cook's profile


Chad
 
Living In: Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA
Member Since: Nov. 2005
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Slow Cooking, Mexican, Italian, Kids, Quick & Easy
Hobbies: Gardening, Camping, Boating
  •    
  • Title
  • Type
  • Overall Rating
  • Member Rating
About this Cook
I started reading this site as a single parent, who wanted to cook better meals for my kids. Since then, my kids have gotten older and aren't around as much, but I still use the site when I want to make something different. Another benefit has been that my kids have learned to cook for themselves, and they occasionally use the site too. I love the recipe of the day email list, it's given me an idea for dinner more times than I can count.
My favorite things to cook
We like to grill a lot, even during the chilly Minnesota winter. Typically we cook top sirloin or salmon, occasionally strip or rib-eye if its on sale. I like to cook Mexican meals as well. I also do some baking, which I'm pretty good at.
My favorite family cooking traditions
My Grandfather used to get Walleye fillets that were the size of salmon. He had some connections on the reservation where fishing is not regulated. He could bake or fry any fish to absolute perfection. My maternal Grandfather used to make pickled Northern Pike that was out of this world. I'd gladly pay $100 for one jar of his fish, just to taste it one more time. He was also a fantastic all around cook, and having grown up during the depression in an immigrant family, he could feed an army with what seemed like nothing. He also loved gardening and always had either fresh or canned food on hand. He canned everything, and my Grandmother was able to enjoy his food for a long time after he passed away. Funny, when I started filling out this section I didnt think I'd have much to say.
My cooking triumphs
According to my kids, nearly every steak I grill is a triumph. (I think they're being a little generous)
My cooking tragedies
Pizza crust. I just can not get it right.
Recipe Reviews 3 reviews
Quick and Easy Pizza Crust
As someone else said, this crust is more like a focaccia, but still quite good. I did as others have and used the baking powder, additional flower, and one egg. Next time I'm going to use the recommended amount of flour and see if the crust is a little lighter. Overall, we liked it a lot and I think its a good base for other recipes such as artichoke dip bread, etc. This is the first pizza dough I've made that stood up to the toppings. We'll make it again because the kids loved it.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Dec. 27, 2008
Mexican Beef Supreme
This is a very good, and forgiving recipe as long as you do as other reviewers have done and simmer it longer. I ended up burning it a little because I didnt add water, but it was still fantastic. I've never had cilantro/lemon beef before, but I certainly will in the future. It's a great blend of flavors. It's also a great way to make use of cheap cuts of beef to stretch a dollar. Minor addition: We had some frozen shrimp in the freezer. As the beef was finishing up, I sauteed them in olive oil with some leftover cilantro. When the shrimp was nearly done, I mixed in the beef mixture and pretty much just let it warm for a few minutes. The shrimp had a nice light flavor which complemented the beef very nicely.

1 user found this review helpful
Reviewed On: May 6, 2008
Taco Seasoning I
I cant yet review it, but wanted to thank Bill for posting this. I've often made my own, but I never paid attention to how much of each ingredient I used. The kids always liked what I whipped up, but it was honestly a little hit or miss. Thanks again!

0 users found this review helpful
Reviewed On: Apr. 22, 2008
 
ADVERTISEMENT
 
Select Your Version:  United States  |  Canada  |  United Kingdom & Ireland  |  Australia & New Zealand  |  Germany  |  France  |  China  |  Japan  |  Quebec  |  SE Asia  |  Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions What's this?