Salmon Croquettes

I'm all for the traditional Super Bowl snacks like chips and dip but sometimes you just gotta step it up a bit and go a little fancy. That definitely doesn't mean it has to be complicated though, and you can just add a fancy name like croquettes instead of patty and you're golden.

Hummus and Greek Yogurt Lettuce Wraps

It's the time of year when a quick healthy dinner is a critical part of daily life. We have soccer games or practice every night among a variety of other activities. We tend to get in a rut and make the same stuff over and over and I like to try and find some fresh new things to throw in the rotation.

Greek Yogurt Marinated Smoked Chicken Lollipops

I'll be the first to admit that I don't spend a lot of my time watching football but that definitely doesn't mean I can't eat all the food that's associated with traditional tail-gating and game days. I'm the type of person that can make an entire meal from appetizers and be perfectly happy.

I'll also admit right off the bat that I love the look of these chicken "lollipops" but they definitely take some work and I'd only do them for special occasions where people can actually admire my hard work. Yeah, I'm that vain. I love making food for my family but they don't fully appreciate the intricacies of creating these things and ate them all in about 10 seconds flat without even a second glance.

Hummus Stuffed Chicken Breast

I'll admit, before a week or so ago, I had only had hummus once in my life. It was almost embarrassing when Sabra contacted me to say that they've never seen me write about hummus before. I really even didn't know much about it. So they sent me some samples and I can now say that I am much more educated and we are definitely in love! My wife wouldn't even wait for me to get home on the day the box came. She had it opened and already had a favorite before I even walked in the door from work.

Chicken Pot Pie with Bacon and Butternut Squash

It's Pi day and what better way to celebrate than with a whole assortment of pies!

I remember every year in high school there was always a Pi day celebration and one of the events was to see who could memorize Pi the farthest. I never participated but I was always amazed at how far some people got.

Are you surprised that I'm posting a savory pie today? I kind of am. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to make and I just couldn't think of a sweet pie that I was really craving. Which is also odd. I have been craving chicken pot pie for awhile now though so it kept coming back to me. I had a recipe that I loved that I made a whole bunch a year or so ago but I haven't been able to find it lately. I gave up on finding it so I went exploring the internet for something new. I found this one on Bon Appetit and I thought it would serve as a good base and I liked how it was a bit different than usual.

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

I realize that this recipe is coming out a little too late if anyone was looking to make it for Mardi Gras this year, but it's worth having in your arsenal and it's something you could make any day of the year and be happy with.

When we lived in New Orleans we were introduced to many new foods. Many of them were traditional southern style dishes and I fell in love with the deep richness that so often accompanied the meals we tried. Gumbo was one of my favorites because the ingredients were fairly simple but there was so much depth to it.

How to Spatchcock a Turkey

I honestly feel like I was just writing my posts for last Thanksgiving a few weeks ago. And now it's already come around again. It's my favorite time of year though so I'm happy to have it around again so soon. As a family we're busier than ever but it's a good busy and I appreciate having this time of year to focus on the things that are most important to us.

We're doing another big Thanksgiving this year, inviting all the families we know around us that are in a similar situation of not having any relatives nearby and we'll all celebrate together. It makes for a chaotic day with our house filled to the brim but it's a great way to enjoy the day. Then I leave that weekend to go to China for a week, finalizing plans for a new business we're launching soon.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

It must be state fair season. I know this not only by the constant reminders by email to register for this years baking contests but I'm also craving fried foods constantly. My body just knows what's coming and wants it. And truth be told, I have no problem giving in.

Curried Chicken Coconut Soup

Yeah, I know, it's not really soup season anymore but sometimes it's just good to make a great soup. I borrowed a friends pressure cooker awhile ago and I was having fun playing with a few different types of food. I haven't used a pressure cooker since I was in high school and even then I never really used it for much other than cooking artichokes. 

Herb Roasted Chicken

I was reading through some posts on Bon Appetit a few weeks ago and came across one of their posts that talked about the key skills that their interns have to show before getting hired. One of those skills was roasting a chicken. Could you pass a cooking test with your roasting skills?

Honestly, I've never oven roasted a whole chicken before. Lots of turkeys, and I've done rotisserie chicken on the grill but never in the oven. Well, I wasn't going to fail some test if someone from Bon Appetit ever showed up on my door step so I thought I better get moving.

Emeril's One-Pot Blogger Party: Chicken Pot Pie with A Biscuit Top

I got to talk to Emeril! Yeah, Emeril Lagasse himself. He was doing a radio show on XM to promote his Sizzling Skillets Cookbook and I called in and got to tell him about some of the dishes I've been making the past two weeks. It was pretty cool. So of course I had to come home and make something new from Sizzling Skillets!

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo

We moved to Mandeville, Louisiana (just outside of New Orleans) just a day before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. We were there for just a year but the experiences we had in helping to rebuild, the friendships we made and of course the food, will always be a part of us. So this month when the Daring Cooks announced the challenge was Gumbo, I was pretty excited. I had some great gumbo while we were in New Orleans but I've never tried to make it myself.

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

Whenever I eat at a Chinese restaurant I usually end up getting Sweet and Sour Chicken, at least at the buffet's or restaurants of questionable quality. It's usually safe (at least I think so) and most people can get it so it at least tastes pretty good. I've experimented with making sweet and sour chicken before and I've come up with some pretty good variations but never anything that was just amazing, especially with the sauce.

Savory Crepes with Creamy Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Filling

If you remember, last month I went to visit my parent's in Connecticut. We visited the River Tavern restaurant in Chester and had an amazing lunch. I had some amazing shrimp crepes and my Mom tried to track down a similar recipe and recreate it at home. She found this recipe from Emeril Lagasse and although it's not quite the same as what we had for lunch there, I think this may be one of my new favorite foods!

Housewarming Party

We just moved into our new home about a month ago and we hosted a housewarming party this last weekend. I was excited to make some new appetizers I had found and I knew that it was going to take quite a lot of time to get them all baked and put together. My plan was to work on them Friday afternoon and evening and then get it all finished up Saturday morning before the party. However, early Friday morning, a Tornado hit our neighborhood! There was no major damage to our house but it took out a few of our trees and I spent most of the day cleaning all of it up.