cook's profile


LARANEFF
 
Living In: Rockford, Illinois, USA
Member Since: Oct. 2001
Cooking Level: Expert
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Frying, Stir Frying, Slow Cooking, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Mediterranean, Healthy, Quick & Easy, Gourmet
Hobbies: Reading Books
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About this Cook
I started cooking very young, at first I'd just put things in the oven after school before mom came home. Then she started having me do a few simple steps to get dinner ready, pretty soon I started hanging out in the kitchen paying attention. Before I left home I was a pretty fair gourmet cook, but I had the best teacher in the world. Besides cooking I crochet, read, and make jewelry (beading, sterling, & chainmaille).
My favorite things to cook
Sauces. My specialty is sauces, I mastered a roux early, and I love to create unique sauces.
My favorite family cooking traditions
Christmas dinner is the same meal every year, it has been since 1980. Prime Rib with tawny port sauce, sauteed escarole, potatoes, and corn pudding. Mom always talks about changing the menu, which always gets the same question, "if we aren't having Christmas dinner on Christmas, then when are you going to make it?" Then my mom decides since she has to make it anyways, she might as well make it on Christmas.
Recipe Reviews 25 reviews
Slow Cooker Latin Chicken
Loved It!!!! Huge hit at our house. The changes I made were I used gold potatoes instead of sweet, since no one will eat sweet potatoes, & since I don't eat tomatoes, I used hot green salsa. I added in about 1 cup of frozen corn kernels about 45 minute before it was done & that worked really well. Will make again.

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jul. 19, 2009
Chicken Breasts with Balsamic Vinegar and Garlic
Fabulous!!! A new favorite. I read numerous reviews & then decided to do it my way. I doubled the sauce ingredients since I wanted to serve over pasta. This includes the vinegar, I don't know what the people that said they cut back or thought it was too vinegary were thinking, they must eat really pland food, because I thought it was good, could have even used more. As for the comments about not coating the chicken, again I disagree. This is how I did it: I wilted the mushrooms & removed from the pan, added a little oil heated it to high, added the coated chicken and cooked until golden on both sides. Added the sauce ingredients & mushrooms back in & cooked covered about 5 minutes until the chicken was done * removed it. Then I simmered uncovered until the sauce was reduced & added cooked pasta. Served chicken over pasta & sauce. Getting the coating crispy before adding the sauce keeps it from getting slimy & adds texture & golden brown deliciousness. Will make again & again, & want to try with some thin pork chops.

7 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Jun. 25, 2009
Wrapped Salmon
Great idea, I used butter flavor cooking spray to coat the phyllo instead. Really liked how the salmon came out.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Apr. 10, 2009
 
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