Beeswax Paste for Cutting Boards and Butcher Blocks
March 23, 2009 by Andrea 
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Filed under Make Your Own, Recently Updated
Caring for wood in the kitchen may seem like a mystery, but it’s actually pretty easy. We have wood cutting boards, salad bowls, a few wood plates and utensils, and a butcher block top on the baking center/floating island, and it only takes a little effort to maintain them.
For cleaning, we scrape off all stuck on bits of flour or whatever, then we rub them down with hot soapy water but avoid submerging in water. If wood items soak in water, they tend to crack when drying, so avoid that especially with good cutting boards or plates/bowls. For the same reason you should never put wood items in a dishwasher. To remove odors, I spray on undiluted white vinegar and let the pieces sit overnight without wiping off the vinegar, but you can also use lemon juice. Read more
Slow Cooker Four Bean Baked Beans
August 1, 2007 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Beef, Pork, Recently Updated
When I was growing up, baked beans were a delicious part of all our cook outs and potlucks. Cans of pork and beans were mixed with ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and onions, then baked in the oven. Sometimes strips of bacon were laid on top, creating a smoky aroma and flavor that reminds me of many summers spent playing outdoors all day long and outdoor meals enjoyed with family and friends.
I haven’t made baked beans in a long time and this summer I was looking for an excuse to make some. Our neighbors hosted a potluck cookout over the weekend, and I jumped at the chance to try out a slow-cooker variation of my favorite baked beans recipe. This version is made with four kinds of beans, ground beef, and bacon and then slow-cooked for five or six hours. They smelled wonderful as they cooked, and they were a hit at the potluck. The flavor is a little sweet, a little smoky, and a little tangy, a nice combination. Read more
Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok)
July 17, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Micronesian, Poultry, Recently Updated
This dish is one of my fond memories of four years spent in Saipan. Local celebrations always included chicken kelaguen, red rice, empanadas, pancit, and other delicious island foods.
Traditional kelaguen starts with a whole chicken, cut in half or in pieces, that has been grilled till cooked but still juicy. Then you combine the remaining ingredients and stir with the chicken and let it stand and cool for an hour or so. To enjoy, put some into a tortilla and wrap it up and eat it. The sweet fresh coconut balances the heat of the peppers and the tartness of the limes. Read more
Barbecued Ribs
July 3, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Pork, Recently Updated
I can’t imagine summertime without barbecue…ribs, chicken, pulled pork, you name it. When it comes to ribs, I love sticky, sloppy, finger-licking sauces, although I like dry rubs as well. This is a family favorite that we enjoy when we visit Michael’s parents at their camp in the Adirondacks. The ribs are great for 4th of July cookouts along with salt potatoes, corn on the cob, and an assortment of side salads.
[Updated July 6, 2010.]
(BARBECUED RIBS
Serves 8.
Equipment
2 half-sheet baking pans
aluminum foil
grill Read more
Maine Blueberry Pie
June 19, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Dessert, Recently Updated
Maine is our spot. We vacationed there while dating, got married in the garden of the Bar Harbor Tides bed and breakfast overlooking Frenchman Bay in Bar Harbor, took our wedding photos throughout Acadia National Park, and went back to visit when I was pregnant with our first child. Sadly, the last visit was four years ago and various circumstances have prevented us from going back. But every year in the summer and fall we think about going back and hiking through Acadia and enjoying Maine wild blueberries, and if for some reason we won’t be able to go we say, “I miss Maine.” Read more
Michael’s Vegetarian Chili
May 18, 2006 by Andrea Print This Post
Filed under Recently Updated, Tex Mex
Michael saw a recipe in the Washington Post about twenty years ago that inspired him to make this. It’s a very healthy, low-fat, vegetarian chili. He likes it chunky, and true chili mongers might even call this a soup done up tex-mex style.
When Michael makes it for himself, he uses lots of hot peppers. In fact, he likes to sweat when he’s eating chili. After we started dating, he asked me if I liked spicy foods and I said yes. Of course I did not realize that our ideas of spicy were nowhere close to each other. I like lots of flavor, he likes heat. So the first time he made this chili for me, he turned up the heat. Read more
