Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook

Aunt Polly’s Dumplings will stick to your ribs, warm your cockles, and take you back to the 1800s. Mary Cokenour photo

Dumplings or lumplings? A cowboy favorite either way

“Asleep he rides the range. On a saddle that has seen its better days. And hear the coyotes call. They sing the sun to rest as evening falls.” Cowboy, recorded by Eddy Arnold, written by Harry Shannon and Ron Fraser Growing up, and learning about American History in school, the books used did not...

Lobster Ravioli and Potato Gnocchi. Mary Cokenour photo

Hungry? Eat Some Pillows

“Behold! I am Cashios, god of cash back! Can you tell me where to find gnocchi?”, he asks of the grocery store employee stocking shelves. Alright, this may just be another, let’s dumb down viewers’ minds, commercial, but still, how many know what food item he is looking for? I do, I do! We are...

Can’t beat pork barbecue on a potato bun topped with coleslaw. Mary Cokenour photo

A simple solution for succulent, smoky pork barbecue sans smoker

We own two smokers, but they are not the type of equipment that can be set up and forgotten about. Specific temperatures, wood supplies, and maybe even water in a pan must be maintained. Considering the several feet of snow outside, and especially blocking the door to the shed, where the smokers...

A delicious mistake: the chocolate lava cake that lacks the lava. Mary Cokenour photo

Defeat never tasted so deliciously sweet

When it comes to perfection, I am far from it and proud of my quirks. They make me unique, the square peg that doesn’t fit into the round hole, and most of all a character. Enjoyment comes from attempting new things – little adventures that make life very interesting. When it comes to cooking and...

Chinese dumplings are a staple for many celebrations and express best wishes for happy days and good health. Known as potstickers in America, they are typically pan fried on the bottom, then steamed. Mary Cokenour photo

Chinese zodiac history, a lesson in arrogance, and a tasty dish to try for a lucky new year

January 22, 2023 to February 9, 2024 is the calendar year of the rabbit, according to the Chinese zodiac. The rabbit is the fourth in the twelve-year cycle of animals that appears in the Chinese zodiac, and is an earth symbol. In the origin story of the zodiac, Rabbit was proud and arrogant about...

A nice Italian recipe, like this baked ziti, is a great way to get some comfort this new year, both while you’re preparing it and while you’re eating it. Mary Cokenour photo

Don’t overthink the comfort foods

For New Year’s, most of San Juan County was hit by snow storms, dumping much-needed moisture in the mountains, and in and around the towns. This is definitely a blessing! However, it did make travel difficult, so the truckers delivering goods for the stores and packages from Amazon weren’t thinking...

Just about everyone loves some bacon, so why not celebrate the new year with a new twist on this longtime favorite? This delicious bacon-wrapped meatloaf with a Mexican twist is just the ticket. Mary Cokenour photo

More fun with bacon this new year

With 2022 in the rearview mirror, we have arrived at a beginning. Each new year we make resolutions, promises to ourselves that we will be someone better. I, of course, do not make such resolutions. Oh no, I maintain that I will continue to be the same witty, sarcastic, and snarky woman you have...

A rich and hearty chestnut soup is a great holiday treat. Courtesy photo

Enjoying roasted chestnuts day

“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir. And folks dressed up like Eskimos.” – The Christmas Song by Mel Torme / Robert Wells Once again, I am referring to Good Housekeeping’s list of December days of celebration, and have chosen...

American, Mexican, and Puerto Rican holiday drinks. Courtesy photo

A jovial, tasty toast to the Winter Solstice

December 21 is a busy day for celebrating. First off, it is the Winter Solstice, the beginning of the end, so to speak. Earth’s axis tilts away from the sun in the Northern Hemisphere and the sun reaches its greatest distance from the equatorial plane. This is the shortest day of light, and the...

A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is one that can produce many feelings of pride, sorrow, and reflection for Americans. Courtesy photo

A Day of Infamous Remembrance

According to an article in Good Housekeeping magazine, there are 142 reasons for celebration in the month of December. Instead of only the big three, Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, we have Boxing Day on December 26 (my birthday as well), New Year’s Eve on December 31, Yule/Winter Solstice on...