"Sharing What I Like to Eat & Drink"


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Recent Recipes:

Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Salmon Bowl

Honey Chipotle Cashews

Croutons

Caeser Salad





Quick Tip:

Lemons
Lemons are one of my favorite flavor enhancers but you need to be careful of the white pith. If you cook the pith, it turns very bitter. Cooking the rind or pulp is fine but never use the pith or seeds. I remember discovering this disturbing fact cooking chicken piccata for the first time. I thought I could enhance the flavor by cooking lemon slices in the sauce but instead I got a bitter taste I couldn't correct with sugar.





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Watermelon Dorado
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Fun Stuff:

My Favorite Pan
My favorite pan is a twenty dollar cast iron pan. I remember vividly how my step-father coveted his iron pan and warned us about not using soap to clean it. Seasoned and maintained properly, an iron pan can last forever. It is better than any non stick pan and far more durable. It's thick base holds heat better than any pan in my arsenal and prevents food from burning by dispersing the heat.



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Creamy Mushroom Chicken 03/02/2017
Who doesn't love a creamy mushroom sauce. It was one of my favorites from childhood. I've bumped up the flavor profile from just a can of creamy mushroom soup to include roasted garlic, rosemary and, yes, more mushrooms! Hooray! I might have gone overboard with the sauce but who doesn't love extra...
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Soup can series elevated to the next level with fresh ingredients like garlic, onions and rosemary.
Salmon Bowl 06/03/2016
My entire family, including my extended family, absolutely love this dish. Even if you crave red meat like I do, this meal will fill you up and satisfy your desires while leaving you feeling light. Yes, this dish makes you feel good about yourself but doesn't skimp on flavor! From the asian inspire...
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The salmon bowl is an asian inspired bowl of flavor that will satisfy even the biggest appetities.
Honey Chipotle Cashews 05/12/2016
I love salted cashews. I can eat a whole can in front of the television if I don't pay attention. But sometimes I like a change as I'm sure all of you do. With a few simple ingredients and an hour of your time, you can transform these humble cashews into a mouth watering, sweet and spicy snack food...
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Just a few ingredients transforms these unsalted cashews into incredible morsels of flavor I call Honey Chipotle Cashews.
Croutons 03/15/2016
I make croutons all the time now. I love to eat crusty La Brea brand bread but those tapered ends don't work well for sandwiches or even a piece of toast. So, I freeze the bread ends till I have enough to make crunchy, garlicky, herby, oily croutons. Stale or even fresh bread is fine too! I usually...
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Homemade croutons are easy to make with leftover bread or bread ends and taste so much better than mass produced products.
Caeser Salad 03/15/2016
Caeser salads are remarkably easy to make. I love the zing of the fresh lemon, the saltiness of the anchovy and the spiciness of the fresh garlic. This dressing really packs a punch that will wake up your ordinary weekday dinner meals. My wife always does a little dance of joy when I make this dres...
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Caeser salad with dressing made using anchovies, homemade croutons, crisp hearts of romaine and parmesan crisps is a standard at our household.
Parmesan Crisps 03/15/2016
Parmesan crisps add an elegance to any dish including salads, burgers or soup but don't require a ton of effort. Just pour, cook and cool. You can even eat them as a snack like my wife does. How I lived without these crispy delights is beyond me. There really aren't any rules to how you...
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Parmesan crisps are easy to make and are a great garnish for any dish including salads, burgers or soup.
Balsamic Vinaigrette 03/01/2016
I keep a bottle of homemade balsamic vinaigrette in the fridge at all times. It's one of the most versatile salad dressings, pairing sweet and sour with just about any kind of salad. But, it's also very versatile, and can be used as a marinade for meats and vegetables. Learning how to make your own...
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I have a bottle of homemade balsamic vinaigrette in the fridge at all times.
Fried Chicken 02/17/2016
Fried chicken is such an easy to prepare, yet satisfying meal. My parents roots are from the south and I just plain like fried foods. Yum, yum, yummy! This recipe has been passed down from my Great Grandmother Webb. She ate fried chicken every day cause she had a farm during the depression. In fact...
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Fried chicken is such a satisfying meal and so easy to make.
Jalapeno Chicken Sausage 02/02/2016
I fiddled around a lot with the ingredients in this sausage recipe but it was worth the effort. Now it's a classic in my household. A little spicy but not too hot. What you really get is a flavor explosion of balanced jalapeño, cilantro, green onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder and, of course, chic...
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Homemade jalapeño chicken sausage with green onions, cilantro and bacon too.
