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FoodMayhem
Written from New York City (mostly), FoodMayhem.com is all about... food! We love food: talking about food, writing about food, looking at food, taking pictures of food, making a blog about food, and, of course, eating food.
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Rosa Mexicano
2007-12-31 04:41:00
Aside from being over-priced, Rosa Mexicano Rosa Mexicano was a pretty good choice for lunch. I wanted to take a bunch of my cousins from out-of-town to a lunch near my apartment so we could hang out and play games at my place afterwards. And, one of my young cousins, Christopher, is a skinny Chinese boy who hates Chinese food and prefers Mexican. Weird huh?So, we got the guacamole, famous for being served table side. I don't like avocado so I can't really comment but it was served with two salsas that I did like. Three people (Lon, my brother, and Jonathon) ordered the Arrachera con Camerones (Grilled Skirt Steak with Jumbo Shrimp Stewed in a Roasted Tomato-Chipotle Sauce and topped with Queso Fresco) and it was very good. Everyone tried to sop up the extra sauce with rice. I ordered Cabrito Tacos (Baby Goat) which was good and came with a great corn esquite and bean chili. Jeffrey seemed to enjoy his Pelona (Pulled Short Rib Sandwich). Christopher didn't really like his Quesadilla bu ...
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Restaurant Spree
2007-12-31 04:34:00
Since the Friday before Christmas, we've noticed that restaurants (in NYC) have been really empty. Even places that are normally packed look less crowded; you could easily walk in without reservations. I'm going to have to remember to take further advantage next year and go on a restaurant spree around this time of year. ...
Restaurant
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Grimaldi's
2007-12-29 17:09:00
Grimaldi's Grimaldi's is known by many as the best pizza in NY. It's another one of those places that I've been planning to go to forever but haven't been motivated enough. First, it's outside of Manhattan. Second, the long line is almost more famous than their pizza. And, what if the pizza wasn't really that good? So many "best" places have disappointed me and I have little faith in popular opinion.I am happy to say that Grimaldi's was worth it. The pizza is fantastic! We ordered two large pies for four people and had no problem finishing it. The crust, sauce, and cheese are all the flavors and textures they should be, in the right proportions from each other. For toppings, we ordered one with mushrooms and garlic, the other with roasted peppers, onions, and pepperoni. The garlic is extraordinary and I highly recommend it with any other toppings you may like. My only complaint is that the amazing pizza tastes substantially less amazing once it cools and it cools very quickly due to t ...
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Soba Totto
2007-12-29 00:42:00
Soba Totto Soba Totto, the new sister restaurant to the popular Yakitori Totto Yakitori Totto, just opened Christmas day. We went the next evening, while the smell of fresh paint still lingered and the wait staff seemed nervous.I'm not going to spend too much time on this blog since the restaurant was neither impressive, nor disappointing. I do have a few notes though.1.The soba, part of their name sake, did not look or taste like soba. It tasted and looked more like thin spaghetti.2. Never order "grated yam with egg" in a hot soba unless you know what it is and sure you like it. The "grated yam" they are referring to is not the yam that we sometimes confuse with sweet potato. The grated yam has a texture like water chestnut and sits in a pool of raw egg white like substance. The slimy mixture is supposed to be mixed in to the soba broth which thickens it a bit but does not add any flavor. Now that I have made that mistake, I hope you don't have to.3. They have chicken oysters on their ...
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Norma's at Le Parker Meridien
2007-12-27 05:05:00
Ahh...Norma's Norma's, the famous breakfast place. I think it's been hyped up so much that it couldn't have met my expectations. It seemed like the perfect place to go during the holiday season. It was almost a touristy thing to do but since I went to see the tree at Rockefeller Center yesterday, I guess I'm in the mood this year.Sara had been to Norma's already so she warned us of big portions. We decided to share two dishes and a smoothie between three people but The Full Monty Cristo and The Seafood Schooner Salad didn't end up being that large. We did see other plates around the restaurant and the waffles, pancakes, and omelets did come in extremely large portions so maybe we ordered the wrong things? (It was already 1pm so we weren't in the mood for breakfast anymore.)Quality is more important anyway so on that level, the food was good. But, not that good, considering the price.That brought Angie and I to the discussion about how very few restaurants really hit the wow factor. So, ...
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Merry Christmas!
2007-12-26 01:40:00
Well... to Ice.I don't usually give Ice any human food, but I felt generous as I finished a jar of peanut butter so I decided to let her lick the remnants inside. After all, it is Christmas.Ice says "Merry Christmas!" ...
