes it closer to what mom made.
CLICK BELOW FOR RECIPE(S) and a printable version

Earl Cooks Christmas Eve Turkey for "Turkey"

When I lived in Mexico in the mid 70s, I was impressed with how humble and simple their Christmas Eve celebration was. It was truly a family affair, with the whole family gathering around the table. The mother usually roasted a chicken very simply, and at midnight the family would put the baby Jesus (Jesús in Spanish) into the manger bed. They would also usually gather for a religious service or mass at their local church, chapel or cathedral. There was no worrying about being naughty or nice, pressure giving gifts, or a commercial side to the celebration. I'm sure that has changed somewhat today, some 40+ years later, but it left a lasting impression.

I wanted to bring a bit of that simplicity to our Christmas Eve this year for my wife (A.K.A."Turkey). I didn't have a whole chicken to roast, but I did have a turkey breast...close enough!

I started with a roasting pan large enough for the 7 lb. breast and covered the bottom with the same vegetables I would use in a mirepoix, carrots, onions and celery. I left them whole to support the weight of the turkey. I seasoned the veggies with seasoning salt and pepper to add flavor as they roast.

I decided to cook my turkey breast almost frozen. I seasoned it with pepper and poultry seasoning. It would be roasting quite awhile so I seasoned it liberally. The breast I bought was strangely shaped, so I had to flip it to make certain it cooked evenly. I added about 1 cup of stock to the pan and covered it with foil. It would be in there several hours since it was partially frozen, and I wanted it to roast thoroughly.

After it reached 165℉-175℉ throughout (about 3-4 hours), I removed the foil and alowed it to brown. It turned out very nice and was very simple.The vegetables were rich with flavor and the turkey was juicy and savory. I let it rest for 30 minutes. I prepared some riced sweet potatoes to go along with everything and dinner was complete.

We spent the night watching Christmas specials and listening to Christmas music, which is a great way to bring simplicity and light to a sacred celebration. I hope yours can be a spent remembering Christ and forgetting your cares.

Earl Cooks Bone-In New York Strip Steak

Bone-In New York Strip Steak with Applewood Smoked
Bacon Mashed Potatoes with Cheddar Cheese

One of the great benefits of the holiday season is all of the food! Turkeys, Hams, Holiday Roasts, Cheeses, Nuts and many others cover the pages of the grocery store ads at prices that seam almost reasonable. But it's the holiday and what kind of holiday would it be if we didn't overspend a little on those we love...foods that is. In pursuit of this goal, I asked my wife a.k.a. "Turkey" if she would prefer a holiday roast or steaks. Without hesitation, she said "steaks!" Our butcher (the meat department at the chain grocery store) was offering a good deal on New York Strip Steaks so I bought too many!

In my effort to never do anything the same way twice and make cooking more challenging I thought I would try a new approach to cooking these bone-in New York strips.
—I began by preheating my cast iron skillet in my oven set to 450℉
—I then seasoned my steaks using just ONE type of seasoning, McCormick's®  Grill Mates® Montreal Steak Seasoning on both sides. I should mention here that I allowed them to come to almost room temperature out of the fridge.
— When my pan was hot I removed it from the oven and turned the oven setting DOWN to 250℉. I placed my seasoned steaks into the hot pan and returned the pan to the oven. The steaks seared just a bit, but I was not searing this right now. That comes later.
—After 30 minutes have passed, turn the steaks over and reduce the heat to 225℉,
—After the hour has passed, remove the pan from the oven and remove the steaks from the pan for just a moment.
—Crank the heat up under your cast iron skillet as high as you dare. Drizzle some olive oil in and return the steaks to the skillet.
—Sear the steaks on both sides to establish a nice crust. Turn as needed with tongs. Yes, you can turn them more than once, but you may not need to. The searing takes about 5 minutes or 2½ minutes per side. I might mention here that "Turkey" like her meat WELL done. Most of you may not, but take that into consideration.

