Look, it’s a boy!

Kidding aside (we’ve got lots of wonderful men here), today we’ll get to know John, otherwise known here as patiodaddio. As you may have guessed from his username, John is a grilling pro. No, really. He’s an actual professional, a member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. With a mess of awards and everything. Which makes it all the more special when he shares his grill recipes with all of us, like the Classic BBQ Chicken Drumsticks that you see above.

John is pretty much as nice as they come. When interviewed for this post, he was almost embarrassed to talk about himself. In his blog, Patio Daddio BBQ, he describes himself as “a Christian, a husband, the father of three young girls, a USAF (United States Air Force) veteran, and an amateur cook living in Boise, Idaho.” His passion is good, hearty rustic food, and he sees food as a way of giving a little of himself to those for whom he cooks. He says, “It’s a gift on a plate. There a few things in life more intimate than sharing a meal.”

All together now: Awwww …

Okay, now that we’ve made John blush, let’s talk about his food. His recipe box is full of mouth-watering goodies. If you were expecting it to be an all-grilling collection, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. For example, would you have thought you’d find a simple yet elegant dessert in there?

These Braised Nectarines with Champagne Honey Caramel are just a hint of the great variety of recipes in his collection. He’s got salads, sandwiches, pasta, soups, snacks … although right now, there are no seafood recipes in there. As you’ll see later, John confesses that they’re not his favorite thing. But he’s making small steps in that direction. (We’re cheering you on, John!)

John also has a crock pot recipe. This is his Fairly Simple Beef Stew, and he promises that the canned ingredients in it minimize the fuss but won’t compromise the flavor.

Speaking of flavor, take a look at these short ribs.

These Hungarian Braised Short Ribs have sweet Hungarian paprika, shallots, red wine, tomatoes … and he shows us the word nerd side of him by describing it as “unctuous.”

Of course, if you’re looking for recipes for the grill from this master, he’s got those too. Don’t be put off by the title Rattlesnake Tails. There are no snakes involved. They’re Anaheim peppers stuffed with ground meat and spicy sausage, wrapped in bacon, and glazed in a sticky, sweet sauce.

As further proof of what a nice guy he is, John even shares with us a basic all-around barbeque seasoning recipe.

This All Purpose BBQ Seasoning is very close to what he uses in competition cooking. And considering the fact that the word “competition” is there, it was pretty swell of him to share it with us. By the way, he also has a Homemade Hot Sauce recipe, which may come in handy for those making plans for Sunday’s big game.

So let’s get to the interview part of this feature, where we ask all sorts of questions and “grill” John. (Sorry, it was bound to happen.)

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I love the creativity, the opportunity to share a piece of me, and making people happy. As I mentioned earlier, I really do think that cooking good food for people you love is one of the best things in life. I don’t know what I love more, the cooking, or the sharing; of course, one begets the other.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: As a kid I was clearly inspired by my mother and my maternal grandparents. My mother was a master of “doctoring up.” She was a working mom of three, so dinner had to be prepared quickly. I remember watching her take otherwise mundane ingredients and creating great homey dishes. My grandmother inspired me with great rustic old-school dishes like sauerkraut and pork and spaghetti. Not surprisingly, those are two meals that I could eat for the rest of my life. My grandfather was the grilling inspiration. I remember spending innumerable hours out in his backyard watching him grill. My favorite was his barbecued chicken and, ironically, that’s my favorite thing to barbecue. He also made killer chili, which is another favorite of mine.

These days I am inspired by Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Tyler Florence and Adam Perry Lang.

 
Q: What’s your most memorable kitchen flop ever?
A: Shrimp! I know this is foodie blasphemy, but I don’t like seafood. I love fish, but like I often say, “If it comes in a shell and it’s not an egg, I ain’t eatin’ it.” I also tell my daughters that that’s why I could never be a chef. A chef who didn’t like seafood wouldn’t last very long.

Very early in our marriage I decided I would try my hand at shrimp. My wife likes it and I saw it as an opportunity to learn, and of course also as an effort to impress her. Well, let’s just say that the results were far less than impressive. I didn’t know you had to de-vein the shrimp first. Big mistake! I have only cooked shellfish one other time since.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Baking is a skill that I avoid because it intimidates me for some reason. I really need to work on that. Oh, and I also clearly need to work on my seafood skills. I ate a fried shrimp recently, so it’s a start.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: Did you know that there are little tabs on the ends of the aluminum foil box that keeps the roll from popping out? Yep! Check it out and thank me later.