Christmas
Merry
Merry Christmas
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Cuisinart DCC-1200 - 12 cup coffeemaker
2007-12-25 03:42:00
I've been making coffee with a tiny little coffeemaker that makes a max of 4 cups at a time, for years. It was perfect during college but a pain these days since I love entertaining, and the more the merrier.So when Lon and I did our wedding registry, we did some research to pick out a good coffeemaker with a larger capacity, but we were concerned about how much counter space it would take up. After reading tons of reviews and looking at lots of specs, we chose the Cuisinart DCC-1200, a 12-cup programmable coffeemaker. We recently received the coffeemaker from Lon's relatives, Elaine and Stephen, and it has exceeded my expectations. It's easy to use and easy to clean, and very attractive. It has several functions and looks high-tech. But, I didn't realize that it would make better tasting coffee. The pamphlet explains that it's water filter improves the water therefore improving the coffee. I've heard that the temperature at which it brews can also effect the quality. I'm not sure what ...
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Dear Frederic
2007-12-23 22:03:00
We recently received the following question from Frederic:"Thanks for great blog. I will be visiting NYC in a few weeks andwant to take my host out for a nice dinner on Saturday and then brunch onSunday. Open to all types of food, just seeking some neat place, to make amemory without emptying my 401KThanks"Frederic, we're so glad you enjoy our blog. Here are a few suggestions for a nice dinner without breaking the bank...DinnerFor any of these, we strongly recommend reservations where possible on a Saturday night. We've picked a few selections from around the city so you can choose based both by cuisine and location.Novita Novita - A small, attractive Italian restaurant in Gramercy Park with very good food and service. They have a good wine list and excellent service.Mermaid Inn Mermaid Inn- A seafood place in the East Village with reasonable prices. It's simple food, done right. I love their lobster roll and their scallops. Read our full review of Mermaid Inn.Beyoglu Beyoglu - Delic ...
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Big Family Style Meal at Maple Garden
2007-12-23 04:19:00
We met up with extended family, visiting for the holidays, for a family style meal in Flushing. My mom chose one of her favorite places, Maple Garden Maple Garden. I can understand why it's one of her favorites after seeing a bill for under $200, that more than satisfied a table of 14 people.I don't know the English name for many of these dishes so I tried to take a lot of pictures to facilitate with descriptions. We started with some cold platters, a traditional way to start a proper Chinese meal.The smoked chicken is one of my dad's favorites. I didn't care for the texture but Lon agreed with my dad.Pig ears is one of my childhood favorites. It's thinly sliced and marinated with fresh garlic and spicy oil. This sounds weird but I love the crunchiness of the cartilage.This dish of tiny dried fish, peanuts, and chilis was delicious. I had to try hard to hold back and pace myself since it was only the beginning of the meal.Yup, broccoli stems actually taste good. They're super crunchy a ...
Family
Garden
Style
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Strip House
2007-12-22 01:30:00
Strip House has been on Lon's wish list for a while. We heard about their Crisp Goose Fat Potatoes, prepared by poaching potatoes in goose fat, then baking with goose fat, and finished by deep frying in goose fat. That's what we heard and we couldn't find any documentation on it, so off we went to taste these Crisp Goose Fat Potatoes. They were indeed very good. We couldn't taste much goose fat but did taste some parsley and a hint of rosemary. The texture was wonderful. The soft, yet still firm potato chunks inside were held by a very crisp shell of fried potato on the outside. The small dome of potato was pricey at $11.Of course, we also had the Strip Steak. We decided to share a 16oz steak and order the Sesame Crusted Yellow Fin Tuna to lighten our meal a bit. We didn't see any salads or appetizers that interested us and were actually surprised by the lack of creativity in the menu. We usually over order at restaurants because we can't decide between too many dishes that we want to ...
House
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Maurizio Update
2007-12-21 20:20:00
I've given Maurizio glowing reviews in the past, but I just went again recently and I was a bit disappointed. The food wasn't bad but I just wasn't as impressed this time. My entree of jumbo shrimp were regular sized shrimp. With only four pieces of shrimp, it looked more like an appetizer on a large plate, which is not cool for $28. I've had this dish before and last time the shrimp were actually jumbo. The other notable difference was that the service was incredibly slow. Our appetizers came pretty quickly but after that, we waited for a very long time for the main course. A table of six shouldn't have been a problem, especially since we started dinner rather early.Since this was one bad experience vs. three good ones, I would give them a shot again. It's really sad when you find a good restaurant and then they can't keep it up. ...