I prepared some mashed potatoes to accompany our steaks and topped both with a generous pat of butter and fresh cracked pepper. These steaks were just shy of  1 pound and I ate the whole thing, plus my potatoes. Turkey had her leftovers for lunch the next day. All told, it was a success and our butcher did a fine job with the meat😁.

Earl Cooks White Chicken Chili from Leftover Chicken

I love this seasoning! I am not compensated in any way to say that. It is a simple seasoning packet with complete instructions on the back. All that is needed is chicken, canned white beans, and whatever you choose to go with it!

I used chicken I had leftover from our Chicken Teriyaki & Rice from the night before, which made it even more simple. All I had to do was cut the chicken into smaller pieces, add the seasoning, water, and beans as instructed and in just a few minutes, chili was born! We let it cook a few more minutes to thicken it and let the sauce mingle with everything else, and we had a great meal. We topped it with fresh avocado, grated cheese, and sour cream and it was good enough for the "Turkey" compliment which is that leftovers are good enough for her lunch!

It is a bit on the spicy side and cleared my sinuses just a bit, but the cheese and sour cream mitigated the effect somewhat. A chili purest would not think this was authentic. Beans? Chicken? Packaged seasoning? Maybe that why I like it. It is just what our household ordered. Simple, quick and tasty.
—Shown is the leftover chicken breast, which I cut into spoon size pieces.
—I placed some olive oil in a large skillet and placed the breast in the oil to heat-up.
—Everything went so fast that I forgot to get a picture of the seasoning and beans added, and finally, our bowls of chili. My wife stirred hers all together. I left mine in layers, just happy to get a different taste in each spoonful.

Pick some of this up in the spice section in your market. I think you will like it if you like chili and chicken!


—I had a bit left over which I used as an ingredient for an awesome lunch which I will post soon. This recipe would work great with roast chicken leftovers or turkey leftovers too.

Earl Cooks Chicken Teriyaki & Rice from Freezer to Plate

I have cooked Freezer to Plate meals before. This one interested me because rather than pasta, it had rice as the base. You may remember that the pasta was undercooked in my previous trials so I thought rice might work out better. I sure wish mine looked like the one on the package! I followed package instructions, although I did bake it a bit longer because the breasts were so large my wife thought they may be turkey, not chicken. I assured her they were not but cooked it a bit longer to make certain it cooked through.

In case you don't know, these boxes contain a sauce and in this case, rice with some veggies. They are meant to be used with frozen chicken breasts. They offer 5 different varieties. Pictured is mine after completing the cooking. The chicken is nicely cooked if a bit on the pale side. The sauce slid off the breasts and didn't add any color to the chicken. My challenge here, again, is the starch. Some was cooked and some was crunchy. Again the failing is the side dish. I am going to take their idea and translate it into a recipe where I control the individual cooking of the ingredients. As you can see these breasts are HUGE! This is a 9x12 baking dish, and only 2 breasts fit. I could have sliced them and made them look nicer in the baking dish, but I was kinda hungry. Here is the plated result with butter and fresh cracked pepper added. I should point out that  I was able to make 2 great meals with the leftover chicken which I will post later. I even used the unevenly cooked rice. It could just be my almost 30+-year-old stove. I would recommend you try it and judge for yourself. It is far superior to any microwave solutions you may be tempted to try!

Earl Eats with "Turkey" at Red Robin and We Both "Pig Out"

Our favorite place to have a 'burger night' is closed. It was the Applebee's near us. In search of another sit-down, dine-in restaurant that serves a good burger that isn't way out of our price range, I thought we would try Red Robin. It isn't close to home, but is on the way home from my wife's workplace...sort of.

Over the years we have eaten there only a couple of times, and those were not memorable enough to bring us back, but they are offering their $6.99 Tavern Line-up with bottomless steak fries right now so it seemed like a good time to go back.

My wife gets off work kinda early, (I felt like I was early enough for senior dining), but at least the parking lot was fairly empty! They had remodeled since we last ate there, and I liked the style. I was greeted by two young ladies who were happy to see a warm body and took me to a secluded table (all the tables were secluded!) though a work Christmas group of 8 to 10 people were seated near me almost as I arrived. Our server was very nice and attentive, and promptly offered a drink while I waited for "Turkey" to arrive.