Fresh Ginger Tea 01/26/2016
There's nothing quite like fresh ginger tea for a sore throat. My Mom taught me how to make it and I have been drinking it quite frequently the last week or so. I'm finally feeling good enough to blog so here's my simple recipe for ginger tea. It's not gonna cure your sore throat but it's certainly...
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There's quite like fresh ginger tea for a sore throat.
Toad in a Hole 01/15/2016
Some call it a "toad in a hole" but Wikipedia lists many more designations like "hole in one", "egg in a basket", "gashouse eggs" and "spit in the ocean". Whatever you call this classic breakfast dish, you can't deny it's crispy, buttery bread and that yolky egg in the middle... it doesn't get bett...
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"Toad in a hole", "hole in one", "egg in a basket", "gashouse eggs" and "spit in the ocean"... a dish with so many names must be good!
Kimchi Burgers 01/08/2016
I first had a kimchi burger about ten years ago. I can still remember chomping on that burger with just a bun... no ketchup, no mayonnaise, no lettuce and no tomato. It was that good. Okay, I had two burgers, lol. I couldn't help myself. I have since created my own version, with much less sugar tha...
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Even if you don't like kimchi, you'll love these burgers!
Rib Eye Caps 12/22/2015
Ribeye caps are hard to find these days since consumers have moved towards leaner cuts of meat. What a shame! My local supermarket butcher tells me the caps get removed before they arrive at his store. Thank goodness for Costco! They have educated me on this long lost cut of meat. The cap is the th...
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The ribeye cap is the most flavorful and tenderest part of the cow.
BLT and A 12/10/2015
Who doesn't love a classic BLT? That crispy bacon, ripe tomato and fresh iceberg lettuce are making my mouth drool right now. And don't forget the copious amounts of mayonnaise that set this BLT off onto a whole 'nother level. With all that tasty oil and fat, it really needs something to cut it. Th...
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The classic BLT with crispy bacon, ripe tomatoes and fresh iceberg lettuce... a taste you just can't beat when done right.
Collard Greens 12/05/2015
Simmering on low for hours, collard greens take planning and patience. But, the results are well worth the wait! Part of the time is for tenderizing this leathery leaf but long a simmer also allow the greens to absorb the flavors of pork, chicken stock, garlic, onions and vinegar. What you end up w...
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When simmered slowly for hours, collard greens are a satisfying way to get your greens.
Pesto Turkey Burgers 11/24/2015
This is a turkey burger mixed with a deconstructed pesto, not the kind you put over noodles. Nothing is blended. No green burgers here. But more than that, you get a different flavor with whole pine nuts and chopped basil rather than a puree. Deconstructing the pesto allows you to taste each ingred...
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Look at the crust on those pesto turkey burgers. Crust equals taste!
Soft Boiled Eggs 11/18/2015
I have a small obsession with eggs. Fried eggs, poached eggs, scrambled, hard boiled, etc. They are one of the most satisfying foods in the world, all by themselves. It's essential to have good techniques for all egg cooking methods and soft boiled eggs are no exception. I like mine peeled and brok...
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Soft boiled eggs are a quick way to make a satisfying breakfast in the morning.
Greek Chicken Salad 11/12/2015
One day I was hungry for lunch and had some leftover chicken breasts. Next thing I saw in the fridge was calamata olives. So I thought, why not make a chicken salad sandwich with Greek flavors?!? I pulled out pepperoncinis next. My wife loves them so we always have a couple bottles on hand. I also...
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Greek chicken salad combines all the flavors you love about a Greek salad into a sandwich!
Turkey Tacos 11/07/2015
I started making ground beef tacos mixed with chopped vegetables as a way to keep my son healthy. What kid likes veggies, right? After so many years now, I can't live without the greenery in my tacos. My recipe has also matured over the years. I used to take a Taco Bell seasoning pack and bump it u...
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Turkey tacos taste better than beef in my humble opinion but feel free to use beef.
Hickory Burgers 11/02/2015
I first tasted a hickory smoked burger at a gastro pub with my friend Stephen. I was instantly inspired to create my own smoked burger. I'm pretty sure the pub used liquid smoke but I just can't take shortcuts, especially when I have a smoker in my backyard. This burger emphasizes the incredible ta...
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Burgers cooked in a smoker and then kissed on the grill have that incredible hickory smoke flavor.
Caramelized Onions 11/02/2015
Caramelized onions will bump your burger up a notch with the deep roasted sweetness that comes from slow cooking. Add bacon and now you have sweet and salty harmoniously working together to heighten your burger to insane levels never achieved previously in your culinary career. Must be hard, right...
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Caramelized onions have a deep sweet flavor. Add bacon to complete this sweet and savory condiment.