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Improved Baked Tofu
2007-12-21 04:30:00
We had friends over for dinner tonight and since one of our guests was a vegetarian, I decided to try to improve on that tofu recipe I had been working on for Lon. With just a few changes to the preparation and baking temperature (marinade staying the same), Lon loved the texture. Our guests seem to like it as well. It's not the most attractive looking tofu but it does taste good. My improved recipe is below the picture...Start with 1 Block (16-18oz) TofuMarinade3 tablespoons soy sauce3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar2 tablespoons mirin1 teaspoon sesame oil1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic1/4 teaspoon ground ginger1 shallot, minced1 pinch white pepperInstructionsPrepare as directed in the about.com method.Marinate overnight. Turning over once.Place tofu on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil. Save marinade.Bake in a preheated 300 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Pour the remaining marinade over the tofu. Continue baking for another 30 minutes. Serve.In case you're curious about what ...
Baked
Improved
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Calling All Chefs
2007-12-19 21:02:00
If you've been reading my blog, you know I'm a huge fan of allrecipes.com, this huge on-line database of recipes. It's a great site where users rate the recipes so you know if a recipe works before you make it.For the first time, I saw a page on the site where they highlight their most wanted recipes. Here's your chance to help another cook out. For example, someone requested Hunan style meals. This is understandable as there is a shortage of real Chinese recipes out there. So, please share! ...
Chefs
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Park Side Restaurant
2007-12-18 15:08:00
My mom was so excited to take us to Park Side Restaurant Park Side Restaurant because her friend highly recommended it. My brother, Lon, and I all trekked from Manhattan to meet with my parents for this dinner, expecting it would be worth the travel. Well, it turned out to be a disappointment to all, and that is saying a lot because my mom and brother aren't that picky.I can't figure out why this place is so packed. It's supposed to be the classic old fashioned Italian restaurant and I guess they do a good job keeping that atmosphere. As I walked in, I did feel like I might see some Italian mobsters. We were seated on the second floor where tons of Maryland Monroe pictures dotted the walls. The wait staff are all in vests or suits and did a decent job with service. But the main problem remained. The food was pretty bad.They do give a large bread basket with a nice variety of breads but it came out ice cold, not just room temperature. Only one of the four appetizers we ordered was remot ...
Park
Restaurant
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Korea Town Plaza
2007-12-18 00:43:00
I went to Queens to do some food shopping, as I often do to avoid paying Manhattan prices. I frequent BJ's and Costco type places, Hong Kong Supermarket, smaller produce shops across Flushing, and Korea Town Plaza. My mom and I had so many errands to run today that we decided to save some time by eating lunch inside Korea Town Plaza. They have a a seating area in the back where you can order several different Korean dishes for around $5 each. It's not the best Korean food ever but it's a good portion of pretty good food for $5.As I sat down to write this blog, I found a disturbing article (from 1996) about the beginnings of Korea Town Plaza. It seems they have not played a fair game in competing with local businesses. Or, maybe the small businesses just created bad publicity because it was the only way they knew how to fight against Korea Town Plaza. It annoys me that the article leaves you hanging and I couldn't find much more info on the issue. I've been shopping at Korea Town Plaza ...
Korea
Town
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Yum Yum Brunch
2007-12-16 23:31:00
I had the Yum Yum Sisterhood over for Brunch. Our mission is always social eating but today we also started folding paper cranes for two important people to Julie and Lily, who were diagnosed with cancer. Our best wishes goes out to them. We had a great time as we always do and I got several compliments on the food. Here's what we had:Pumpkin Bread This is a simple and perfect pumpkin bread for a holiday season brunch. The texture and color is amazing. I will definitely make this again.Salmon Cake Benedict with Garlic Roasted PotatoesThis was my own creation. I did not write down an exact recipe for poaching the eggs, the sauce (a pseudo hollandaise), and the potatoes but I did finally write down my recipe for the salmon cakes that I've made several times. People always ask me for the recipe and I didn't have one until now:1 can (7oz) Kirkland brand Salmon (other canned salmons are awful)1 cup chickpeas, mashed1/4 cup minced yellow or white onion1 green onion, chopped1 egg1/2 teaspoon ...
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This Just In (the Inbox)
2007-12-15 21:51:00
A few friends have sent in some links that FoodMayhem readers might find interesting. So we're sharing them with you. If you have interesting, food-related links that you think other FoodMayhem readers may enjoy, feel free to comment here or email them to us using the contact form. Thanks fellow foodies!Sent in by Steve, and created by the team behind Food for Design, a remarkable site by some Belgian foodies, with amazing creations and food photographer, check out "FoodPairing". Very much of the molecular gastronomy, Food Pairing demonstrates, graphically, how food tastes relate using tree maps. For example, based on the interchangeability of food based on flavor, chocolate should go just as well with, say, tortillas, as it does with almonds. Watch out now, Ferran.Also sent in by Steve, was an interesting article by Kim Sevenson of the New York Times, "Is the Entree Heading for Extinction?". The piece calls attention to the trend in upscale restaurants of moving towards tapas-s ...