Above:Their Advertised. Below:Our Reality

There were 4 or 5 offerings from their Tavern line-up of burgers, and a couple more for only 50 cents more. We both ended up wanting the same burger—their "Pig Out" Tavern Double. To quote from their menu "A bacon lover's dream—hardwood-smoked bacon with creamy smoked-bacon sauce, lettuce, tomatoes and American cheese. It's bacon and more bacon." It didn't quite live up to it's hype though. The image here shows the picture from their menu and the reality, but I don't care that it is as tall. How did it taste?
—The patties were nicely cooked and had a great flavor.
—The bacon was almost non-existent. I had almost forgotten it came with bacon. I had to check to see if they forgot it.
—And the creamy smoked bacon sauce was just a sauce. No discernible bacon flavor.
—The Lettuce was great! It was a curly edged green lettuce in a full leaf that didn't overpower, but added a nice freshness that that is often missing.
—The cheese was fine. It was properly melted American.
—The steak fries were a BIG disappointment. Lukewarm and limp we both thought they may have been under a heat lamp for some time. They are bottomless, but we had no desire to ask for more. They do come with a fry sauce. It was okay. BBQ Sauce & Mayo is my guess. However, after trying it, my wife made her own.

Conclusion:
The best thing I can say about this is I feel we got what we paid for. We will probably try it again, but it may not become a regular stop. Too bad. I wanted it to.

Rating: ★★★✰✰

Earl Eats "Turkey's" Caramels

One of the great advantages to having a bride that has real talent in the kitchen is when you subtly comment on something good you just saw a great recipe for, and it is one of her favorite foods, and most of the ingredients are on hand, and the recipe is fairly quick and simple...for her, She might be "inspired" to make it. Such was my thinking when I found a recipe for Salted Caramel Candies. (Even though I may not get to enjoy much of my brilliant plan because she is taking them to work). But it is the holiday season and these will certainly spread the joy.

She decided to make them, in fact, she was somewhat enthusiastic about making these and I learned something about her culinary education. Her second favorite class in college was making candy! I can't do it. Between the constant watching, 3 thermometers, hardball, softball, and waiting for it all to cool, It is truly a scientific endeavor. I admire that. I love that. I also know why it is a rare occurrence, but a welcome one anytime. I will place a link to the site where I found the recipe. "Turkey" says it may be the easiest recipe for caramels yet! As for me, I have never met a caramel I didn't like, but these I LUUUVED!💛💛💛💛💛

Here is the link to the recipe she used:

Salted Caramels Recipe "Turkey" made

Earl Cooks Homemade Croûtons from "Turkey's" Homemade Bread

I am blessed with an ample supply of homemade bread, baked by my wife A.K.A. "Turkey". What this abundance gives is bread that is the perfect toast, or with butter, or any other thing you would use bread for. My wife bakes 2 loaves almost every week, and we eat about half a loaf  hot, right out of the oven, slathered with butter. We eat some during the week, but in the end we usually have almost a whole loaf left over when she decides to make a new batch of the golden goodness. This leaves us with a surplus and it is my job to find a way to use it. We put it in the fridge and go to work on eating the new loaves.

I can't stand to waste food, so I am constantly looking for ways to both preserve and more importantly use up this 'staff of life'. It might not be a problem, but we rarely eat bread with our meals, (I know, crazy right?), but it is the truth, and the reason we have so much leftover at week's end. Shat I am doing this time is croûtons! This is not new or revolutionary, and I can't really give a recipe because I change the seasoning with each batch, but here are the essentials:

—Slice your bread into slices as thick as you want your croûtons to be

—On a wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet, place your slices in a LOW oven (200-250℉) for 30 minutes to dry out. You are not toasting them here just drying them out enough to accept the seasonings you choose.

—After the 30 minutes, turn the oven off, but leave slices in the warm oven for another 30 minutes to complete drying.

