Displaying items by tag: Compliments to the Chef, Paula and John Reardon

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Grilling in our backyards during the month of August is among my favorite summertime pastimes. Your BBQ, grilling, and outdoor cooking missions can eventually bring you to one of life’s simple joys: meat on a stick. One tool that can help those who are firing up in the backyard is the skewer. Creating food on a stick offers the ability to be creative and to offer various food choices for your family and guests. Serving food on a stick is not only convenient, but it’s also fun! Skewers can be made of bamboo, flexible stainless steel or stainless steel. Finding the right skewer for your grilling mission is key since skewers come in a variety of lengths and shapes, with handle embellishments and smart features. If you’re using a grill with a lid, make sure you choose a skewer length that will allow you to close the grill lid. Metal skewers now come in flat, round, spiral, or square shapes, and some also have double shafts. A square or spiral shape is especially helpful in keeping foods from sliding off the skewer or spinning around the shaft as you turn them on the grill. If you’re already working with spinning skewers (round metal or wooden), you can try using tongs to cradle the foods as you turn them and keep things grilling evenly.

Shish kabobs, usually just called kabobs, refers to meat and vegetables cut into one inch cubes and put on a skewer. “Kabobs,” translated, simply means a meat dish of Middle Eastern origins. In America, most skewered meats and vegetables have been come to be known as kabobs. Some common ingredients for a kabob is onion, bell pepper, various meats, mushrooms, and a variety of other foods. There are many specialties of various skewered meat dishes from all around the world, but in America, kabob has come to mean any of them. While kabobs are not necessarily always cooked on a grill, they usually are. This allows the meat to take on the smoky grill flavor as well as get a nice char on it. With wooden skewers, the skewer has a nice char as well. The key to grilling great kabobs is making sure they cook evenly. Make sure before you place anything on the grill, it’s at medium temperature. Then, as the kabobs cook, rotate them regularly, so they don’t burn on one side while being raw on the other.

If you’re going to make shish kebabs with both meat and veggies, you must precook the meat so that you’re just heating it. Otherwise, by the time the meat is cooked, the veggies will be charcoal. Also, make sure the foods that take longer to cook (like onions and peppers) are cut into smaller pieces than the quick-cooking foods (like pineapple and cherry tomatoes) so that nothing burns. 

Other skew suggestions: Fruit skewers. Just like above, you can put similarly sized chunks of fruit onto a skewer, chill, and serve. It’s even better if you serve a yogurt or cream cheese dip or chocolate fondue with them.

Fresh veggie skewers. Whether you cook them or not, a skewer makes veggies infinitely more appealing to children. The novelty might get veggies into little tummies where they otherwise would not go. As with the fruit, if you serve a dip with them, they might go over better. Or, forget the kids and make grilled mushrooms to add to a steak.

This summer let the aspiring little chefs’ help create unique and memorable food on a stick. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, for an assortment of skewers to help you create your food on the stick creations. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

August can be a very warm month and it becomes a quest to stay cool. We tend to eat lighter and refreshing foods during this time of year. One of my favorite summer combos is strawberries and cream.  Our children love waffles with strawberries and whipped cream. When they were younger they probably could have eaten it every single day and not get sick of it.  This combo is also great on or in cake such as a gorgeous Swiss roll.  This is a perfectly refreshing summer dessert that is loved by all! Cake rolls look really fancy as well as complicated but they are actually quite easy to make. One essential item you need to make a cake roll is a jelly roll pan. A jelly roll pan (typically 10½ by 15½ inches) is simply a smaller version of a rimmed baking sheet (about 12 by 18 inches). When it comes to equipping your kitchen, baking sheets are more versatile. You can use one to roast a large batch of vegetables, bake a dozen or more cookies, or even make a large sheet cake. A jelly-roll pan has 1-inch-high sides and is perfect for making cake rolls; it can stand in for a cookie sheet in a pinch.

