You don’t need to be a championship pitmaster to enjoy the Big Green Egg, but learning a few reliable techniques will make your cooking more satisfying and enjoyable. With some basic preparation and practice, you can confidently smoke, grill, and bake outstanding food on your kamado ceramic cooker. Watch a few tutorial videos, try a … Read more

Ninja Creami lemon meringue ice cream is a bright, tangy dessert inspired by lemon tarts and classic lemon meringue pie. This version uses lemon curd folded into a smooth, creamy lemon base and is studded with crisp meringue cookies and buttery shortbread crumbs for contrast in texture. It’s easy to make in the Ninja Creami … Read more

National Gluten-Free Day: A Restaurant Experience and What We Learned It’s National Gluten-Free Day, and I want to share a recent dining experience that reinforced two important lessons: never assume and always ask questions, and take every opportunity to educate. We celebrated my mom’s birthday at an Italian restaurant in New Jersey, and what began … Read more

Caprese Steak Salad is a bright, summer-ready salad featuring balsamic-marinated steak, sweet cherry tomatoes, creamy mozzarella, ripe avocado, red onion, and fresh basil served over a bed of mixed greens. CAPRESE STEAK SALAD A classic Caprese—ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil—gets an upgrade with balsamic-marinated flat iron steak and sliced avocado. The result is a … Read more

Ham and Swiss sliders made with homemade crescent roll dough are soft, fluffy, and irresistible — perfect for a Super Bowl party, potluck, or a hearty midday sandwich. The dough is made from scratch, rolled around Black Forest ham and chunks of Swiss cheese, then brushed with butter and Italian seasoning for a golden, savory … Read more

If you want to cook the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ll ever make, try Dad’s Spatchcocked Turkey. This method shows you how to butterfly a turkey, inject it with a savory butter mixture, and roast it quickly for consistently moist results. One major benefit of spatchcocking is speed — a 10–12 pound bird often finishes … Read more

This week has been focused on quick, easy meals. With the extra hour of daylight, Anguel and I are tackling a growing to-do list: getting back to weekday exercise classes, adding a few fun home-decor touches, and finishing small projects around the house. Even with more daylight, time is limited, so we rely on simple … Read more

Philly Cheesesteaks inspire fierce loyalty. Some purists insist on melted provolone, while others swear by the smooth, gooey Cheez Whiz. No matter which camp you fall into, a well-made Philly Cheesesteak is a true comfort food classic. I’ve prepared variations over the years, but here I focused on the traditional approach: thinly sliced ribeye cooked … Read more

We love vegetables in our house—Curtis even more than I do. Every meal includes at least a couple of vegetable sides. Lately we’ve noticed the best-tasting produce comes from local growers and seasonal markets. I’m always experimenting with new vegetables and fruits, trying to bring more variety and freshness into our meals. When McCormick Gourmet … Read more

This classic moist banana bread recipe yields a tender, flavorful loaf every time. Made by hand with simple pantry ingredients and no special equipment, it delivers a soft, moist crumb and a comforting banana flavor. I’ve used this recipe for about twenty years because it is consistent, quick, and easy. While there are plenty of … Read more