—Remove the dried bread from the oven and the slices from the baking sheet.

—Cover the the bottom of the sheet pan with olive oil or melted butter or a combination of both depending on your tastes and the flavor you are going for

—To the oil in the baking sheet add your seasoning. This can include Italian herbs, Herb De Provence garlic powder, onion powder or any other seasoning you love. I wouldn't add a lot of salty herb mixes here though some would be fine. Dried herbs work great.

—Cut your dried bread in to cubes suitable for croûtons. Mine are about 3/4 of an inch, and ad to the seasoned oil.

—Toss the cubes or just move them around the pan until all of the oil and seasonings are on the bread. You may want to add a bit more to the top, which can be done by spraying or drizzling more oil and sprinkling with more seasonings. I find fresh cracked pepper added here a delight. Adding Parmesan cheese or another finely grated hard cheese also works when added here.

—Return the seasoned cubes to a low oven again, but you want a bit of toasting this time. I turn the broiler element on to make the heat more direct.

—After 30 minutes, turn oven off. Test for crispness. If they are to your liking, remove them now. I find that leaving them an additional 30 minutes in the oven, heat of gets the last bit of moisture out and leaves everything crunchy and toasty.

—Remove and store in a zipper bag. They are now shelf stable and will keep for quite awhile.

I use mine in soups and salads, and they work great in stuffing recipes too! One more thing. If you have these you can cruch them and make a seasonded crum for coating fish chicken or for topping casseroles.

Earl Cooks Shepherd's Pie—DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Shepherd's Pie topped with a generous pat of real butter

Until I was married, I had never had nor do I remember ever hearing of Shepherd's Pie. But my wife introduced me to it and I developed an affinity for it. She has never much cared for green peas, and until a few years ago, I didn't care for green beans, a common substitute for peas. So what I remember her using is broccoli. I like broccoli. I like it raw, I like it cooked and I even like it riced, but according to recipes I looked at nobody considers it Shepherd's Pie with broccoli. This got me to wondering "what exactly is shepherd's pie and what are the traditional ingredients"? Rachel Ray says one thing, Gordon Ramsay another. So I dug deeper into its history and found that originally it was designed to use up leftovers, particularly roast! Well I just happen to have a bit of leftover roast and the veggies I used cooked with it. Here is what I did and what I will never do again!
—I started with the leftover roast, removed all of the fat and diced it into ¼" dice. The leftover vegetables I diced up but they were too soft, and really just dissolved into the dish. I didn't have leftover potatoes, so I made a package of potatoes and added about ½ cup of sour cream and one egg yolk, and mixed that into the potatoes which will become the topping. I also made a gravy from a packet which I enhanced with some broth from the roast. Veggies in the dish, meat in the dish and gravy added, I then topped with the potatoes and decorated with a fork. Lastly, I added smoked paprika to the top. I covered it and baked covered for 20 min. at 375℉. I then removed the lid and baked for another 20 minutes to brown the top.
Results
I quite liked it. I topped it with a generous pat of butter, but my wife didn't! She thinks I can eat anything and have an iron constitution, so as the saying goes, happy wife, happy life! That's not why you shouldn't try this at home though. The vegetables were too mushy. It needed to have uncooked veggies added. The potatoes were pretty good as was the meat, but next time I will try the trraditional American version with ground beef and peas (I love peas). I will still be eating the leftovers, which I guess are leftover leftovers or leftovers²!

Earl Eats Phoenix Chicken at Chin Wah with Daughter & Grandboy

There are very few locally owned and operated restaurants left, and even fewer left near me. But this place has held a special place for me and my family for years, practically since they opened in 1990 in a location vacated by a failed franchise chain. Now they are in new digs and the atmosphere has improved immensely.