Love is all around especially when we bring and serve fantastic desserts. We have a ton of bakeware to assist with your fun summer culinary desserts. We also have strawberry hullers and slicers to help you with your strawberry desserts. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for those “cool dessert” culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Part of the American summer road trip can include visits to roadside diners. What is your favorite childhood memory of summer food? I have so many childhood memories of eating with my family. My father was a truck driver so he loved to travel and make a day of driving around the American landscape. We would mostly go through Vermont which is where he grew up. He loved stopping at a local diner as part of our day’s exploration. My father loved diners! The reason being that diners are best known for their history, tradition, an extensive menu selection, large portions of comfort foods at fair prices, quick service served with diner spirit and hearty meals. Chefs and cooks showcased their occupational skill and skillet set through offering huge portions of comfort food classics, while no- nonsense but friendly waitresses served as unofficial family to customers with their welcoming ways. Locals, many with townie and patriotic tendencies, interacted through face-to-face spoken words instead of through technological devices. Truck drivers sat at the counter after long days and nights of life on the road. White collar America, some as business travelers walking briskly over from the adjacent hotel, took that well-deserved break from another anticipated day in the rat race to lighten the day with some home-cooked food. Landscapers and construction workers with clean hands, for now, were hungry, immediately decisive on what to order, and needing to get to work soon. They wasted no time ordering food while showing a close camaraderie as if they were brothers. 

You see, there’s really nothing like eating at a good old-fashioned diner when traveling the small towns and back roads. The experience, quite simply, brings a wonderful slice of American tradition to the senses and taste buds that can only be fully realized by frequenting these local treasures. The diner is an icon of American culture located in almost every city and town. 

I read a fun article about diners on Reminisce.com with some pretty funny diner slang that let the short order cook know what to burn, what to wrack , and what to put a hat on. It is considered “short-order shorthand. As I read these I laughed, while bringing back memories of eating at a diner with my family. By the way; I still love stopping by some of the mainstay diners throughout the northeast. 

Here is a small sampling of the article. Try to guess what the slang means before you read the answer: 

Breakfast: 

Adam and Eve on a raft………………………(poached eggs on toast)

Burn the British………………………………(English Muffin, toasted)

Sinkers and suds…………………………… (Doughnuts and Coffee)

Wreck’em…………………………………….(Scrambled eggs)

Lunch

Bloodhound in the hay………………………(Hot dog with sauerkraut)

Two cows, make ‘em cry……………………(Two burgers with onions)

First Lady……………………………………(Spareribs)

Condiments 

Axel grease………………………………….(Butter)

Paint it red………………………………… .(Ketchup)

Warts………………………………………..(0lives)

Dessert

Eve with a lid on it…………………………(Apple Pie)

Fish eyes……………………………………(Tapioca Pudding)

Houseboat…………………………………..(Banana Split)

Nervous pudding……………………………(Jello) 

This summer, make food memories with your family. My childhood memories almost always include sitting at the table eating with my four siblings, and my parents. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your neighborhood kitchen and cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place to help you with your family culinary needs. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Our American English language has many common expressions we use to express ideas. For example: when we say something is like “a drop in the ocean,” we mean it is a very small amount compared to what is needed. You may also hear the expression “drop in the bucket.” But a drop in the ocean is much more dramatic. If someone is “slippery as an eel,” they are tricky and difficult to catch. We often use this expression as a warning to others. If something is a “whale of a … thing,” it is a very good thing. If you performed very well at work, your boss could say you did “a whale of a job.”

Some people consider oysters a delicacy – a rare food that you only eat once in a while. Oysters are great for another reason. They make pearls! So, oysters are rare indeed. And that brings us to our next expression. When we say “The world is your oyster!” we mean that you are able to make the most out of life. You take every chance given to you and put it to good use. Language experts say this is one of the many expressions created by the English writer William Shakespeare. He used it in his play The Merry Wives of Windsor. However, some people use this expression a little differently. It can also mean that you have every chance or opportunity you could possibly want. You have money, skills, ability and freedom to do exactly what you want. 

Oysters are a delicious sea food to eat this time of year. Raw oysters are great—but do you know what’s not great? Trying to shuck them at home? For most people, shucking them isn’t the easiest thing to do. We have just the tool to help you with shucking oysters. The Zyliss Oyster Tool helps you shuck oysters quickly while keeping hands safe. The specialty designed stainless steel blade opens oysters safely and easily while preserving oyster liquor and features a non-slip handle with protective guard. The silicone oyster pocket and non-slip feet provides leverage while keeping hands safe during use. No need for a bulky glove! Also features a built-in knife holder for safe easy storage. Focusing on functionality, durability, design, cleanliness and safety, Zyliss has relied upon a heritage of excellence that began in Switzerland over 60 years ago. Building on this time-held tradition, the company has advanced to produce and distribute kitchen equipment that is world-renowned. Zyliss has pioneered the design of more than 200 kitchen essentials, with quality and engineering that cannot be duplicated.

