Happy National Whiskey Day! To celebrate I brought out my trusty 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection for Mixed Drinks and Hors D’oeuvre and found the Perfect Manhattan on card 65 from the Blends & Rye section. Mr. Sauce, Esq. is a fan of a Manhattan–it his most requested cocktail when he comes home from a longContinue reading 2-in-1 International Recipe Card Collection: Perfect Manhattan (1977)
Happy First Day of Spring! To celebrate the season, I’m opening Great Dinners from Life (1969) and turning to the chapter on Spring. In my copy of Great Dinners, there are six menus that the previous owner bookmarked and definitely prepared–the pages are dirty! Artichokes Stuffed with Shrimp Chicken in a Pot with Vegetables CoqContinue reading HAPPY SPRING!
HOW EASY WAS IT? I will get to that eventually, but do you want to know what is NOT easy? Sleep. Ah, elusive sleep. Every night is a grab bag of GERD, insomnia, sleep sweats, racing thoughts, and existential dread. There is a meme that says something akin to “if you need three or moreContinue reading 120. Easy Baked Stew
I marinated the steak over night, but when it was time to cook dinner, I failed to read the entire recipe card (which is apparently a problem of mine as of late. Much like Alexia on the Real Housewives of Miami when she kept insisting that Adriana’s boyfriend is married because she didn’t scroll downContinue reading 131. Zippy Sirloin Strips
Happy Super Bowl weekend! Let’s kick it off with some Smirnoff! It’s a sure bet you and your friends will be watching the game this weekend. Why don’t you all get together for a spirited Smirnoff warm-up before the game? Team up delicious food, good friends, and great Smirnoff drinks with the best seats inContinue reading The Smirnoff Football Brunch & Bloody Mary (1970)
Now, if you you’re thinking–hey now, didn’t you already make the Greek Lamb Stew card? Well I did. But that was card 156. This is card 166. Greek Lamb Stew NOT in Eggplant Boats. Missing eggplant boats aside, the difference between the two seems to be black olives vs. okra/green beans and elbow macaroni. So,Continue reading 166. Greek Lamb Stew
I was an odd child–for many reasons–but one particular reason is that, as a wee one, I devoured any and all shellfish and mollusks. I loved raw oysters and clams. I ate my first whole lobster at the age of 5, much to the disappointment of my parents, who bought two for a celebratory dinnerContinue reading 170. Tuna Patties
I do not like rum, so I wasn’t dying to celebrate National Hot Buttered Rum Day, but I knew that I had a couple of recipes for this cocktail and the weather was just cool enough for a hot drink to be appropriate. So I picked up some little bottles and I made two versions.Continue reading National Hot Buttered Rum Day
My love of the Bisquick Impossible Pie has been documented on this here blog. And the BLT is in my top 5 sandwiches, so I was thrilled to come across this ad: What a genius idea to combine the two! Damn thing got rather browned since I used a toaster oven (I refuse toContinue reading Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Impossible Pie (1984)
Welcome to 2023! I am sure that I’ll still be writing 2022 well into February. I had a lovely holiday break and I hope that you had some time off, too. As one typically does, I made a new year’s resolution. Mine is to post once a week on the blog. It may be theContinue reading 157. Turkey Chops
Earlier this month I hosted my annual Christmas party, The Holly Ball (a.k.a the Ball Party). At the Holly Ball, all the food is ball-shaped. This was the 4th Holly Ball*** (5th if you count the inaugural party, A Very Manny Christmas–a celebration for my friend Manny’s 50th birthday). Speaking of Manny, I am usingContinue reading Holly Ball 2022
The Peppermint Martini (an interim idea). Somebody once said, “if the perfect martini is ever created, it won’t be a martini.” Until now, two things stood between the martini and perfection: Gin and Vermouth. Substitute Smirnoff for gin and you’re halfway home. But what can you substitute for vermouth? We haven’t found it yet, butContinue reading Smirnoff Peppermint Martini (1972)
To close out National Cookbook Month, I present to you Robert Carrier’s Menu Planner. I know very little about Robert Carrier. Although he is American born and raised he found fame in Europe. I had never heard of him growing up. This cookbook is rather fun. It’s huge. (it weighs nearly 5 pounds) contains 300Continue reading Robert Carrier’s Menu Planner: Iced Tomato Vodka, Steak au Poivre & Blueberry and Caramel Cream (1984)
Today is National Pumpkin Day and October is National Pumpkin Month! Here’s something pumpkin-related. A friend of ours recently found himself with some unexpected guests, a bottle of Smirnoff, and a supply of root beer. Neither he nor anyone present had mixed Smirnoff and root beer before. But the occasion called for a drink, theContinue reading Smirnoff Charlie Burch (1975)
Hello and welcome to Blends Bash 2022, hosted by the lovely folks at The Book Club Cook Book. Every year they send out some of their delicious spice blends to bloggers like myself who experiment and then share the results with you! This year I was assigned 3 different spice blends to play with. ThisContinue reading BLENDS BASH 2022: Shrimp with Red New Orleans Sauce (1960)
Let’s crack open one of my favorite cookbooks from my collection, Benson & Hedges 100’s Presents Drink Recipes from 100 of the Greatest Bars (1979). Don’t you love the cover? My little eye spies a Martini, a Daquiri, and a Long Island Iced Tea. Since I decided to feature this book on Facebook and InstagramContinue reading Benson & Hedges 100’s Presents Drink Recipes from 100 of the Greatest Bars: Traffic Light (1979)
Last month I found myself with a ton of apples and a value pack of pork chops. And the official first day of autumn had come and gone, so I decided to make a fall-like, pork-apple dinner. I consulted my copy of The Best of Bon Appetit. Which–I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before–IContinue reading The Best of Bon Appetit: Pork Chops & Sauteed Apples (1979)
I was recently going through old photos; came across the photo below and said to myself, “what the fuck is that?” It took me a moment but I remembered what the fuck it was–Lincoln’s Log from Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Cook Book (1973).*** After I found the photos, I took to the old draft folder andContinue reading Betty Crocker’s Bisquick Cookbook: Lincoln’s Log (1973)