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Thanks for being a sport and answering our questions, John! May your pantry always be stocked with onions and garlic (he panics when he’s out of them).

If you want to know more about John, head over to his blog, Patio Daddio BBQ, where he promises “musings of barbeque, cooking, and life—served hot, fresh, and saucy.”

 
She’s an Illinois native who, in her profile, lists shopping as a hobby, sea salt as her favorite food, and this baker isn’t afraid to say that she loves to make brownies from a box mix. She’s funny, spirited, and she’s definitely come a long way from her early years of marriage when she considered frozen pizza a gourmet dinner. Let’s all say hello to Karly Campbell!

Karly is a sweetheart who married her high school sweetheart. Together they have two children, and she’s a homeschooling mom. (Do you see that beautiful photo of her above? Her ten-year-old took that.) She says that it’s taken her some years to get from Hamburger Helper to food that doesn’t come out of a box, and from the looks of the recipes below, it’s no wonder that her husband is quite thankful for that.

Clockwise from top left: Country Pasta with Mozzarella, Creamy Onion Garlic Bread, BLT Macaroni Salad, and Southwest Summer Pork Chops.

 
 
 
Karly also has some lovely snack recipes here, not just for parties but also for sitting on the couch watching a good show. Her children enjoy watching food shows with her, and it sounds like we might have two future Tasty Kitchen members there.

Clockwise from left: Sugar and Spice Roasted Nuts, Deviled Egg Dip, and Homemade Caramel Corn.

 
 
 
I said two future members because, despite what you think when you see her blog’s name—Buns In My Oven—Karly assures us that she means buns of the “yeasty kind.” She promises it’s not the other kind. She went with that name because the first recipe she made and shot for web posting was hamburger buns.

So Karly is, for the most part, a baker. Oh, what a baker she is. Most of the entries in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box are yummy baked goods, and since there were so many of them, I thought to myself, what better way to show them than to do a non-chocolate group:

Left: Cheesecake Cookies. Middle column, from top to bottom: Blackberry Cobbler, Blueberry Bread, and Pumpkin Streusel Muffins. Right column, from top to bottom: Raspberry Coffee Cake and Strawberry Crostada.

 
 
 
Followed by a chocolate group. (You’re welcome.)

Clockwise from top left: Triple Threat Brownies,Chocolate Chip and Bacon Cookies, Magic Peanut Butter Middles, Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Bars, and Chocolate Chip Scones.

 
Don’t they look gorgeous?

Karly is more than just a yumminess-machine. She’s engaging, funny, and simply down-to-earth. Let’s ask her a bunch of questions so you can see what I mean!

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I won’t lie—I enjoy cooking, but honestly it’s the eating that’s my favorite part. I also like the planning. I have a great time imagining menus for dinner parties (that I’ll never host) and holiday dinners (that are always at my mama’s house). I really enjoy the creativity in cooking. There are so many different foods out there and you can mix and match and put them all together to create something completely different every time. That doesn’t mean my concoctions are always edible, but it’s always fun trying something new. I guess food is my form of art. Better than the cooking, though, is the eating. If I was one of those skinny girls who counted calories, I wouldn’t cook nearly as much. It’s no fun for me to cook something that I’m not passionate about eating, and unfortunately, I’m really passionate about bacon.

 
Q: If you had to eat something RIGHT NOW, and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: Oh, this is easy. I would eat a spoonful of peanut butter. Then I would stick my head in the fridge to see if there was something else in there, because surprisingly, the peanut butter didn’t stop the hunger. I’d probably grab a package of pepperoni and have a few slices of that. Maybe some green olives and a slice of cheese, if it had been a while since my last meal. Then I’d wash it all down with a big glass of sweet tea. What? You expected me to actually prepare a real meal in three minutes? I need to time to think things through, so if I’m strapped for time, I just snack. I’d never make it as an Iron Chef.

