Finnish Macaroni and Beef
When I was a District Exchange Officer for Rotary districts in Minnesota and Wisconsin, I helped coordinate exchanges for students coming to our area from Finland and students from Minnesota and...
View ArticleCorn & Sausage Chowder
One of the advantages of growing up in northern Wisconsin was being able to take your prom date to a good supper club and have a cup of clam chowder before the steak appeared. Although I discovered...
View ArticleBeanless Beef Chili
Growing up in northern Wisconsin, I used to think that chili was made with kidney beans, hamburger, tomato sauce, and onions seasoned with salt, pepper and a little chili powder. People from Texas...
View ArticleMarlene’s Sauerkraut Hotdish
Many years ago, Jerri was at a potluck at the New Richmond United Methodist Church. She really liked a hotdish made with sauerkraut, hamburger and macaroni. She asked who made it and got Marlene to...
View ArticleVegetable Beef and Barley Soup
I used to say, “Cold days call for soup.” Now it’s “Today is a good day for soup.” A good soup makes a welcome addition to any meal. It’s hard to beat a cup of soup and a sandwich or salad for lunch,...
View ArticleJames Barber’s Pork Chop Sate
It was not my fault that no one had checked to make sure we had popcorn oil to fry the fish. Gordy and I were responsible for catching and cleaning them, and we had done our job. Eight nice bass...
View ArticleLayered Enchilada Pie
If you insist on eating only authentic Mexican cooking, you should skip this recipe. But if you are looking for a different kind of casserole, Layered Enchilada Pie is the answer. It is one of the...
View ArticleItalian Meatballs
For many years Jerri and I have been stopping at a supper club in Trego, Wisconsin on our way to the cabin. While I was still working, we enjoyed the Friday fish fry at least once a month and...
View ArticleJeff Smith’s Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Pie)
Since I grew up surrounded by German relatives, you might think that I learned about Zwiebelkuchen from a grandmother or aunt, but alas the truth is that it was The Frugal Gourmet who introduced me to...
View ArticleSausage Gravy
When we go south to visit friends and family I look forward to three specialties of southern cooks: Barbecue, grits and sausage gravy. Today you can find pretty good barbecue throughout the United...
View ArticleJulia Child’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
I don’t remember how we ended up with two copies of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but it’s good that we did. The first one came as a wedding gift from one of Jerri’s friends at...
View ArticlePörkelt: Pork Goulash with Caraway and Lemon
Our family ate a lot of pork when I was a boy. We feasted on hams for Sunday dinners, and breakfast was bacon, eggs and homemade bread at least a couple of times a week. Mom used smoked pork hocks for...
View ArticleGrits and Sausage Casserole
People may be divided into two groups–those who love grits for breakfast and those who do not. I belong to the first group. My fishing partner belonged to the second. We found this recipe several years...
View ArticleSmothered Cheese & Bean Burritos
Perhaps like us you have been blessed with a vegetarian in your family. If so, give thanks for Cheese and Bean Burritos. Even a confirmed carnivore like me finds them a tasty and satisfying main dish...
View ArticleJerri’s Salmon Loaf
It has been a few years, so we don’t feel too guilty for not remembering who gave us Betty Crocker’s Dinner for Two Cook Book. Jerri thinks it is remotely possible that she bought it before we headed...
View ArticleSavory Pork Chops with Fennel
In Wisconsin, we tend to think that “invasive species” refers mainly to zebra mussels, Eurasian milfoil and Canada thistle. In California the list might well end with fennel. Driving in California, you...
View ArticleWhite Spruce Pepper Burgers
In the summer of 1961 I helped sign on WERL radio a couple miles north of Eagle River, Wisconsin. In those days small town radio stations played a wide variety of music, had as much local news as they...
View ArticleJalapeño Beef Stir Fry
A few years ago when I was out for a walk, a neighbor offered me some habanero peppers. I knew they were hot peppers, and since I like my chili spicy I brought home a bag of the little red fruit. They...
View ArticleSeafood Fettuccine
The next time you enjoy a plate of Fettuccine Alfredo, thank Alfredo Di Lelio who created this Italian classic for customers at his restaurant in Rome. Like many works of genius, Fettuccine Alfredo is...
View ArticleRoast Leg of Lamb
My first experience with lamb was a disaster. Halfway through my first year at the University of Wisconsin, I had become accustomed to meals that ranged from good to excellent prepared by skilled cooks...
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