A Cook's Quest

In the early days of this blog I shared with readers how much I enjoy vinegar and what it can add to a recipe.  This recipe is defintely one that I will make again and this time uses apple cider vinegar.  This vinegar is used for everything from home remedies, weight loss cures, cleaning, and cooking.  I much prefer it in the later, but I will tell you it does great things for cutting through grease, and mopping floors. This chicken recipe reminds me a little bit of the Onion Chicken in Balsamic Sauce that I made moths ago.  The vinegar, juice and honey pair together creating a sauce that is perfect with the chicken, and even more tasty with mashed potatoes. This is one of those recipes where the family stops talking as they eat, and where I hide the leftovers so ensure I get to eat them for lunch. 

The last time I made my Barbecue Bacon Meatloaf (recipe to come soon), I decided to venture into the world of home made barbecue sauce.  I have never been able to find a store bought sauce that tasted the way I wanted my barbecue sauce to taste.  All the brands were too tangy, too spicy, too smoky, or just "too" something and I decided enough was enough.  I had been missing out on some great recipes because I couldn't find a sauce that I absolutely loved.  I came up with the brilliant plan to Google for a recipe.  Ok, that turned out to be an overwhelming experience!  There are about as many versions of barbecue sauce online as there are potato salad recipes in the United States.  Everyone, does something just a little different.  So I joined the crowd and made my own.  It is thick and sweet with a little kick and a slight tangy finish.  The thing about barbecue sauce is that there are many common ingredients, but the proportion and ...

I have already professed my love of vinegar a few times on my blog, so it will be no surprise to most of you that I tried these potatoes. Everyone in my house, even my little guy, loves salt and vinegar potato chips—you know the kind, thick and kettle fried, heavy with salt and infused with vinegar flavor. When you eat too many of them your mouth begins to hurt a little bit but you can stop because they just taste so good. These potatoes aren’t crispy; they are soft and delicious bites of tartness. Perfect served hot right out of the oven or cold from the refrigerator, they are addicting and a perfect way to make an easy snack. Salt & Vinegar Potatoes Recipe Source: Martha Stewart Potatoes Vinegar Kosher Salt (I used regular table salt) Oil Slice potatoes ¼ to 1/8 inch thick. Place in a saucepan and cover with white vinegar. COVER and turn your exhaust fan on—very important unless you want your whole house filling with the smell of vinegar. Bring to a boil then turn...

Let me just put this out there, I love vinegar. The flavors that this simple substance can bring to a recipe are amazing. It has been used to preserve and add flavor to food for hundreds of years. Without vinegar we wouldn’t have pickles, we wouldn’t have many great salad dressings, and we wouldn’t have something to dip bread in. There are many varieties. Most are made from wine and they all have a unique flavor to contribute to recipes. Balsamic vinegar is my absolute favorite. The rich, sweet flavors can be added to everything from appetizers to desserts. If you haven’t tried it in anything other than salad dressing, you really should. Beware though, not all bottles of balsamic vinegar taste wonderful straight from the bottle. If your budget won’t allow for a bottle of good balsamic, you can buy the lesser priced bottles and doctor them up. I pour mine into a saucepan and add a few teaspoons of sugar to add sweetness. Reduce this mixture over medium heat until you get the consiste...