illdothedisheslater

I’d like to invent a cocktail called the Shirley Hemphill.  

Last year for our big family meal on Christmas eve, we (approximately 25 of us) had a giant pot of Sugo, our family red sauce, with pasta, cheeseballs, meatballs, and the various cuts of meat that go into the Sugo.  The year before there were three monstrous lasagnas and a baked ziti.  Amo la mia… Continue reading Sugo: Red Heaven

Roasted Chicken: Fall is upon us; it is November.  There’s a great movement on Facebook to say one thing you’re grateful for every day in November.  Here is mine:  Pumpkin season is over.  No more Pumpkin Spice lattes, beer, muffins, scrambled eggs, croissants, pasta, or Drunken Punkin Chardonnay (if you know how to trademark that… Continue reading Roasted Chicken Can Be Gross:

Guys, I would be the world’s worst vegetarian.  As much as I try, I just plain don’t like most vegetables.  I wish I could be one of those people who are satisfied with salad, or can’t wait for Brussels sprouts to come into season.  I’d love to be able to fill up on broccoli or… Continue reading Roasted Vegetables for the World’s Worst Vegetarian:

(Cue Homer Simpson drooling noise.) At long last a Costco has come to my city.  Last week I shuffled through the lines with everyone else to see what all the fuss was about, and now I get it:  Short Ribs.  There glistening in the butcher case were the most beautiful boneless beef short ribs I… Continue reading Braised Short Ribs in Red Wine:

Is there a word in the English language less appetizing than “casserole”?  It brings to mind funeral food, pot-lucks, and choking down a mish-mash of pantry rejects that have been drowned in cream-of-something soup and baked in Pyrex with a completely inappropriate topping (Fritos, cornflakes, Velveeta etc.)  Imagine a jolly, roly-poly woman (think the delightful Edie McClurg… Continue reading Baked Ziti a.k.a. The Dreaded Casserole

You may have noticed that my photography and presentation are severely lacking when compared to other food blogs.  I don’t have sunlight professionally dappling my grosgrain ribbon-tied creations.  My photos are not food-porntastic.  I spill things.  I have pets that get in the way.  I believe in the five-second rule.  Sometimes I drink beer during… Continue reading Potato Soup or The Opposite of Pornography:

The first recipe I ever made using Prosciutto di Parma was also one of the first recipes that made me think, “Wow – I made this!”  It was Chicken Saltimbocca, a variation on the traditional Veal Saltimbocca – chicken wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma, fresh sage, and gently sautéed in white wine and butter.  The… Continue reading Saltimbocca Bites with Prosciutto di Parma

Important update!  It’s been two weeks since my last cheese post – this took a little longer than I had originally planned.  After one week with no discernible mold growth, I e-mailed Luke Dolby at cheeseandyogurtmaking.com, who graciously responded with some much needed advice.  I dissolved a quarter teaspoon of the penicillium candidum into a… Continue reading Camembert Update!

Guys, I’ve got to take a break from these all-day projects.  As much as I love the cooking and dishwashing, I need an easier recipe that will allow me to leave the house for more than thirty minutes at a time.  So today it’s carnitas.  I got very interested in slow cooked pork after a… Continue reading Pork for a Crowd: