Bacon Spinach and Artichoke Carbonara

This delicious recipe for Bacon Spinach and Artichoke Carbonara
comes from my son, Erik.  Always
inventive, Erik likes to experiment with flavors he loves... this recipe has
plenty of garlic... a little bacon, fresh spinach and some bottled (or canned)
artichokes... tossed with some pasta and a Carbonara sauce... and finished off
with some Pecorino Romano cheese... just delicious!

He chose

How to Use Charcoal Grill Vents

Believe it or not the vents are really important when it comes to grilling. So, it is really important to know how to use your charcoal grill vents. I know this may seem odd, but a grill with open vents cooks hotter than a grill with them closed. If you had your vents all closed it would actually shut down the heat. So, knowing how to use your vents is really important.

Before you even start your coals up, open the bottom vent fully. When the coals are ready and you have the meat on the grill, place the lid on and open the top vent fully as well. The air flows in through your bottom vent and out through the top. The top vent on your charcoal grill is used to keep heat and smoke in, or allow it to escape.

Adjusting the bottom vent will reduce the heat and also extends the burning time of your charcoal. If you close the bottom fully or too much you are going to put out the fire.

Ever thought of aging your meat? Visit >> Should You Age Your Meat

||Smoking on a Gas Grill||

Crock Pot Hungarian Goulash Soup

You can usually find Hungarian Goulash Soup on the menus in
German restaurants... totally delicious and so easy to make at home..

The recipe is really the same as Hungarian Goulash.. (I
posted that recipe long ago)... you just add more beef stock or broth until you
get the correct consistency you want.

So what is Hungarian Goulash?.... well... I can tell you it
is not anything like what

Should You Age Your Meat

Many people think about aging their meats. The reason for this is the meat becomes a lot more tender. Aging allows the enzymes in the meat to soften all of the connective tissues, which in turn makes the meat more tender.

If you plan on aging your beef you should keep it at 34 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the perfect temperature to keep the beef from freezing because freezing the meat would inactivate the enzymes that are needed to break down the connective tissues. At a higher temperature you would just be introducing bacterial growth.

Want to know why certain cuts of meat are more tender? Visit >> Why are Some Cuts of Beef More Tender

||Learn to Grill||

Why are Some Cuts of Beef More Tender

There are several reasons why certain cuts of meat are more tender than other cuts. The reasons can be the area in which the meat is cut from, the age of the animal, and the amount of activity the animal had. So, a fat lazy cow will be pretty tender.

Basically if the area in which the meat is cut from is an area on the animal which wasn't exercised much, it will be a lot more tender. If the animal was exercised heavily, it will have a lot tougher meat. Kobe beef cattle from Japan are actually massaged. What this does is reduce the stress and loosens them muscles making for tender cuts of meat.

So, if you want a tender steak, don't go with old, heavily exercised beef cattle, stick with the fat, lazy ones. Want to know how the freezer life of beef compares with chicken? Visit >> Freezer Life of Chicken vs. Beef

||Top Grilling Foods||

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas

Crock Pot Chicken Enchiladas is so
easy and delicious... and healthy too!  Your
family will be asking for this all the time..

Let the crock pot cook the chicken for you ... shred the
chicken.... then assemble the enchiladas... and bake for about 10 minutes to heat
the enchiladas and melt the cheese... now how quick and easy is that?

TIPS

You can use a commercial enchilada sauce... but I

Skinny Chocolate Mocha Cake

Skinny Cake?... whoever heard of such a thing?... and the
bigger question... where was I when this was introduced????  Who can resist a guiltless chocolate cake?...
I sure can't.

The best part? ... The cake has TWO ingredients... yes ..
that's right... TWO ingredients!  The
"frosting" has TWO ingredients also!

Tell you more?... well... read on my friend..

TIPS

You can use any boxed cake

Beef Enchilada Skillet

This quick and easy Beef Enchilada Skillet dinner is a
favorite... I have the best enchilada sauce... if I must say so myself.... it
has a secret ingredient that just makes it perfect. 

TIPS

Okay my secret ingredient in my enchilada sauce isn't so
secret... I posted my sauce a long time ago... but it is an odd ingredient to
say the least... but... don't leave it out... I know it will be

Freezer Life of Chicken vs. Beef

Have you ever wondered which you can freeze longer, chicken or beef? Well, you can freeze beef for longer periods of time. Chicken has a shorter freezer shelf life than beef because it has a higher ratio of unsaturated fats to saturated fats.

Unsaturated fats are more likely to turn rancid because of oxidation. The reason for this is that there are more hydrogen sites in unsaturated fat in which oxygen can attach. Beef is a lot higher in saturated fat than chicken, and it has almost no open spots.

So, the moral of the story is do not freeze your chicken as long as your beef, it won't last as long in your freezer. Ever wonder if you should salt your steak before cooking? Well, find out the answer here >> Should You Salt Your Steak Before Cooking?

||Gas Grill Smoking||

Ricotta Fritters

These melt in your mouth Ricotta Fritters are surprisingly quick
and easy to make... a quick mix of the batter and drop then in hot oil for a
quick fry... they only need about 2-3 minutes to cook... it's that easy!

Now I know frying is not a usual thing here at Cooking Tip
of the Day... but occasionally I do like to make something like this.. only
when the end product is not greasy.. and

Should You Salt Your Steak Before Cooking

There are many schools of thought when it comes to whether or not you should salt and pepper your steak before cooking. Some will say to salt prior to cooking and others will say to wait until after cooking.

Salt will draw liquid from your steak. So if you are cooking a steak in a pan the liquid will start to boil and give your meat a color and/or texture you may not want. If you are looking to get a salty flavor into the steak you would have to puncture the meat. You really don't want to do that since that will let all the juices out.

So, if you are looking for a salt flavor in you steak it is best to salt both sides of your steak right before you serve it. One other thing to note if you like to pepper your steak. Do not pepper it if you plan to cook your steak in the pan. Pepper has a tendency to get bitter if it is scorched by high heat.

Wondering why your steak tastes different the next day? Visit >> Why Does the Flavor of Beef Change

||Grill a Perfect Steak||

Why Does the Flavor of Beef Change

Have you ever noticed that the flavor of leftover beef changes considerably from the prior day? I certainly have. When you refrigerate beef the flavor will change; and it is a very noticeable change. This change in refrigerated beef can happen within only a few hours too.

The reason is the beef fat. Fat is the main source of flavor in beef, and it is what produces the change in taste. The off flavor of the beef is caused by the heating of the meat, which causes oxidation of the fats.

So, know that if you do have a lot of left over beef, it is not going to taste anywhere near as delicious as it did on the first day. Want more beef facts? Did you know that: Cooler Meat is Tougher Meat?

||What are the Cuts of Beef?||

Doughnut Muffins

This super easy recipe for Doughnut Muffins is done in under
30 minutes... a delicious start to any day! 
A yummy alternative to fried doughnuts... without the mess and grease.

This is not one of your "fussy" recipes... nope...
line up the ingredients.. follow the instructions.. adding the ingredients into
a mixer bowl.. and beat away!   The
result is muffins that have a doughnut like

Crock Pot Tex-Mex Chicken

This is another great crock pot recipe... a few minutes of
prep.. and come home to dinner... AND a healthy one too! ....  now how great is that?

TIPS

I use boneless skinless chicken breasts... I like the fact
this meal has virtually no fat... but you can certainly use other chicken
meat.. such as thighs.... I would remove the skin if it has any.

Taco seasoning is so easy to make.. I make

Creamy Pesto Chicken Portobello Skillet

Simple and delicious.... Creamy Pesto Chicken Portobello
Skillet.... is another great skillet meal that makes weeknight cooking a
breeze.   

This can be made a couple of different ways.. each just as
delicious.. just choose what works best for you.

TIPS

You can use leftover cooked chicken... or get a rotisserie
chicken at the supermarket... and just dice it up...

You can also cook it up

Cheeseburger Casserole

This quick and easy recipe for Cheeseburger Casserole is a
family favorite... especially with kids... tastes like a fast food burger.. but
made with lean ground beef... and served with oven baked fries... a perfect
alternative to those fat laden fast food meals they all love.

TIPS

I made mine in a deep dish pie plate in the hopes of making
it like a "pie" ... but since I didn't want a

Help Celebrate National Mobility Awareness Month.

I'm asking my readers for help ... I'm not asking for money.. just a one-minute vote... that's all.

I know this is my cooking blog... but... sometimes ... things are just more important than making brownies....  thousands of people come here everyday...

I'm hoping most will take the time to click the link below and read the story about one beautiful little girl and help her and her family by

How to Make a Cake Mix Taste Like a Bakery Cake

Did you know many bakeries use cake mixes?  Really... they do... they just add adjust how
they use it.. a few simple things...

Bakery cakes tend to be denser and not as
"fluffy".... so how do they get them like that when they use cake
mixes?

This simple "how to" may shock you at how simple
it is.... truly simple...

1)  Add an extra egg
than is called for in the box instructions.

2) Use

Country Gravy Breakfast Casserole

This Country Gravy Breakfast Casserole has everything you
need for a terrific breakfast... sausage, eggs, cheese, country gravy and
toast... perfect for guests or a weekend breakfast.

I must admit... my Mother never made breakfast casseroles
when I was growing up.... I learned all about them from co-workers... they
would bring them in for office "food days".... one bite.. I was
hooked.. so

Banana Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Over-ripe bananas on the counter begging to be used.... a
very common occurrence in our house.... and a lot of times I don't have enough
to make Banana Bread.... so I found this recipe from Martha Stewart that needs
only 2 ripe bananas... perfect!

Buttermilk is the other ingredient I was looking for.. I
love to bake with buttermilk... the results are so light ... the texture is
really the