Did you know that oysters are delicious mollusks that provide the human body with a number of unique nutrients and minerals, which result in great health benefits These include the ability of oysters to aid in weight loss, boost metabolic activity, increase tissue repair and growth, lower cholesterol levels, reduce blood pressure, improve immune functions, aid in wound healing, and promote healthy growth. Furthermore, they are a powerful aphrodisiac, can improve blood circulation, and also increase bone strength to reduce osteoporosis. If you’ve never prepared oysters yourself, it can be intimidating. But it can also be easy and a great experience. Give oysters a try and be sure to remember the following:

• Buy oysters from reliable vendors (whether grocer or fishmonger) and be sure to look for the shipper’s tag. That way you’ll know the oysters came from an area that is approved for growing and harvesting oysters.

• Check through your oysters when you get home. Always throw away any oysters that don’t seem right, have broken shells, or that are partially or fully opened. You can try to tap the open oysters to see if they close up. If they do, they should be OK. If not, toss them.

• Prepare fresh, live oysters for eating. Consider serving them the day you buy them.

• Keep your oysters very cold before prepping them. Don’t store them in a plastic bag in the fridge, but put them in a bowl covered with a wet towel.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, for the Zyliss Oyster Tool. It will make your life a bit easier. Have fun shucking with family and friends. The world is your oyster. All the options are available to you… the world is yours for the taking, whatever you make of it. Getting the pearl requires the oyster to be opened. But despite the hardness of the oyster shell, they can be opened with ease. Enjoy life. Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Happy shucking.

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

Grilling up burgers is a summertime staple for many of us. How do you like your burgers? When you got your burger fresh off the grill and sitting there all juicy and delicious on that bun…how do you make this perfect food even more perfect? Cheese is a good choice. But which one? American? Cheddar? Swiss? Maybe some crisp, smoky bacon. How about barbecue sauce? We could go on forever. Making hamburgers seems like something that should be simple—how hard can it be to cook those beefy delights? Yet somehow, nailing the perfect burger can elude even the most seasoned home cook. Make the patty too thick and you risk biting into a raw mess. Leave it on the heat for too long, and it’ll end up dry. The secret to making juicy burgers at home is all in the meat. Did you burn your burgers while cooking them? The culprit is likely uneven thickness. While the shape of the patty doesn’t matter, the thickness does. You really want to make sure the patty is a uniform, even thickness, or it’s not going to cook properly, which can lead to a burnt outside and undercooked inside. A solution could be to flatten the patties by pressing them flat using a burger press. 

Burger presses create consistently shaped and sized burgers. The presses allow you to pack patties without squishing the meat between your warm hands. Heat radiated by your hands can cause proteins to denature. Using your hands to pack raw meat can cause the fat to melt and the meat to break apart which causes a mushy, unappealing texture when it’s time to devour your burger. The burger presses make uniform patties: same weight and diameter every time. Uniform patties cook evenly throughout and will come to temperature around the same time on the grill.

The presses also help achieve the weight you’re going for ¼, ⅓, and ½ lb patties. And you get a prettier burger patty. The burgers look good. Who doesn’t marvel at a perfectly round, evenly dense patty?

Elevate your grilling game this summer with less stressing and more pressing. Get the tools you need to make the burgers you yearn for. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for the burger presses and other cool tools to help you with your burger creations. Maybe even put on the SNL‘Cheeseburger Cheeseburger’ sketch with the original SNL cast. The classic skit of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd at the Olympia diner yelling: “Cheeseburger and a Coke,” “Ah… no Coke… ah Pepsi,” replies Belushi. (And that’s the first time the catch phrase is uttered.) “Okay, Pepsi and french fries.”, “No fries… chips.” “Okay, chips.” Belushi barks out the order to Aykroyd: “One cheeburger, one Pepsi… chips.” “Cheeseburger,” confirms Aykroyd. And SNL history is made!! Have fun laughing and cooking. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen” or even the grill. 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

The horse racing season in Saratoga Springs is on. Many people come to not only be part of the atmosphere of our country’s oldest track, but to also admire the beauty of the racing horses. The horses are amazing to watch, they are truly spectacular animals. I always catch my breath at the majestic beauty of the horses that come to Saratoga Springs to race. My wife and I remember the first time we came to Saratoga Springs. We were both part of a corporate relocation to the area and looking for where to settle down with our two very young children. Walking through downtown and driving throughout the city, the energy of our incredible area hit us as we held each other’s hands. We knew immediately this was where we wanted to live and raise our family. 