I don't know how authentic their menu is to Asian/Chinese cuisine since I am 6,677 miles from China, but I really don't care. Most often I eat there with Daughter #2 for lunch and our selection rarely varies. Their lunch specials are enough to feed two, so we split one and order an extra cup of soup. Sometimes when I eat out I want to be surprised, almost entertained by the meal, but when we eat at Chin Wah, it is comfort food. We order their Phoenix Chicken, a nicely crisp piece, with a sweet yet savory sauce, pork chow mein, and ham fried rice in abundance. You can request hot, medium or mild, we normally have medium, but the hot is good too if you like a bit more heat.

From Daughter #2's FB feed...get it? Food=Feed😁

Since Grandboy #2 came along, who is nearly 6'5" and a teen, we ordered another meal for him. But being a teen, he wanted his sauce on the side and white rice. He mostly likes the crispy chicken and took the extra home for later. They took care of his special request with ease and we all left full and happy!

If you are looking for a nice meal at a nice price, this is a great choice and it is always good to support locally owned and operated businesses!

Chin Wah Menu (PDF - Opens in new window)

from Chin Wah's Eat-in Menu

Earl Cooks Pot Roast & Root Veggies

My earliest recollection of Sunday dinner was Pot Roast. It was cooked low and slow and on the stove-top, not in the oven, like many of my friend's moms did. I was dark and delicious, served with carrots and potatoes cooked right in the pot until they too were dark and delicious. Sometimes the veggies would stick to the bottom of the roasting pan and caramelize, and that was better than candy. It was usually the cheapest cut of roast, but it didn't matter. Time and seasoning would add what nature didn't give it. It came out of the pan fork tender with the fat rendered, and then my mom would remove everything and make gravy from the pan drippings. It was always perfect in both my mind and my mouth. even though there must have been times when it didn't quite achieve perfection. No steak or prime rib I ever had in a restaurant as a kid could match our Sunday Roasts.

Fast forward to not long after I came home from 2 years in Mexico. My sister, 2½ years my junior tried making a roast. To this day, I'm not certain what went wrong, but the pan was black and the roast was toast!

But enough background. Let's cook! I start with my enameled cast iron dutch oven. I heat it on medium to medium-high, adding bacon grease, olive oil, seasoned salt and seasoned pepper for the browning phase. I can't express how important the browning is in the overall flavor development. Without it, you are just boiling the roast and taking away flavor rather than adding it. I brown each side for 4 to 5 minutes. You may want to season the roast or add more seasoning to the pan as it browns. You should see the pan darken in the bottom. This is "fond" and I could give you a long definition, but you are on the Internet...look it up! Don't skip browning the ends, they want your attention too!
Next, remove the roast to a plate for just a minute. Add your mirepoix to the fond and stir. Mirepoix you say? Sounds like a fancy French word for celery, onions & carrots diced small, because it is! After adding and stirring it, add the roast back to the pot. Now add 32 oz. of beef broth and cover with lid, reducing heat to medium. Cook for 1-2 hours checking periodically and adjusting heat if needed. This step is really braising, but it is what brings the tenderness to an otherwise tough piece of meat.

Simmering Roast w/Umami Paste
added on top

The stock should be bubbling now. Check for seasoning. I added a new product I found at Trader Joe's called Umami paste. It comes in a tube like many herbs and tomato paste and you just squeeze it on. If you don't have it, Worcestershire Sauce works great and is what I would normally use. Umami is just the savory taste and is considered one of the 5 tastes your mouth senses, along with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Now let's move on to the root vegetables, their preparation, and cooking. For my roast this time, I selected golden beets which I washed and quartered. One parsnip which I peeled and cut into sticks. Carrots, cut into sticks similar to the parsnip, and fingerling potatoes. These I add to the pot, nestling around so they are in contact with, and surrounding the roast. I think this is the best way to get them to take on the toasty goodness you have been developing. Place them in the pot in order of the lengthiest time to cook. Leave the lid off and continue to simmer, reducing the liquid and cooking the vegetables. You want the liquid to cook almost away, leaving the flavor on the veggies. You can make a gravy with the pan drippings but my wife just likes it spooned over the whole plate!

