freySite
the life and times of J T Frey
This recipe is based on a recipe I found online; I held back a bit on the garlic and anchovy paste to meet my tastes. This recipe yields enough to dress a large bowl of caesar salad (for ~ 6 adults).
One thing I dislike about commercial seasoning blends is the amount of salt they include; not only am I paying a premium for something which is usually mainly salt, but it's impossible to balance the spice-to-salt ratio just as I like it. This recipe leaves the salt out; the Old Bay and oregano make the biggest difference. If you don't believe me, try making the recipe without them then add them.
A very simple candied nut recipe I found online. Uses just one pan and candies the nuts as they roast. I'm thinking a little cinnamon (or other spices) might be a nice addition, though I haven't tried that yet.
From one of my favorite cooking shows — Good Eats — comes a fantastic recipe for chicken parmasan. The episode that led the fall 2019 season of the show discussed the history of the dish, the virtues of authentic San Marzano tomatoes, and a good use for salt-and-vinegar potato chips. I made a few minor alterations to tweak the flavors and portion size to our family of four.
One discount spice vendor at our local supermarket makes a great blend that's simply called, "chicken seasoning." It's an orangey off-white color, tastes of onion, garlic, and paprika, and it just plain great on — you guessed it — chicken. This is an honorable attempt at their mystery recipe for the blend.
At the Brandywine Arts Festival this year a local caterer was selling tacos. They had various meats and a bar of self-serve condiments. For one of my tacos I chose the chicken tinga, something I'd never heard of before. Adorned with chopped cilantro, pico de gallo, and their house red salsa, it was absolutely delicious. Recipes I've found online seem to call for a base of chipotles in adobo sauce, which is usually just too spicy. The amount of garlic seemed over the top, too. This is a somewhat more tame recipe I developed to turn some leftover roasted chicken into another meal.