Over the years, as our family and friends have visited us from various parts of the country, we have always felt a sense of pride in sharing with them all that our community has to offer. Summer in Saratoga Springs is a beautiful time for entertaining. This time of year calls for delicious foods, amazing drinks, and wonderful company. Refreshing summer cocktails are the perfect way to stay cool. Fruit cocktails are an ideal way to enjoy a summery drink. They can be styled up for non-drinkers and simplified for the kids. If your recipe needs a citrusy kick, zesting is the way to go. Plus, it’s a nice way to put the peel to good use. There is nothing quite like juicing ripe, seasonal citrus into your cocktail. Zesting, sounds like a small detail, right? You can add zesting to salads, desserts, even the rim of margaritas. If your recipe needs a citrusy kick, zesting is the way to go. Plus, it is a way to get straight to those rich, citrus oils of a lemon, lime, or orange directly over your drink. Using a citrus zester will allow you to cut thin, delicate ribbons of citrus that provide a bright sparkle to your drink and infuse those oils right into your drink. This zester is great because it features a curved stainless steel blade that makes zesting a quick task for any home bartender. Whether it’s a refreshing spritz, sangria, or margarita, summer cocktails are a great way to cool off. The zester allows you to make precise cuts of the shallow filaments from the aromatic, oil-filled skins of citrus fruit, and is designed to avoid the bitter white pith that lies closest to the flesh.

Whether you’re looking to make a quick cocktail for one or a big pitcher of frozen drinks to share, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are a perfect addition to any lazy weekend afternoon. There are plenty of options for every taste, depending on what you’re looking for, from sweet, fruity drinks ideal for cooling off after a hot day. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store for the accoutrements’ you need for entertaining and zesting up your summer! Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

It is summer and we are experiencing the wealth of warmer temperatures. With the soaring temperatures, we are left wondering about how to meet the hydration requirements (especially for our children) from the food and drinks we consume. Not everything that children like to have in summer is necessarily hydrating, nourishing and immunity-building. To cruise through the summer heat and loss of fluids and essential nutrients, seasonal fruits are a recommendation. Especially, when taking long trips or hanging out in your flip-flops. Eating summer fruits can be a healthy way to keep your body cool and additionally get all the goodness of nature.

As I think back on my childhood memories and raising my own children, the challenge was to keep as much fruit in the house as a go to for all of us. One fruit that has always been one of my favorites are cherries. I can remember the sheer joy of seeing my mom bringing a heaping bowl of bright red cherries to the table. We now know that eating cherries as a part of a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables may provide health benefits. Cherries are a good source of vitamin C.  Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant. Cherries are also low in saturated fat and cholesterol. 

Summer is cherry season time, and that means time for cherry pie, cherry crumble, cherry cobbler, cherry preserves, cherry sauce to drizzle over vanilla ice cream; you get the idea. But before you break out your baking dish and turn on your oven, you will need to remove the pits of these sweet ruddy fruits. A good cherry pitter that removes the stone and leaves the fruit intact can be a cook’s best friend this time of year. We carry an assortment of cherry pitters. One fun one that your children may love is the blossom cherry pitter by JOIE. 

Use a cherry pitter to help you with taking the pits out. It will make your life easier. At Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, we carry cherry and olive pitters that can quickly and easily remove pits from cherries and olives without bruising or crushing fruit or waste fruit. They are perfect for canning, freezing, dehydrating and baking cherries.  You can freeze sweet cherries to enjoy in baked goods, smoothies, and sauces throughout the year. Simply rinse the cherries with cool water and remove the stem. Pitting them is your choice. They’ll lose some juice, but they’re easier to pop into a recipe later if they’re frozen sans pit. Once the cherries have been pitted, place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the freezer overnight to freeze. After they’re completely frozen, put them in an airtight container or freezer bag to store in the freezer until you’re ready to use them. You won’t even need to thaw them before using them.

So kick back and enjoy those delicious summer fruits that are available. Cherry-ish the time you have with your family while of course, savoring your own bowl full of sweet, juicy cherries—it’s a treat you can feel good about!

