Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook

These Greek-inspired vegetables are not only tasty and health, they can serve as a preview of the fall colors that will soon vibrantly dot the landscape.  Mary Cokenour photo
As the cooling rains fall, the dust is washed away from every surface it touches. The soil is pounded down while greedily sucking up every moist drop that it can contain. Cold weather plants plead to live for one more month, while less resistant ones struggle to stay upright. Yes, the season of...
This tasty Upside Down Apple Gingerbread Cake is filled with the spices of fall and will make you feel cozy as the outside temperatures start to cool.  Mary Cokenour photo
It happens to be apple-picking time. Do you remember my article in the San Juan Record on May 18, 2022 about preserving apples for future usage? One item happened to be homemade apple pie filling, chock full of cozy winter spices. Speaking about cozy winter spices, another favorite is gingerbread,...
If your meals are becoming a little boring or if you need a wow factor, try this tasty Chicken in Creamy Lemon Sauce to wake up your taste buds. Mary Cokenour photo
“If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” “The only real stumbling block is fear of failure. In cooking you gotta have a what-the-hell attitude.” – quotes from the famous master chef, Julia Child Depending on the recipe, there are often times that cream, whether half n’ half or heavy, can be...
Pork can be a bland meat, but brining, marinating in a dry rub, and slow roasting on the grill can create a tender, juicy meat packed with flavor.  Mary Cokenour photo
In celebration of young children, teens, and adults returning to school, let’s talk science – the science of brining food. I promise not to go all Thomas Dolby on you, and blind you with science. What is the science behind brining meat? Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable...
Colorful homemade salsa is a culinary highlight of the season. Mary Cokenour photo
“Come on, shake your body, baby, do the conga. I know you can’t control yourself any longer.” Conga, Miami Sound Machine Featuring Gloria Estefan Here we are, the end of August and the official start of autumn is less than a month away. Fall Equinox, aka Mabon, will be on September 22, and it will...
The raw materials for simple guacamole. Mary Cokenour photo
Go into any Mexican eatery, whether it’s a fine family-oriented place or fast food joint, and guacamole is on the menu. It’s easily created and it’s a tasty condiment to add to any dish or just snack on with tortilla chips. The main ingredient in guacamole is of course avocado, which botanically is...
Folks are excited that The Dove Creek Dinner Bell rings again.  Mary Cokenour photo
How times flies in the restaurant business. It was only 2015 when we discovered The Dinner Bell in Dove Creek, CO and enjoyed many a breakfast, lunch, or dinner there. I have to admit that breakfast was my favorite meal. We would get up early on a Saturday or Sunday morning, take a ride up into...
Banana bread all by itself is already a worthwhile treat, but add fresh strawberries and that really ratchets it up to the next level.  Mary Cokenour photo
“Strawberries, strawberries, every year...These must be eaten, enjoying here...Even the best cakes allow it when...Made in kitchen, the cook will be then...Baked with love, served with pleasure” – Ingeborg Bauer Strawberries are a deliciously unusual fruit – unusual due to their structure. With the...
Some tasty coleslaw partners perfectly with barbequed ribs.  Mary Cokenour photo
Coleslaw is a salad made primarily using shredded cabbage, served cold and frequently as a side dish at picnics and barbeques. Researching its origin began with dissecting the name and finding out what it actually meant. At first, I began with Cole’s Law, and wondered who the heck was this Cole guy...
May 2019 was the last time I had written a story about Twin Rocks Café. I was told that Duke Simpson loved that article, and how happy it made him feel. Then, suddenly, the Duke passed on to that great trading post in the sky. While it was a sad event, I was glad, in the knowing, that my story had...

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