Roast & Root Vegetables Cooked and Plated with a bit of butter

Earl Eats "Turkey's" Super Supper Salad

From top left: Cherry Tomatoes, Hard-Cooked Eggs,
Green Onion, Blue Cheese, Avocado & Bacon

My Salad on the Left and "Turkey's" on the right
I also added cottage cheese to mine.

It seemed like a great night for a dinner salad and I had some great components—Cherry Tomatoes, Hard-Cooked Eggs, Green Onion, Avocado, crumbled bacon, blue cheese and lettuce. I was all set to make it except for 1 thing. My wife, AKA "Turkey", likes her green onions sliced extremely thin, thinner than I am able to slice them apparently, and she likes the tomatoes halved, ever since I tried to poke mine with a fork and shot tomato clear down the other end of the table at a wedding banquet some 40 years ago, which, of course, she remembers to this day! So I asked her if she would slice the onion and the tomatoes, thinking I would continue and do the rest, when I got to the kitchen she had done everything, as shown above! All that was left was each of us putting our salad together and dressing it. I was surprised she wanted to do it, and I think she was a bit surprised too! Here they are, she chose Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing and I went with Chunky Blue Cheese. My dad loved Roquefort when I was growing up and I learned to love the flavor and my mom taught us to love hard-cooked eggs on our salads. My grandpa loved growing tomatoes and while in Mexico, I lived in the avocado capital where the best avocados I have ever eaten were found, so in this simple meal, much history is revealed and memories jogged.

Earl Eats with the Grandboys at Freddy's

My Grandboys called me today to see if I could go with them to lunch. I said sure! Then I asked where and they said they didn't know. Well I did a review of the hot-dogs awhile back at Freddy's Steakburgers, and we were close so I suggest that!. On my last visit, I lamented the fact that I didn't try their flagship burger, so this became a great opportunity to make-up for that! Two of us ordered the double steakburger combo with bacon, and one of us the triple. The orders got shuffled a bit and I didn't get bacon, but got the triple. It wasn't any fault of theirs, we just grabbed the wrong trays.

We were very happy with our meals and one grandboy RAVED about the slender fries, which are tasty. I was impressed with the pickle chips served on mine. My one grandboy is a former McDonald's employee, and I think he prefers Mickey D's fries.

We ate inside the restaurant which was a good idea. Their service was great and everyone was very helpful. Also when you eat in they offer additional seasoning for the fries. They also have their own in-house fry sauce, a must for me. They serve Pepsi products, and that was fine with all 3 of us.

The restaurant was clean and well organized and we were served in a very timely fashion, although we were just ahead of the lunch rush, so that helped.

Conclusion: 
Go and try this place if you have one nearby! Not cheap, but very tasty.

Feed How Many? A Christmas Breakfast Strata for 12

Anytime a request starts with a double-digit number in the servings I am a bit out of my element (mind?), not to mention that it is to be prepared in a HUGE disposable aluminum serving tray and to be served buffet style...well new adventures are good adventures, right?
Well after reading a slew of recipes and not finding one I liked, I did what I  normally do with recipes, I made my own. It was for a neighborhood Christmas Party, a brunch of sorts and I would be just one of many, but I couldn't let mine be just another casserole. My mind went back to the first time I remembered eating a breakfast 'strata or stratta' (layers) was 40+ years ago, and it is not a good memory. It was cold in some places and overcooked in others. I had never heard of a 'strata'at that time, norI had I  ever thought I would be making one. I have since tasted some that are fine, and in fairness, in the truest sense of the word, lasagnas, frittatas and even some quiches are stratas (stratum), since they are layered baked dishes. As my wife pointed out, casseroles are meant to make feeding many easier, but that was not in the cards for me. It had to be good first, use ingredients I had on hand second, and lastly, be breakfast-like. I am going to present this dish, it's ingredients, and it's instructions in the the order the layers went into the pan and what I did to prepare each layer. The good thing is, I now know what I did right and what I should have done differently. As a PLUS, my wife said mine was by far the best tasting of any of those she tasted! I couldn't agree more and I tried many of them. For details, click below