Inbox
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Chocolate Bar and Soba Nippon
2007-12-13 22:27:00
While shopping, Sara and I stopped in at The Chocolate Bar inside Henri Bendel's The Chocolate Bar inside Henri Bendel's. The liquid chocolate and coffee is good but it wasn't the beverages that I will remember. It's a nice place to take a break from shopping since they have great window seats (which was perfect for us since it was snowing) and their staff is fantastic. Both guys just seemed so happy to be there.After we finished shopping (more looking, not buying), Sara and I headed to Soba Nippon Soba Nippon, a place known for their house-made soba. We decided to share a Soba Salad (with chicken) since Sara had read good things about it, and a Hot Soba with Tonkatsu since we both wanted something hot.The salad was very good, more because the fresh soba is excellent, less because the shredded chicken is dry. I'm glad I tried it but wouldn't pay $24 for it again. I also just noticed by looking online, that the salad is more expensive during lunch time than dinner time. At lunch, they ...
Bar
Chocolate
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Confuzzled?
2007-12-13 21:24:00
Is it a cookie? Or, is it a candy? That's part of the marketing of Confuzzled products. I tried some on display at Henri Bendel's today and I did think it was yummy. So did Sara, who asked for another piece. The simple and clever combo of chocolate and saltine crackers is another fabulous example of how well sweet and salty can work together but what's got me really confuzzled is that it's $18 for an 8oz package. ...
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New York Food Trucks
2007-12-12 21:55:00
I just stumbled across this cool page with a map and description of 10 New York Food Trucks. It is not even close to a complete list but still very useful since several trucks are totally forgettable. The one I can't believe they left out is The Halal TruckThe Halal Truck. It is uber famous in NYC (as you can see from the 102 Yelp reviews) as the after-clubbing truck. There is an amazingly long line but it moves pretty quickly. ...
Food
New York
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Not-Too-Sweet Cupcakes
2007-12-12 00:55:00
I find most American desserts too sweet so it was such a pleasure to eat these Chocolate Surprise Cupcakes. The creamy middle gives the cupcake just the right hint of decadence; proof that you don't need to overdue it on sugar to make it a treat. ...
Cupcakes
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Baked SesameTofu
2007-12-11 20:16:00
Lon is not a big fan of tofu but likes the texture of the tofu at City Bakery. He's not sure, but thinks it might be baked and then seared. I haven't tried it yet and decided to try baking some tofu to see if Lon likes it. We both really liked the result.First, make sure you use a good tofu. There is a huge difference between fresh tofu and packaged tofu. I like buying fresh tofu from a store on the corner of Bowery and Grand. They sell three blocks per box, each about 3.5"x3.5"x1.5".Press the tofu between two plates and put something heavy on top. Let the tofu drain for an hour, while pouring the liquid out every 20 minutes. While the tofu is draining, you can make the marinade by whisking ingredients together. Place the tofu in the marinade and refrigerate for three hours, turning blocks of tofu over once. I baked it in a 400 degree F oven for 25-30 minutes (with some marinade coating the bottom of a pan) because I was also making a roasted pork tenderloin. I've read that it is bet ...
Baked
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Vietnamese Coffee
2007-12-10 15:22:00
When my mom came back from a tour of Asia, she brought me some coffee and a filter from Vietnam. As I was making myself a cup this morning, I thought, everyone should have a Vietnamese coffee filter! It's perfect for one cup. (Lon doesn't drink coffee.) It takes up very little space and is easy to use. The inexpensive filter is available online so you don't need to go to Vietnam to get one. ...
Coffee
Vietnamese
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Bouley
2007-12-09 22:49:00
Bouley Bouley is one of my favorite restaurants, and also one of Lon's, but this was our first time there together. Everything about this place is wonderful. They have lovely decor that includes fresh flowers on every table. They use high quality ingredients to make beautifully presented food that is always delicious. The top notch service is high class but not stuffy and I always leave feeling like I had thoroughly enjoyed myself.This visit, we decided to bring my family for lunch as a holiday meal. It's the perfect place to impress guests and my parents did mention that they wanted to bring my dad's best friend (a total foodie), next time. As we entered the first corridor, the wonderful smell of apples begins the fantasy. They had lined the entrance with different colored apples. After we checked our coats, we were seated in the white room (picture is the red room) and I tried to take in all the great detail. I loved the drapes, the flower arrangements, and the arched ceilings. Lon a ...
