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At work, part of my job is to make sure we use fresh ingredients. Everything is labeled with the date it was opened, and when it expires. At home, I don't pay attention with the same detail. This morning I made hockey pucks. They were supposed to be biscuits, but they were flat and very dense. After such a disaster, I decided to check labels. I had a trifecta of expired ingredients. The flour was about 3 months past expiration, the baking powder was 6 months, and the baking soda was only 10 years older than it needed to be. A quick trip to the store and new ingredients, made a huge difference. Check your expiration dates, to keep making great food, not hockey pucks.

One of the most common questions I get asked when doing recipe demos, is "how to you get your pork so juicy and tender." My response is always the same, don't over cook it. I was raised that pork must be cooked well done. This resulted in a dry, leathery end product, that needs a chainsaw to cut, and tastes like shoe leather. Several years ago the government lowered the recommended internal temperature for pork to 145 degrees followed by a three minute rest time. For pork chops we all want those beautiful grill marks that give the meat that great charred taste. To get the marks you need high heat, but you don't want to cook at a high temperature. You will dry out the chops. I cook on both sides of my grill, high heat to seal and char the meat then low indirect heat to finish the cooking. Start on the hot side preheated to about 425 degrees to get the perfect grill marks, then move to the other side, with the burner turned off, and let the indirect heat from the h

I am proud of my wife. She has been losing weight and staying on a strict diet. On our recent vacation, she decide to splurge and order her favorite eggplant parmigiana. What she was served was a greasy dish of sauce and cheese over a tiny piece of eggplant. This is my version of a healthier version featuring grilled eggplant instead of fried. Ingredients: 1 medium size eggplant 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small sweet onion diced 1 clove garlic minced 1/2 teaspoon oregano seasoning 1/4 cup coarse chopped basil plus a few leaves for topping 3 medium to large tomatoes diced 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for topping Preheat you grill to about 375 to 400 degrees. Begin by preparing the eggplant. Peel and cut the eggplant in 1/2 inch thick pieces. Lay the pieces out flat on a paper towel and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over and repeat the process. This will help remove the bitter

It's fall here in Florida. The high temperature for today is 89 degree, so it's time to break out the long sleeve shirts and jackets. It's  also time for pumpkin flavored everything. These delicious pancakes are made with whole wheat flour, but you will never know it. Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or graham flour) 1 egg 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ginger 1/8 teaspoon clove 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon cane syrup 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup half and half 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Begin by combining all the dry ingredients, except the brown sugar, in a mixing bowl and blend well. In a second bowl, add the egg, brown sugar, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well with an immersion blender until the mixture is light and foamy. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir until everything is combined, but don't over mix. Preheat your griddle