Refrigerated Jumbo Biscuits  —  Biscuits Baked  —  Layered Biscuits Halved

Earl Cooks Salsa Verde Poached Eggs in a Tortilla Bowl

You may be thinking at this point, if you have been reading my posts, that I only post about breakfast and/or eggs, but I eat eggs for dinner too! All kidding aside (yeah, that won't happen), I find breakfast the easiest way to experiment and perfect. It is my laboratory. I am usually cooking for just one, me. So when I saw Lidia Bastianich on PBS poaching eggs in tomato sauce, I thought "I can do that, only better!" I have a confession. When I see a recipe, I say to myself, I can do it BETTER (which usually means cheaper or with ingredients I have on hand). Well, I had everything I needed to do it her way, but why, when I can do it my way? So, I knew I had some Salsa Verde (Green) Salsa on hand, and I love Mexican food after living there for 2 years in the 70s, so rather than Tomato Sauce, Tomatillo Salsa! I would poach my eggs in the salsa. But I couldn't just poach them. I decided to make a tortilla bowl from some uncooked tortillas I had just purchased. Here we go!
—I began with the bowl. I placed a 10" flour tortilla in an 8" non-stick skillet and cooked it on medium-high for a few minutes to develop the shape. I then placed it in a preheated 350℉ oven to crisp and brown it, but not too much. It will come out with air pockets, which is good! Transfer it to a plate to cool. Now for the good part.
—In the same skillet you used for the tortilla, add Salsa Verde, I used Great Value from Wal-Mart, but pick your favorite. On a medium heat let the salsa heat to bubbling around the edges.
—Gently add the eggs, I lowered mine in from a ramekin into which I cracked the eggs. A note here. Everyone on TV says to use the FRESHEST eggs possible, so I went to my coop (chain grocery store) and got my Free Range Brown eggs. As the picture shows, they started cooking immediately and after a few minutes, they were done to what I consider the perfect doneness - yolks RUNNY and whites SET. The picture looks like I have a 3rd egg, but it was just a white bubbling up. Trapped gas? Well it was Mexican food!
—I transferred the eggs to my tortilla bowl with a slotted spoon, and with another spoon poured the Salsa Verde over the eggs. The picture shows how nice and runny the yolk was.
Conclusion:
This was great! My first real success at poaching eggs the way a TV chef did. I only changed all the ingredients and cuisine. It was delicious. I only wish I had taken the time to make refried beans to coat the tortilla bowl with. I will do this again! I even grabbed some corn chips to finish off the remaining Salsa!

Earl Cooks Ribeye, Russian Fingerlings & Asparagus

Mid-week steaks are a treat in our house, so I try not to over do it. I had an 8 oz. ribeye that I thought would be perfect...for one, but we are two. Fortunately, had just purchased some fresh asparagus and that goes perfect with anything anytime, so I add one more thing...Russian Fingerling Potatoes. To my knowledge, I have never had Russian Fingerling Potatoes, but my "Turkey"(wife's nickname) likes her food small and her starches smaller! So we can split the steak and fill up with veggies! To that, I will add roasted onion, and dinner will be grand.
—I start with a medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced into thick slices. This will go under the steak while it slow-roasts for about 90 minutes at a low-temperature (225-250℉). I place the onion in my cast iron skillet and season both sides of the steak with steak seasoning (I like 2 different ones, Montreal by McCormick and Chicago, by Weber). I usually season each side with a different one and that gives a great taste.
—I then place the steak on top of the onion. and put the skillet into the oven. My method here is a modified version of one I saw on America's Test Kitchen on PBS. Usually, I like to take the time to Sous Vide my steaks, but I didn't have time tonight, so this seemed like a good alternative. While the steak roasts, I take my fingerling potatoes and coat them with olive oil and season with garlic salt and garlic pepper, and place them in a sheet pan to roast with the steak. I prepare the asparagus by trimming the woody ends and coat them with olive and avocado oils, then season with salt and pepper.
—After the steaks have been in for 45 minutes, I switch the oven to broil, (or the top element depending on your oven), but keep the temperature low. I find this evens out the cooking.
—When the 90 minutes are up, I remove the steak and potatoes. I allow the steak to rest, adjusting the oven temperature up to 350℉, add the asparagus into the tray with the potatoes, and roast both for 15 minutes while the steak rests.
—Now I turn the stove to medium-high, in preparation to get a good crust on the ribeye. I sear it for just a few minutes, making certain I get the edge crusty too.

