Devil’s Dare Chili

THERE IS NOTHING better on a cold January weekend than a belly-warming bowl of chili. But not everyone can handle the same levels of heat. So when I make chili for my annual winter chili and ale fest for a bunch of guys from the neighborhood, I make a really big vat of it. After the initial base preparation, I separate the chili into three or four different crock pots to simmer for an afternoon…

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Sleepy Sunday Pork and Chicken Stew

SOMETIMES, ON A WET or wintry Sunday, I walk into the kitchen after my morning coffee and say, “this feels like the perfect day for a stew.” A good stew fills the house with rich savory scents that can warm up the most dismal day! A good stew is always somewhat unique, depending on what happens to be in the fridge and freezer at the time. But the keys are meat, potatoes, onions and carrots.…

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Everson’s Watery Eye Spicy Stir Fry!

I HAVE BEEN MAKING stir fry dishes since I was in college. Back then, it was partly for affordability. You could throw together a bunch of cheap ingredients and eat for days. But… if it’s done right, a good spicy stir fry is a fairly healthy flavor explosion. Out of all the things I cook, it’s one of the things I love the most, and honestly, I’ve never had anything like the way I make…

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New Year’s Umpteen Bean Soup

ALMOST EVERY YEAR, I cook a ham at some point between Christmas and New Year’s, and then typically use the ham bone for a New Year’s Bean Soup. I fill most of a big soup kettle, and freeze the resulting soup for lunches for the coming cold months. It’s typically a fly-by-night affair on ingredients, but this year I kept track when I made it yesterday, and my son Shaun chose to finish his bean…

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