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Living in Florida, we have access to lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. We have several seasons of great produce. Strawberry season just ended, and peaches are just coming to the market. My wife came home with a half dozen, after a trip to the produce stand. This is a quick recipe that is great for pancakes and waffles. It also pairs well with 4Rivers bourbon maple syrup, for those lucky enough to have a smokehouse near you. (For the record, I am not connected in any way with 4Rivers.) Ingredients: 3 ripe but firm peaches 1/4 cup water 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon dash ginger dash nutmeg Start with the peaches. The ones I have are slightly smaller than usual. Simply peel, remove the pit, and dice into small pieces. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and add the spices. Simmer until the fruit softens and the water reduces to a thick syrup. Remove from heat. I like to add a drizzle of syrup, a heaping spoonful of peaches , and a dollup of whipped cream.

I grew up outside of Pittsburgh, in a multi-ethnic area. My first real job was driving the delivery car for a local pharmacy. Two of our regular customers were an elderly Italian couple. If I was lucky, I would get to their house at dinner time. Mrs F. always had a pot of spaghetti at every meal. I loved hearing her say, "come in and have a taste". Her idea of a taste was a huge bowl of the best spaghetti and sauce I have ever eaten. I have tried to duplicate that delicious sauce for years. This is my version, minus added salt. There is some salt from the tomatoes naturally, and the bacon, but the sodium is minimal. Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 3 pieces precooked low sodium bacon 4 cloves of garlic 2 stalks of celery, on from the center with leaves 1 small sweet onion 1 carrot 1/2 cup of bell pepper 1 teaspoon dry basil 1 teaspoon dry oregano 1 tablespoon dry Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon white pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground r

For the last couple of months, I have been helping prepare the men's breakfast at the church. Now that I have the quirks of the oven,  and the layout of the kitchen down, it's time to get creative with new recipes. The inspiration for these pancakes came from a restaurant chain in the Pittsburgh area. Kings Family Restaurant had my favorite dessert, hot apple pie with cinnamon ice cream. I probably have consumed 20 pies and who knows how many gallons of ice cream in my late teens. This recipe is a flip of that great combination, with the cinnamon in the pancakes, and the apples in a slightly gooey caramel sauce. Begin by combining: 1 cup baking mix 1 tablespoon sugar 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon softened butter 1/2  cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1 pinch of ginger Stir until combined, but don't over mix. Caramel Sauce: 1 cup light brown sugar packed 1 stick bu

One of our favorite restaurants, has a fried pork tenderloin sandwich on a rotating basis. It what we order every time it is available. Unfortunately, it is only available a few weeks a year. That left me with no other option but to create my own. To begin, preheat a cast iron pan with about 1/2 inch of oil to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, make the coating for the pork. This is a basic 3 step process. One bowl of flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, one dish of beaten eggs and one of panko bread crumbs. First dredge the pork in the flour. Next place in the egg wash. Finally, coat in the panko bread crumbs. When the pork is coated, carefully add two pieces at a time to the hot oil. Remember, the oil is very hot, and will cause burns if you are not careful.  Fry on one side about 3 to 4 minutes, then carefully flip, and fry the other side until the pork is golden brown. Check with a meat thermometer, and make sure

About every six months, several members of the cast iron groups I belong to, go on a Dutch Baby kick. It seems every other post is a picture of this German style pancake. Think of a cross between a pancake and a souffle and you have a Dutch Baby. They are easy to make and fun to watch baking.  I felt it was time for my own version. When making most pancakes, you mix the batter until the ingredients are combined. A few lumps are no problem. Over mixed and the batter becomes tough and rubbery. With a Dutch Baby, whipping the ingredients is the key. Most recipes call for using a blender, but I use my immersion blender. Ingredients: 2 jumbo eggs room temperature 3/4 cup warm milk 3/4 cup flour sifted 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract 3 tablespoons butter 1/4 teaspoon baking powder powdered sugar for dusting. Place a 10 inch cast iron pan in your oven, then preheat to 400 degrees. When the oven reaches 400 degrees, begin mak

I love this time of year. Cool weather, citrus is in season, and my favorite crop is ready, Florida strawberries. Sweet, juicy, and abundant, these delectable treats are  available everywhere. Every trip to the farmers market, produce stand, or even grocery store means a couple of quarts coming home with me. It's a good thing my wife enjoys them as much as I do, otherwise I wouldn't be able to eat everything that will be made in the kitchen during the next few months. Ingredients: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup oil 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup half and half 1/4 cup milk 1 cup coarse chopped Florida strawberries Place a cast iron wedge pan into the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Allow 20 minutes to stabilize. Mix all in ingredients. in a large bowl. Batter will be slightly thick and sticky. Carefully  remove pan from oven, it will be

Meatballs are great side items that are very versatile: spaghetti, quick sandwich, even as a main course. They are great. This recipe will even help you get rid of some leftover items in the pantry. Instead of bread crumbs, I used finely chopped french fried onions, left over from the green bean casserole from the holidays. Ingredients: 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 pound ground pork 2 cloves garlic minced 1 egg 1/2 cup finely diced  crispy fried onions 1/4 cup half and half 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Saute in a large skillet to brown the meatballs on all sides. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Serve over spaghetti with some garlic toast. Enjoy! .