"Turkey" really liked the potatoes because they were crusty on the outside and creamy on the inside. The steak was very tasty and well seasoned. The onions were nicely caramelized with some of the steak drippings giving them added flavor. Who needs more meat? (Well I do, I really do), but I was full and satisfied!

Earl Cooks Milk Poached Eggs on Toast

Some of my earliest memories of my mom are her cooking breakfasts for us, which she did every school day. She always had oatmeal available, and usually eggs. On special days she would make waffles with bacon cooked right into the waffles. Back then all I remember having, and maybe all she could find was Mapleine flavored syrup, which she made fresh and served hot. I was an adult before I ever tasted REAL maple syrup, but with REAL butter and REAL bacon, I was fine with what we had. Occasionally we had some Log Cabin syrup, but it was served cold and didn't melt the butter nearly as well. But this post isn't about what she fixed us, it's about what she fixed herself...almost right up to her last day on this earth. She loved MILK POACHED EGGS on toast! I don't remember her ever giving any of us even a taste. After we were all fed and the dishes cleared, she would pour some milk into our electric frying pan and make herself her breakfast treat. I love eggs. I love eggs runny. When "Turkey" and I were on a cruise to the Caribbean a few years ago, I ate poached eggs every day. When I have tried to poach them myself, normally, or with a microwave, I have not been successful. They were never as good as my dippin' eggs (steamed), so I figured why bother. But I was thinking about Mom and wondering if there was something to the milk poaching that made them egg-ceptional (sorry, just had to). so here are the directions and the results.(Read More below)

Earl Cooks Riced Cauliflower & Pulled Pork

In an effort to add more veggies to our diet that are good for weeknight meals, I discovered frozen riced veggies awhile back. The three I see most often are cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. These are more expensive than their non-riced counterparts but are great for a quick side dish. But tonight, I am going to turn the lowly cauliflower into the main event! I found in my deep freeze the last of the smoked pork I saved from Captain Len's, and inspiration began.

First I took riced cauliflower, from Boulder Creek, and microwaved per package instructions.

Riced Cauliflower, Diced Yellow Onion, Pulled Pork,
Seasoned Pepper,  Fresh Ground Black Pepper & Butter

While that cooked, I diced a yellow onion and prepared the pork. I seasoned the onions with seasoned pepper and added butter to sauté. To the onions, I added the smoked pork to warm through. I then added the riced cauliflower. (You may want to DRAIN for quicker cooking). Combine onions, pork, and cauliflower together and let any liquid cook away. Shave some Parmesan and cover. The cheese should melt right into the other ingredients, and you can serve it up! I topped our servings with a nice bit of butter. This would also be good topped with parsley or with some Cajun/Creole seasoning. It needs a lot of seasoning because cauliflower seems to be a black hole for salt & pepper.

Earl Cooks A Ham Scram—an EGG-Speriment

I tried something somewhat new for me today. I diced up some of the last Thanksgiving glazed ham and added eggs to create what I am calling a 'Ham Scram'. It is basically a crust-less frittata with only 2 ingredients and it was just right for lunch.
Since it was an EGG-Speriment, I learned a couple of things NOT to do as well as what was good, which I will share...the good the bad and the ugly. Let me start with the ugly. This is not a great looking dish as I prepared it for the first time. It is uneven and dark in places because I let it sit too long on 1 side. I needed to turn the heat down and let it cook more slowly, but I was HUNGRY!
INGREDIENTS:
—Glazed Ham, 1Cup diced
—Eggs, large, 4 ea.
(Click below for instructions)