tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51832109709229228382024-09-14T20:52:05.844-07:00MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-73256130496542786812011-05-09T05:46:00.000-07:002011-05-09T05:46:21.386-07:00

The kids have been helping us cook for years, although the amount of time they cook has recently decreased with school and sports.  So, for Mother's Day I was pleasantly surprised to hear they wanted to do a "Chopped"-like contest for Amy to judge.  We had to make some slight modifications (considering they are 10 and 12 as well as NOT chefs.)  In the actual show, the contestants

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-53587831476113076622011-05-06T12:11:00.001-07:002011-05-06T12:11:19.279-07:00

As I've gotten ready for a new assignment which will take me out of the house regularly, I won't have it so easy any more cooking dinner.  Thus, I've been shaking out some good and quick food options. We buy the individually wrapped fish in the freezer section of the grocery store, so they are easy to defrost (i.e., stick them in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes or so) and have ready to

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-73249501585662673392011-04-27T06:32:00.000-07:002011-04-27T06:32:23.236-07:00

We had the neighbors over to an appetizer party.  It's great for us, because we can cook beforehand then sit down with people and eat, drink and be merry for the party.  Otherwise, we're always in the kitchen working hard to get everything out. Our menu?  The Deconstructured Easter Ham.  Each dish had pork or ham of some sort in it... Onion Tart:  a butter-tart shell

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-76101243037383377782011-04-19T04:49:00.000-07:002011-04-19T04:49:17.412-07:00

The daughter was in need of a sugary concoction recently and I didn't want to make the standard chocolate chip cookies.  Don't get me wrong, they are the gold standard for a reason!  But I wanted something different, so I went to the recipe holder and grabbed the Fairy Gingerbread Cookies recipe.  And, yes, you should have noted that I left Fairy out of the headline...didn't want

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-17585938388839216072011-04-13T11:01:00.000-07:002011-04-13T11:01:15.231-07:00

The best endorsement I get is the "Dad, can you make ____ for our _____ celebration at school?"  So the latest ad-lib fill-ins were Empanadas and Spanish...  Now, I'm a Midwestern boy through and through, so the recipe is tricky.  It actually comes from the snack bar manager at Fords baseball field where the kids play a tournament every summer.  The guy is nice and

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-81176520182596485882011-03-25T11:52:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:52:56.249-07:00

If you've ever had smoked cheese or fish, the flavor is just divine!  Well, I thought I could pull off smoking chicken - even though I don't have a smoker, never smoked anything before and thought it might make a colossal mess.  Ah, the bliss of ignorance. Well, this recipe had great flavor, but my technique was WAY off.  So, you get to benefit from my experiment. &nbsp

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-4499750119073579102011-03-25T11:16:00.000-07:002011-03-25T11:16:49.547-07:00

We will always buy the frozen shrimp which you have to peel yourself.  I used to be frustrated having to peel all of those shrimp constantly thinking "isn't there an industrial process to remove these shells?"  Okay, well the thought never crossed my mind, but I didn't like having to peel shrimp until I discovered fish stock.  OH BOY, that changed my mind. Its delicious and

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-18043446783593522282011-03-22T06:24:00.000-07:002011-03-23T08:57:48.689-07:00

This is the last blast of cold air before spring.  Generally, I am no longer interested in the standard winter vegetables, hearty soups and heavy meals.  So, to spice it up some, I changed a familiar recipe - risotto - by using barley as the grain rather than rice.  It was delicious and incredibly good for you as well.  As you can see with the photo, it is also rich and hearty

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-91769776388925401252011-03-21T10:35:00.000-07:002011-03-21T10:35:09.956-07:00

I confess, I've been very bad at keeping the posts flowing.  Mostly because I'm slightly forgetful and will make a meal - like Corned Salmon for St. Patrick's Day - and then forget to take a picture of it for the site.  BLAH to me! Our kids have recently shown a desire for Chinese food.  I hesitate to make it since the recipes I find will often produce results which are greasy,

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-40045070660828056632011-03-01T14:12:00.000-08:002011-03-01T14:12:40.532-08:00

I have this terrible aversion to Brussel Sprouts going back to when I was knee high to a grasshopper (just wanted to say that!)  My mom who I don't think reads this blog, had a habit of boiling them and then putting butter on them for dinner.  GROSS! The best way to have Brussel Sprouts in my opinion is the combination of pan fried and roasted.  Start with a pan you can put in the

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-654505871612376152011-02-15T17:59:00.000-08:002011-02-15T17:59:32.712-08:00

We have a few friends and "family" - people who we'd like to be our family, but we aren't actually related to them - in Delaware who we visit occasionally.  On one of our visits, we were heading home to New Jersey with the kids in the back seat - and we were all hungry.  Thus we stopped at Kukuroo Restaurant in Newport, DE.  You couldn't miss the bright yellow,

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-57666799822458112712010-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:002010-12-08T09:21:50.280-08:00

Lentils with Black Sesame Encrusted Tuna (couldn't help diving into both!) Several weeks ago, I met the owner of the SaKula Yoga Studio, Bonnie Kistler Beresford, when talking about supporting the Fuccile Foundation.  We had a great discussion and started to talk cooking - its an affliction!  Bonnie told me about a recipe book they had printed which included 'delectable recipes,

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-41492176911267531042010-12-05T10:01:00.000-08:002010-12-05T10:01:18.038-08:00

