Quote:   There's a taqueria in Boston called El Pelon and they've got the best Mexican food I've ever eaten.  Blows Ana's, Chipotle, and Qdoba out of the water... it would be a crime to even compare it to Taco Bell.  I always get the El Guapo burrito whenever I take a trip out there, as...

Here it is...   Potato Cuke Salad:   Ingredients: -3lb. potatoes (red or yukon gold) -1-2 cucumbers -1/2 to 1 cup greek-style yogurt, depending on how many potatoes you use -1/2 to 1 cup Miracle Whip -1/2 tsp. dry mustard -2-3 tbsp. dried dill (use several sprigs if you use...

Quote:   Dill!  My old boss makes a delicious cucumber potato salad with dill.  I can share the recipe after I get home from work tonight, if I remember.

I had to find a use for the giant leek stalk I had leftover from making leek mac and cheese.  Here is ham, potato, and leek soup:  

Leek mac and cheese:       Close-up action shot:   Recipe

Quote:   Working with shortening is so much better.  My grandma makes a shortening-based banana cookie (I've made them many times too) that's out of this world.  Shortening is much more rich in taste compared to butter.  I'm too impatient to wait for butter to come to room temp. anyways. ...

Quote:   That might result in overcooked crust.  I know that's a good step in making pizza - it's good to 'pre-bake' the dough so it comes out crispier and easier to add toppings.  I think the best thing for pies is to make sure it's all rolled out evenly.  I sometimes cover the outer...

Quote:   Yep, I always make my own crust.  I started with this recipe:   http://www.pickyourown.org/piecrust.php   I never use butter.  I always substitute in shortening, and I think that's part of it.  Everyone who has my crust says it's one of the best they've had.  You could...

For my housewarming party tomorrow:     ^None of that canned 'pumpkin' in here!       ^Resting in the fridge overnight.  They'll 'rise' and shine tomorrow morning. 

Clayton, you gotta stop cooking so often.  You're surpassing me in skill and quality!    It's been a while since I posted here.  I had a pretty busy weekend.   I started by carving a pumpkin:     Then I roasted the seeds:     Then I drank some homemade pumpkin liqueur...

Quote:   Nope!  There are electrical outlets on the deck.    I just have to hope it doesn't rain.

I haven't posted here in a while - mainly because I haven't really been cooking but also because I've been busy buying a house.  I closed on the house this morning and started moving some boxes in.  My current apartment's kitchen has roughly 18in^2 of counter space, so my new kitchen should be a...

Pretty soon I'll be posting more pictures because I'm buying my first house!  Instead of a 30 year old Hotpoint electric stove, I'll be using a brand new gas range!  Instead of 18"x18" of counter space, I'll have a real kitchen plus an outdoor grill.  I'm closing in 2 months, so I'll try to...

Here's some baked ziti (I made the sauce today) and garlic bread:       This was my first time making garlic bread.  Next time I'll have to bake my own bread, though.

Quote: Bingo!  It's actually German's Chocolate Cake (it originated from an American named Sam German).  It's 4 layers and the recipe is here:   http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2005/09/german-chocolat-1/   Anyways...     This was my very first time icing a cake (and the...