Posts Categorized: Expert Chef

Role Reversal: Chili and Corn Chips

by in Expert Chef

Erin Dow

My favorite winter activity is stewing something warm and awesome on the stovetop. There’s no better distraction from being holed up in the house than a hearty dish, at least until you find that one magical threat that’ll get your sons onto the porch to clear the snow from the door. In my comfort food world–and on stormy winter days–chili reigns supreme.

Role Reversal: Chili and Corn Chips

Kebabs: They’re Not Just For Summer!

by in Expert Chef

Erin Dow

Kebabs aren’t just for summer. Little bits of meat and veggies on a stick are universally appealing for both kids and adults, yet we too often relegate them to grilling season. But for those of us living in the northern climes, they just fall off the radar for six months out of the year, and that’s a shame. They’re a great way to spiff up a winter meal and add some variety to your family’s dinner without too much work. So maybe we shouldn’t be so quick to give up on them.

Kebabs: They’re Not Just For Summer!

Spooky Eyeballs

by in Expert Chef, Family, Healthy Holidays

Erin Dow

On a day when people like you and I, despite our better judgment, purposefully cart our children around collecting junk food, here’s a fun way to keep the spirit of healthy living alive tonight. When my children came home and saw these just casually hanging out on the kitchen counter, they were more than a little disturbed…and my kids are not easily impressed by anything I do. But with a few pieces of fruit and about 15 minutes with a paring knife, you’ll have a fun item to share for your Halloween celebration.

Spooky Eyeballs

Veggie of the Month: October

by in Expert Chef, Vegetable of the Month

Erin Dow

If you used to find squash in your grandmother’s basement or tucked under your cousin’s bed, chances are they were the winter varieties like Acorn, Hubbard, and Butternut squash. Specifically bred for a tough skin and low-moisture yellow to orange flesh, winter squash ensured that families could store and eat the healthful vegetable throughout the winter. Some varieties will stay in perfect condition for six months or more when stored properly; in fact, my mother had a spaghetti squash perched on her basement steps for almost a year with no ill-effects whatsoever.

Veggie of the Month: October