I will admit my personal tastes are unusual and eclectic - but they're mine!  I love black jelly beans and Sambuca which both have heavy anise flavoring, but am not a fan of black licorice - a close cousin.  I love molasses cookies far more than sugar cookies because of the earthier, unrefined flavor.  I'm not a fan of polished, processed foods.  I'd prefer a plate of red

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-56270327021877141902010-11-30T07:58:00.000-08:002010-11-30T07:58:43.126-08:00

This is a post from Annie's Eats for some delicious looking holiday cookies:This is the time of year for cookies.  Holiday cookies run the gamut from very simple to complicated.  I don’t have a real preference, though I do enjoy the challenge of the more involved cookies.  What can I say?  I just love to play in the kitchen.  There is certainly a time and place for the

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-85495638295667573602010-11-29T08:34:00.000-08:002010-11-29T08:34:56.233-08:00

The kids and Amy made me a special birthday treat last year. Since it was around the Super Bowl and New Orleans was playing in it, they made me a full Creole dinner complete with a King Cake. It was such a nice treat and the food was fabulous. This got me interested in several new creations. One of which as hung around a while, Remoulade sauce. We use remoulade like Frank's Red Hot tag line

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-1753839392251906372010-11-26T17:15:00.000-08:002010-11-27T06:03:03.373-08:00

Okay, it was daunting, but ever since I read about the Cherpumple in the Wall Street Journal I had wanted to make one for Thanksgiving.  The only draw-back, we had only 8 people coming and I'd heard a number of disaster stories.  I was undaunted in my pursuit of being extra fat after T-day. The three cakes baked! The Cherpumple is a Cherry Pie baked in a White Cake on top of an

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-60281639963526042952010-11-23T14:55:00.000-08:002010-11-23T14:57:28.088-08:00

Last year April, the family went to Ireland for a week's vacation.  We rented a car (driving on the wrong side of the street - crazy!) and met some incredibly nice people throughout the country.  In fact, when flying home we asked the kids what was the best part of the trip was - thinking they'd say Bunratty Castle, Cliffs of Moor or Kilkenny.  They're answer was Frank.  The

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-72226322841188038192010-11-19T04:43:00.000-08:002010-11-19T04:45:00.603-08:00

Amy's cousin writes this blog.  Her food is amazing.  This is a great looking app for Thanksgiving... That skinny chick can bake!!!: Pumpkin-Gorgonzola Flans~

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-20080144413204919572010-11-17T02:59:00.000-08:002010-11-18T06:23:42.496-08:00

We told my parents we were getting married at a restaurant called Air Transport Command. It was sort of a watershed establishment for us, since we went there before attending the Junior formal and other events where we had to get dressed up (i.e., not jeans.) Air Transport Command sat on the New Castle Airport, a corporate air field for the Fortune 500 companies calling Wilmington, DE home.

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-30348578929619252302010-11-13T14:15:00.000-08:002010-11-13T14:29:32.999-08:00

One of the best surprise treats I’ve ever experienced was soup from a bread bowl from a street fair in Falmouth, MA. We stumbled on the fair and spotted eating one of my favorite dishes – New England Clam Chowder – out of bread bowls. I turned into a 5-year-old whining I NEEDED one! Surprisingly, it worked for me then (we bought it) and it works for the kids now (they eat it!). In fact, they

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-20071443430269179262010-11-08T12:56:00.000-08:002010-11-19T04:47:05.601-08:00

My favorite getting cold outside dinner is roasted chicken with vegetables. Not only for the actual dinner, but for the chicken bones to make great chicken broth. The broth is so much better than the store bought, canned junk for little to no effort. Then I use the broth for soup to eat with fresh bread. The smell of the house for those two days is great! First, let's make the chicken dinner

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-58436670353704603312010-11-05T08:02:00.000-07:002010-11-05T08:20:12.814-07:00

This is the time of the week where we start looking in the fridge and saying "what can I make of this mess?" Well, several years ago, a friend offered up a simple, but highly edible and flexible option - Worm Pie (the kids LOVE the name which comes from left over spaghetti noodles.)Its simple because the ingredients are the left over pasta of any kind - with or without sauce - cheese, splash of

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-52005849000534628492010-11-03T11:46:00.000-07:002010-11-03T12:44:13.142-07:00

If you've ever met my kids, you'd know they were adventurous. Their favorite restaurant apparently is Ethiopian. They weren't always so willing to try new food, though. Its been an evolution. Like our choices of pizza.Around the time the kids were born, we bought a pizza stone (best purchase ever!) We tried a number of pizzas to see which we liked or didn't like starting with the version

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-24862586850608880832010-10-30T05:06:00.000-07:002010-10-30T05:27:37.130-07:00

This is the time of year the Brooks' start to think of chili. Hearty, smoky chili. The recipe below is an adaption of the recipe our youngest daughter used to make her "world-famous" chili when she was 8. The change - CHILE MORITA.Chile Morita is a revelation. These dried chiles (found at Produce 2000 for the Metuchenites) are extremely smoky with a mild heat and perfect for a kid's chili.

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5183210970922922838.post-57745975010453256912010-10-27T07:26:00.000-07:002010-10-27T07:57:51.988-07:00

What I've learned over the years cooking with the kids, is that they like to cook. NOT washing and cleaning up, rather chopping, peeling, sauteing and stirring. So, I've let them. It has the added side effect of ownership of the dish. Adding this spice or that ingredient, but not that one! Ultimately, they can't reject trying and eating something they've cooked.One of the easier dishes to

MarathonDadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05210322983421546025noreply@blogger.com0