Remember Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” 

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

This 4th of July weekend celebration will include attending fireworks, parades, barbeques, carnivals, picnics, baseball games, and family gatherings.  The Fourth of July is more than just a celebration of summertime — it’s a time to celebrate our freedom and how far we have come. Many families will be hosting or attending an outside event or taking advantage of the long weekend activities. 

Fireworks have always been one of my favorite parts of celebrating our national holiday. Sitting in a chair and watching the spectacular color displayed is so exciting to me.  As I reminisce about my childhood, there is one particular 4th of July that stands out. I love to tell my decades old story of when my two other brothers and our neighborhood buddies had acquired some fire crackers to add to our evening fun. After the firework show had ended at our local park, we still had the need to entertain ourselves and sustain the celebration. My parents were not aware that a group of us “spirited” boys still had unused fireworks in our possession.  Our friends provided the fireworks and my brothers and I were given the task of getting a pan to cover the fire crackers with.  I gave this “heroic” opportunity to my youngest brother instructing on spy-like maneuvers to quietly get the pan past my mother.  Looking back, I am not sure how we actually were able to pull it off getting it past her. We found a quiet corner in our yard to set up.  Anxiously, we lit several fire crackers and put a pan on top of them.  Well, that pan shot so high in the sky, it landed in my father’s favorite red maple tree and stayed there until the following winter.  One winter afternoon my father was looking out the kitchen window wondering what was lodged in his tree.  Getting the pan down was an event in itself.  However, cleaning it was another.  In an attempt to teach the three of us adorable boys a lesson, we were ordered to get the pan back to its “original” shape and color.  We never did get that pan back to its normal shape!!

Outdoor gatherings were always something I looked forward to, especially when looking at the vast number of dishes and desserts that will be spread out. Whether it is a picnic gathering, or a simple picnic at the park, no feast would be complete without a sweet treat at the end. A simple way to satisfy the sweet tooth, is with a fruit-ladened tart. It is a wonderful treat to add with wine or even a cup of tea. Fresh fruit tarts are a beautiful way to present a dessert. The secret lies in the pan that the tart is baked in. A tart pan has low, fluted sides with a removable bottom. The design of the pan allows for a better conduction of heat making a more uniform baked crust.  The removable bottom enables you to remove the finished product by easily placing your hand beneath the bottom, and letting the outer ring fall. Tart pans come in a number of sizes to suit whatever you are making. They are also known as quiche pans. 

Ahhh…I love summer.  Being outdoors and enjoying fun times with family and friends (safely) creates those memories that last a lifetime. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, to pick up the tools you need to make your weekend an enjoyable one!  Remember my Foodie Friends: “Life Happens in the Kitchen.” Happy Fourth of July.

Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

School has ended and it’s time for many to be spending more time with the family. Summertime offers us the time to do a broader range of activities. Even though people are often busy all year long, they are usually a little bit less stressed during the summer compared to other times of the year. Children do not have to go to school during the summer, and adults who have to go to work do not need to work as many hours during the summer as they do during the rest of the year. This means that family members may be more willing to hang out with you and to talk about things that both you and your family are interested in. Many people take advantage of these facts to get to know their families more closely and by scheduling family vacations during summer holidays, or even getting to spend more time with relatives. 

Summertime for me as a child often meant getting to spend more time with my cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents. Family get-togethers were a time to share stories and photos from the past, to talk about those who were no longer here, and to give us young ones a sense of our family history. Although getting me to come inside from playing outdoors was quite a feat, I did love spending time with my mother and my aunts watching them cook and bake up a storm for the outdoor family gatherings. I always liked baking with them, when they were not trying to get me out of the kitchen!

One item that was my favorite to help them with and to eat was making baked donuts. My mother’s baked donuts were always a hit at the family picnics. The evidence of the popularity of her donuts could often be found in my pockets and the pockets of my brothers, and cousins, as we would swiftly grab them from the table to ensure we did not lose out on getting our fill. 

