Behind the Bites

Feast Your Eyes


  • Grilled Mushroom and Swiss Cheese

    Printable version In my house growing up, my Mom always referred to a grilled cheese sandwich as “cheese toasty.” It wasn’t until I was 23 years-old and living in New York City that I realized the rest of the world had a different name for them. I was in the…

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  • Spanish Rice with Chorizo

    Printable version This dish features a pound of fresh chorizo, a pork sausage with heavy seasoning. Chorizo has two different forms – Mexican and Spanish. Both are loaded with spices native to their regions and it comes raw and cured. For this recipe, I use a raw Spanish version of…

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  • Thick and Meaty Chili

    Printable version In response to the 10 inches of what the news labeled as “heart attack snow” that fell last week in Northern Indiana, I decided to whip up a pot of chili to comfort my soul. I needed something positive to go with Old Man Winter’s latest thrashing. I…

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  • Rosemary Grilled Loin Chops

    Printable version This is a simple and elegant meal, flavorful enough for a special occasion and easy to create while chatting up guests. It starts with mini-red potatoes tossed in olive oil and salt and pepper, then roasted in the oven – super simple! As always the potatoes need to…

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  • Fettuccine Alfredo

    Printable version When I set out to make this dish I was going to recreate a recipe I had made for the print column more than two years ago, before I had even started this blog. My photography skills are so much better now. I have been trying to go…

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  • Chicken Kabobs with Spicy Chipotle Ranch

    Printable version Last week, I said right here on this blog that using my stove top grill would be enough to get me through to the warm weather, where I could be outside using my actual grill. I lied. It wasn’t enough. Just as a snow storm rolled through the…

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  • Bowtie Pasta in Mushroom Sauce

    Printable version I would rate this mushroom and bowtie pasta dish as a 7 on a scale of 10. It had good flavor, the noodles and mushroom were cooked spot on, and it worked as a side dish really well. I would be happy to put this out at any…

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  • Southwest Cream of Chicken Soup

    Printable version If I’m going to use chicken in a soup I always use thighs. The dark meat seems to be richer and more flavorful, making it perfect for a hardy soup or stew. I love the white meat on the grill or when the chicken stands alone, but for…

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