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Happy Edible Holidays - Good Gifts for your Foodie
2007-12-09 05:02:00
Lon does not like presents that are not edible. I made the mistake of buying him a sweater once. The Brooks Bothers sweater is still sitting in our bedroom with tags on it. I noticed that his family really just buys him food, for every holiday and birthday. So, what's a good present for a foodie?1. Vinegars - They come in an amazing array of awesome flavors like fig or pomegranate balsamic, strawberry champagne, ginger rice, etc. They are available in all price ranges too, starting from around $3 to around $45 for a good bottle of aged balsamic.2. Olive Oil - Olive oil also varies greatly in price. For a present, you want to get an Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some come in gorgeous bottles too.3. Gourmet Sea Salts - I don't use iodized salt(table salt) for cooking generally and a good salt makes a big difference. One of my favorite presents is when Lon's sister brought us some Red Alaea Sea Salt from Hawaii.4. Distinctive Meats - Lon's mom once bought him ostrich meat and I love buffalo me ...
Gifts
Holidays
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Go Alex!
2007-12-07 16:23:00
My friend Alex (Jando S.) spends hours on Yelp per day. He carefully write reviews for free, for your benefit. After, just over 1,000 reviews, the work paid off. He made it into Time Out New York as a Master Rater. ...
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Awesome BBQ Turkey
2007-12-07 14:14:00
We've been trying to eat less pork because of Lon's cholesterol. He doesn't like tofu that much and I don't want to eat chicken every day. As you may have read before, I'm not a fan of breast meat so I bought turkey legs. I decided to de-bone them (leave skin on) because I wanted to use the grill. This marinade is enough for 2-3 turkey legs. Grill time will vary because turkey legs vary greatly in size.Marinade:1 cup ketchup1/2 cup soy sauce2 tablespoons mirin1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce1 tablespoon granulated garlic1 tablespoon granulated onion powder1/2 teaspoon ginger powderJust mix ingredients together and marinate meat for at least 4 hours.The turkey tasted a bit like BBQ Pork and we both loved it!! I'm sure the marinade would be great for chicken or pork as well. ...
Turkey
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Curried Cauliflower Soup
2007-12-06 23:49:00
Lon doesn't really like cauliflower so I tried to make a not so cauliflower-like dish. It ended up being a yummy curry soup and Lon liked it. Yay! It tastes creamy without any dairy and has very little fat.2 cubes chicken bouillon2 teaspoons olive oil1 medium onion, sliced1 small head of cauliflower, cut into florets8 red potatoes, quartered1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder1/2 teaspoon turmeric*you can also use russet potatoes, red potatoes just happened to be what I had1. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in 3 cups of boiling water. Set aside.2. Heat the oil in a 3 1/2 quart pot.3. Add the onions and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.4. Add cauliflower and saute for another 2 minutes.5. Add chicken bouillon liquid and potatoes. Bring to a boil.6. Add curry powder and turmeric and return to medium heat.7. Continue cooking, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.8. Puree in a blender until very smooth. You will need to do it in two batches.9. Serve or store. ...
Cauliflower
Soup
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Lemongrass
2007-12-06 02:58:00
We ordered dinner from Lemongrass Lemongrass while we were at Kasi & Stephen's tonight. The food was completely forgettable and not even that cheap for that kind of restaurant. Even with the $8 coupon, I was a bit disappointed. Just don't bother with this one since there's tons of restaurants to try. ...
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Cooking for Dummies
2007-12-05 03:20:00
Two of my best friends have just started to try a little bit of cooking. They have almost no experience and both get very nervous about it. They asked me where they should start and I recommend that beginners start by using recipes. Certain dishes are easier than others and I have compiled a short list of the best ones to start with because they are hard to mess up. So, if you're a beginner ready to start, just look up any of these recipes on www.allrecipes.com and pick one that is rated well. Let me know how it turns out!Vegetarian or Meat Chili - Great one pot meals where you don't have to worry about over cooking.Salad Dressings and Dips - Most are just putting all the ingredients together and stirring or shaking.Baked Ziti - especially easy if you use jarred sauceMeatballs - A little more work but still easy.Mashed Potatoes - Just don't over mix.Tacos and FajitasTuna Pasta SaladChicken CacciatoreCapreseReuben SandwichSmoothies - you'll need a blenderFor Desserts, start with trying ...
Cooking
Dummies
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