So, why are baked donuts still so popular? They are extremely easy to make. No fancy ingredients are needed and it comes together as easily as a cupcake. Both the mixing process as well as the baking process is very simple even if you are a beginner in the kitchen. The trickiest part is glazing the donuts but if you follow a few simple rules and pay attention to the temperatures, you will be able make beautifully glazed donuts every time going forward.  Another reason to bake donuts is that they are quick to make. Compared to yeast-based donuts, baked donuts can be made much quicker. Once you mix the ingredients you can proceed with baking, no need to wait for the yeast to get activated. Making donuts also allows your family and friends to create the type of donut and topping they want. They can add one topping or add them all! It can be their own creation.  Oh course, the best part is eating them. 

An essential tool to help you make your baked donuts is a donut pan. You can make half or full dozen donuts in the pan. Donut shaped pans are made to assist you in creating individual full-sized donuts. No rolling, cutting, or deep frying is needed. With a donut pan, you get perfectly shaped donuts with holes in the center.  Just pour the batter into the wells, and pop them into the oven. 

This summer, remember that life is a collection of memories. It is the cherished memories that stand out and give us a history to our lives. Good memories can happen anywhere. Over the years, I have discovered that one of the best places to make lasting family traditions is in the kitchen. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, to get the donut pans and supplies you need to bake your favorite creations. Remember my Foodie Friends; “Life Happens in the Kitchen!”

 Take Care,
John & Paula

Hello my Foodie Friends! 

This weekend is Father’s Day. Not sure what to get dad since he already has a bazillion ties? A home cooked meal with some of their favorite foods is a great way to kick things off. How about cooking something special for him? Many of us have been lucky enough to grow up with dads who love to cook, who have mastered crème brûlée or grilling or taught us to make perfect rice. Others have dads who just love to eat, who will dig into a shared plate happily and are always ready to share a meal. This Sunday, we’ll honor all of them, maybe with pancakes or a special dinner or a thoughtful food-related gift. In preparing that special meal, there may be some cool culinary tools you need to help.

Among my favorite gifts to receive on Father’s Day are tickets to a Yankee’s baseball game. Since my daughter’s birthday often times falls on the same day, we both enjoy the gift of watching a game to celebrate. Growing up in Connecticut, our family and friends were split several ways with teams they loved - Yankees, Red Sox, and the Mets. My family was always for the Yankee’s. Our children grew up watching players like the 1998 Yankee team and Derek Jeter through his baseball career. However, I do love watching a game at Fenway Park in Boston and then walking the streets of Boston to have a beer at the Baseball Tavern on Boylston Street or at the Bleacher Bar. My heart still belongs to Yankee Stadium though. So many years of game watching was done in the old stadium. Baseball tugs at the thoughts and emotions of every fan. Our family loves baseball. We are entrenched with baseball history and every aspect the game has to offer. I draw upon the history of the game and the iconic men who helped make MLB what it is today: Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Lou Gehrig, Ty Cobb, Rogers Hornsby, Cy Young, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Joe DiMaggio, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Reggie Jackson and many, many more. I am amazed at the power of hitters like Yankee’s slugger Aaron Judge, who make us stop and watch every at-bat. There’s nothing better than seeing Judge step into the batter’s box and attack a pitcher . . . especially when he connects for a 500-foot blast. 

Besides baseball, we have a perfect gift for Dad this Father’s Day! A Dutch oven is a great gift to give especially if you have a Dad who loves to cook. You could make the argument that a Dutch oven is the only pot you need in a kitchen. Its heavy, cast iron build holds heat over long periods of cooking with extraordinary consistency. The enamel coating most are covered in eliminates the need for seasoning. The standard size Dutch oven — about 5.5 to 6 quarts — is large enough to cook most dishes for a family of four. Dutch ovens can sear, bake, braise, stew and steam with the best of them. 

Currently, we are carrying the limited edition LeCreuset MLB Signature Series 7.25-quart round Dutch oven with the Yankee’s and Red Sox colors and logos. The enameled cast iron Dutch oven is oven safe up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a tight-fitting lid designed to circulate steam and return moisture back to the food inside, while its side handles are designed for easy lifting. You can use it for slow-cooking, braising, roasting, baking, frying and more, which is one of the reasons it’s worth the investment. Plus, the piece is naturally nonstick and dishwasher safe, so it’s easy to clean, requires no seasoning and does come with the previously mentioned lifetime warranty.

Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store, to treat dad to some cool culinary tools. For Father’s Day, eat together as a family! Relish the memories and show Dad how much you love him. Maybe even sit and watch a baseball game…just for the love of the game. Remember my Foodie Friends, “Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

 Take Care,
John & Paula