Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook

Tom, the new sushi chef at Ja Roen That Sushi in Monticello.  Courtesy photo
Roy, I, and several members of the San Juan County Economic Development and Visitor Services, were invited to Ja-Roen Thai Sushi Restaurant for a special taste testing. Their newest sushi chef, Tom, who has seventeen years of experience under his knife belt, introduced us to some of his specialties...
Thanksgiving leftovers can be as good as the actual initial meal. Give sweet onion relish a try.  Mary Cokenour photo
In a kitchen, a long time ago; alright, it was only twelve years ago, but that is a little over a decade. Roy had been working the oil fields with his cousin, and for the holiday season, they had received a very nice bonus. While he went off to purchase new video games for his PC, I decided to...
The Hasselbacken Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden introduced the Hasselback Potato to its menu in the 1940s. It's made with a tasty combination of breadcrumbs, olive oil, butter, and sometimes grated cheese, herbs, veggies, and bacon.  Mary Cokenour photo
In Germany, David Hasselhoff of “Knight Rider” fame is treated more like a god than just another actor. However, in Stockholm, Sweden, it is not every restaurant that gets a dish named after it. The Hasselbacken Hotel (opened in 1748) introduced a new potato dish on its menu in the 1940’s, The...
Deep fried mushrooms. Mary Cokenour photo
A mushroom is the spore-bearing body of a fungus which grows in damp, dank soil in shaded areas. Cultivating your own mushroom crop can be achieved by setting up an area, in the basement, which is kept dark and soil is moist. However, if you are like myself, and the home has no basement, two...
Waffles and fried chicken!  Courtesy photo
Waffles, a dish developed during Medieval Times. Pot Pie, a dish originally created by the ancient Greeks, around 500 BCE. Fried Chicken, a dish around for centuries, cooked up by West African slaves in the south, and that made a Colonel a household name. Put all three together and the fusion of...
Beans, peas and lentils share spots on the legume family tree.  Mary Cokenour photo
Beans, peas and lentils are branches on the legume family tree, as are peanuts, asparagus beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas and sugar snap peas. Besides being versatile, legumes are high in fiber, protein, B vitamins, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorous. Naturally low in fat,...
October is National Apple Month to celebrate the natural sweetness of apples. Mary Cokenour photo
In the United States, October is designated National Apple Month. Just in case that is not good enough, October 21st is National Apple Day. Over the many years of writing this food column, I have shared many a recipe revolving around apples. Pies, cakes, donuts, cider, even as an addition to a main...
Fruit, cream, pudding, and graham crackers are the base ingredients of a delicious trifle. Mary Cokenour photo
Welcome Fall, and the beautiful cool weather it has brought. Soon, the leaves will be bursting with colors of red, orange, yellow, and gold. Whether driving into the mountains, to be up front and personal, or looking up from down below, the colors are an eye feast. This is also the time for...
Stromboli (the food) far outweighs the popularity of the movie with the same name. Mary Cokenour photo
Alright now, where are all the film buffs in the area? We need to travel back to the early 1950s in which a movie created a scandalous affair. Too vague for that era? Stromboli, aka Stromboli, Land of God, is a 1950 Italian-American film directed by Roberto Rossellini and starred Ingrid Bergman...
Washboard cookies. Mary Cokenour photo
Besides using actual cookbooks, there are often times I research recipes, and their origins, online. Alright Google, give me some interesting results for, “Utah pioneers and recipes they cooked”. First item was a blogger who referenced newspaper articles and cookbooks, gave recipes, and stated...

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