Greek Eggs 10/26/2015
My brother Matthew taught me how to make these fried eggs and they have become a household favorite. I make them all the time because I always have parmesan cheese in the fridge and oregano in the spice cabinet. They aren't much more difficult than normal fried eggs but they have so much more depth...
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Greek eggs are fried eggs with parmesan cheese and a touch of oregano.
Chicken Skin Chips 10/23/2015
One day I was removing the skin from some chicken thighs to add to a soup. I was just about to throw it away when I remembered an article in bon appétit about frying chicken skins, so I gave it a try. Wow... are they sinfully good. I can't believe I've been throwing them away all these years. Lay down a sheet of parch...
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Fried chicken skins with lime and Sriracha sauce, sinfully delicious!
Geste Shrimp 10/18/2015
Fresh off the plane in Maui and starving, we stopped at a roach coach on the side of the road called Geste Shrimp. Turned out to be the best meal I had my entire trip even beating out the famed Mama's Fish House. Those deep fried shrimp with their shells intact added a taste of the sea to the spicy...
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Spicy Sweet Pineapple Shrimp recreated from a Maui island experience.
Garlic Rice 10/17/2015
My wife Aida taught me how to make this Filipino dish with leftover Jasmine rice and heaps of garlic. I instantly fell in love with it! It's great by itself, almost like fried rice, or as a side dish but with more pizzaz than plain rice. And who doesn't like garlic fried to perfection, right? If yo...
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Garlic rice is so simple yet so satisfying.
Parmesan Puffs 10/09/2015
These crunchy cheesy puffed parmesan snacks are so easy to make and so tasty, it's going to be hard to keep cheese stocked in your fridge. A minute or two in the microwave and a couple minutes to cool and that's it! You can make them with any hard aged cheese. I used Pecorino Romano but I'd be inte...
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Parmesan Puffs are quick and easy to make in the microwave with rinds that would normally be discarded.
Crispy Fried Eggs 10/04/2015
Chef Ramsay wouldn't touch these fried eggs with a ten foot pole but I absolutely love them. I think Andrew Zimmern says it best when he talks about mouth feel. I love the crispy crunch the edge of the egg gets when cooked at a higher temperature. French prepared eggs definitely have a place in fin...
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Crispy eggs may not be up to French standards but I absolutely love them.
Enchilada Casserole 10/01/2015
My stepfather taught me how to make these enchiladas. It's his mother's recipe and man is it good! I've tweaked it a little over the years by adding Fire Roasted Green Chiles but other than that, it's essentially the same. I could literally eat an entire casserole dish of these rolled up spicy, che...
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Enchilada casserole tastes just like a regular enchilada but the barrier from one enchilada to the next is blurred.
Red Wine Short Ribs 09/27/2015
I love braised short ribs. Taking a tough piece of meat and cooking it to tender perfection so the meat just barely falls off the bone is an act of love. Then there's the decadent sauce that's been flavored by the beef, red wine, onions, celery, carrots, garlic and herbs. Top it off with some mashe...
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Short ribs braised in red wine over roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Roasted Garlic Mash 09/27/2015
So light and fluffy but, at the same time, sinfully tasty. Potatoes are one of my favorite foods. They take on the flavor of whatever is mixed with them. They are like a blank canvas waiting for a work of art. So, when I make mashed potatoes, I like to go all the way with flavor. With roasted garli...
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Light and fluffy but oh so sinful roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
Santa Maria Tri-Tip 09/24/2015
In the early 1950s, the tri-tip cut from the bottom sirloin was often used for stews, sliced into steaks or ground. Not until Bob Shutz, a butcher in Santa Maria, experimented with this cut did it gain popularity. Now there are so many variations of the Santa Maria dry rub, it's hard to determine t...
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Tri-Tip with Santa Maria dry rub grilled over an open flame. Nothing better!
Lemon Pepper Wings 09/17/2015
The first time I made these chicken wings, I ate the entire two pounds by myself. The combination of the three types of lemon seasoning is what makes them stand out from other lemon pepper wings. If you just use dry lemon pepper seasoning from a bottle, they just don't taste as vibrant and fresh. T...
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Lemon Pepper chicken Wings. Tangy and irresistible!
Salt and Pepper Ribs 09/14/2015
How could just salt and pepper season pork sufficiently to make your mouth water? That's what I said to my wife when she suggested this basic seasoning approach for baby back ribs. She insisted it was the way they often season their pork in the Philippines so I relented and gave it a try. She said...
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Who knew just salt and pepper could make your mouth water for these baby back pork ribs?
Denglar Treats 09/10/2015
