Far too often we get caught up in the necessity of cooking in order to eat and forget the absolute joy that can be found through the act of cooking. Of course this isn’t limited to stovetop cooking. There are many men and women around the world who find baking to be an extremely pleasurable pastime in addition to traditional stovetop cooking or even barbecuing on a grill. The main distinction occurs in how you perceive your cooking projects.

Read the rest of this entry »

6 ounces pork, roughly chopped
8 medium shrimp, shelled and ground
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon Chinese wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped scallion
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
24 wonton wrappers
3 cups chicken stock
finely chopped scallions, to garnish.

1. In a bowl, mix the chopped pork and ground shrimp with the sugar, rice wine or sherry, 1 T of the soy sauce, the scallions and chopped ginger. Blend well and set aside for 25 to 30 minutes for the flavors to blend. Read the rest of this entry »

1 (3 3/4 oz.) can smoked oysters
9 hard?cooked eggs
6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 tablespoon Dijon?style mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Snipped chives

Drain oysters; pat with paper towels to remove as much oil as possible. Coarsely chop. Halve hard?cooked eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and set whites aside. Read the rest of this entry »

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 pinch garlic salt
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 lb. crabmeat
paprika

Remove cartilage from crab meat. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and garlic salt until smooth. Read the rest of this entry »

1 1/2 cups seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1 (5 lb.) pkg. frozen chicken wings, thawed

Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a small saucepan, combine jam, vinegar, soy sauce and red pepper over medium heat. Read the rest of this entry »

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1?1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons water
8 small (6?inch diameter) flour tortillas
1 cup Crisco shortening or cooking oil
1 (16 oz.) can refried beans
1/3 cup diced tomato
2/3 cup mild picante salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup sliced black olives

Cook the ground beef over medium heat until brown, then drain off the excess fat from the pan. Add salt, onions, paprika, chili powder and water, then let mixture simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stir often. Read the rest of this entry »