These little pizzas bring back fond memories of my childhood in Lucas Valley. I remember Mrs. Denglar making these once and I never forgot them. I must have been 8 years old but the memory is as clear as yesterday. Years later I recreated them and have been surprising people with this simple but sa...
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A simple and satisfying snack or appetizer made with black olives, green onions, mayonnaise, sharp cheddar cheese and English Muffins
Zucchini Chips 09/07/2015
My wife asked me to make these and after a little grumbling, I set out to do the best job I could. I mean what could be so great about dehydrated zucchinni chips, right? But that's what she wanted so I started thinking how to best make them. I experimented with lots of toppings but finally settled...
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Surprisingly sweet dehydrated zucchini strips
Nacho Bites 09/03/2015
No matter how good a meal is, you don't want to eat it three days in a row. I'm always searching for ways to use leftovers in different dishes to breath new life into them. While you can use any leftover protein with this dish, it was designed around reusing the flap meat in my Tangy Steak Fajitas...
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A sophisticated version of nachos without all the mess
Tangy Steak Fajitas 08/31/2015
This is really a marinade for carne asada but we like it so much, we often eat it with grilled onions, peppers, avocado and cheese in a flour tortilla like you would a fajita. I have used the marinade in this recipe for so many dishes like pork ribs, beef ribs and tri-tip. If you like a tangy, lip...
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Steak fajitas topped with sharp cheddar cheese, peppers, onions, avocado and a little hot house
Guacamole Topper 08/31/2015
I absolutely love my Guacamole Del Rio recipe but it's better suited as a dip than a condiment. It has a very aggressive spice, onion and garlic flavor that could overpower a dish where you just want creamy avocado flavor. This guacamole goes will with tacos, burritos, tostadas or just about any Me...
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This basic version of my Guacamole Del Rio aims to enhance a dish rather stand by itself as a dip
Perfect Bacon 08/27/2015
Who doesn't love a crispy piece of bacon. Trouble is, it curls up in a pan and doesn't cook evenly. Direct heat really isn't the best choice for cooking bacon anyhow. An oven does a much better job at evenly heating from all sides. My wife is the official bacon tester in the house and she approves...
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Crispy flat bacon can be achieved easily in the oven rather than the pan
Big Beef Back Ribs 08/25/2015
There is nothing like a rack of beef back ribs, slow cooked in a smoker with hickory chunks for five or six hours. It's a long time to wait but patience has it's rewards. That beautiful crunchy bark is nothing like the crust created when cooked at higher temperatures. When bitten into, the crunchy...
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Big beef back ribs smoked for 5 to 6 hours with hickory chunks
All Purpose Dry Rub 08/24/2015
I have used this rub on chicken, pork, beef and even smoked nuts, all with great results. It's delicious, as my friend Steven would say. I've spent several years tweaking it and am sure I will continue to experiment with it. I'm pretty happy with the taste at the moment but I am a perfectionist and...
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Dry rub consisting of granulated garlic, onion powder, chili powder, ground white pepper, freshly ground black pepper, ground thyme, smoked paprika, ground cumin, ground chipotle pepper and celery salt
Hearty Beef Jerky 08/14/2015
This is one of my son's favorite dishes. He eats it hot out of the dehydrator, room temperature, cold and even mixed with rice. It's quite addictive with it's combination of savory, sweet and my combination of peppers. You'll never buy beef jerky at the supermarket ever again! All you get is over-p...
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Hearty Beef Jerky with brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and a variety of spices
Three Bean Chipotle Chili 08/09/2015
Chipotle in adobo are smoked jalapeños that have been canned with tomato sauce, vinegar, garlic and other spices. Think of them as a party in a can. Chipotle chilis in adobo are one of those go to methods to enhance the flavor of any dish. It falls in the same realm, for me, as prepared horseradish...
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Three Bean Chipotle Chili garnished with raw onions, sharp cheddar cheese, avocado and Tabasco
Hot Smoked Salmon Spread 07/28/2015
I smoke my own salmon so I'm always looking for different ways to combine it with dishes other than salads or pasta. Don't get me wrong, I love smoked salmon over a spicy arugula salad or a pasta with creamy garlic alfredo sauce. Insert drool here lol. The difference with this dish is salmon is the...
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Hot Smoked Salmon Spread garnished with fresh dill
Guacamole Del Rio 07/27/2015
I started preparing guacamole when I was 18 years old. My recipe is based on ingredients my mother, Gretchen Del Rio, taught me how to combine so eloquently. I love guacamole so much, it has become my signature dish. Over the years I have made a great number of changes to the original recipe but tw...
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Guacamole Del Rio garnished with tomatoes, cilantro and a little freshly ground black pepper