 
Q: Speaking Iron Chef and wild, unconventional recipes, what is the strangest food or food combo that you really, really enjoy?
A: Oh, I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you all. Let me begin by saying that this little recipe was concocted back in high school when I was clearly insane. Insanely awesome, but insane all the same. The recipe goes like this: a cup of Stove Top stuffing, enough water to wet the stuffing but not so much that it gets terribly soggy (1/4 to 1/2 cup maybe?), a slice of American processed cheese product (please don’t use fancy cheese for this), and a few shakes of Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Microwave it all for a minute or two and stir it all up. It’s amazing. Oh, and did I mention that this is a breakfast recipe? Seriously, it’s better than oatmeal, y’all. Don’t be scared. Every single person that I’ve convinced to try this (which is, admittedly, not many) has loved it and made it again and again!

 
Q: Is there something that you always make at home and never buy at the store anymore?
A: I’m a big fan of homemade biscuits lately. I used to buy the can of biscuit dough, but there are so many good biscuit recipes out there that I’ve had fun making my own. I keep going back and forth between these heavenly cream biscuits and tall, flaky buttermilk biscuits. One can never have too many biscuits. I also never buy cookies or cookie dough at the store anymore, which is something that I used to do pretty regularly. Baking seems so intimidating at first, but once you get into it, it all just clicks and it doesn’t take much time to bake from scratch once you know what you’re doing.

 
Q: Do you have a most memorable kitchen flop ever?
A: I’ve always heard that you should never test a new recipe on guests, but I generally don’t let that stop me. My biggest flop was for my daughter’s fourth birthday. I decided to make a seven layer rainbow cake (each layer was a different color of the rainbow). It was beautiful, bright, and colorful. I had it all stacked up with white fluffy (cloud-like) frosting between each layer and all around the outside and I couldn’t wait to see her face when I sliced that tall, colorful cake for her. I stuck the cake into the fridge to wait for the guests to arrive and a bit later, I opened up the fridge to find that my cake had split in half and slid down the side of my refrigerator. I sat on the kitchen floor and cried while my husband ran to the bakery for a generic store-bought cake. Lesson learned!

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: My Wusthof Santoku knife is my most treasured possession. It was recommended by Ree and it has literally changed my life. I always used the cheap knives available at the local department store, but I’ll never go back to those again. A good knife is truly your best friend in the kitchen.

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What fun you are, Karly! Thanks for answering our silly questions.

 
Come take a look at Karly’s recipe box and plan your next baking project. Then, if you aren’t afraid of even more delicious sweets and treats that will make you gain weight (she does apologize for it in advance), head to her blog, Buns In My Oven. While you’re there, enjoy all the beautiful photographs she has. Go Karly!

 
She’s shared with us her recipe for the delectable Molten Lava Muffin Cakes you see above, along with more than 60 other recipes in here. She’s also a generous soul who shares her love far beyond her family circle. Everybody, say hello to Katie, known to us here as dishinanddishes.

Katie works in Information Technology for her local school administration, and her greatest passions are writing and cooking, which she combines beautifully in her blog, Dishin and Dishes. And oh, the dishes you’ll find in there. The 60-plus recipes that she shares with us here in her Tasty Kitchen recipe box are just a sampling of the goodies she creates in her kitchen. For one, remember Jaden’s recent post about her Cinco de Mayo party menu? Katie’s got a few recipes that you might want to include in yours, including a 5-minute salsa that she’s trained her 16-year-old to make.

Clockwise from top left: Unforgettable Salsa, Grilled Corn with Cilantro Lime Butter, Mexican Coffee, Poblano Spoonbread, and Spicy Southwest Soup.

 
 
 
Speaking of teens in the kitchen, Katie and her husband (she calls him Mr. Wonderful in her blog) truly love working with teenagers, and they host more than 30 teens in their home (yes, you heard me—more than thirty) for a small group discussion and mentorship program every Monday. She cooks for all of them every week. Now that’s some serious love and dedication. It’s also good to know that they’re getting not just tasty but also healthy, good-for-you food. Katie has quite a number of yummy salads in her repertoire, as you can see below.

Clockwise from top left: Pancetta Tomato Bibb Lettuce with Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing, Orzo Pasta Salad with Wild Rice and Cranberries, Bay Scallop Ceviche Avocado Salad, and Roasted Red Onion Panzanella.

 
 
 
She’s got great sides and appetizers too, so they’ll always get some veggies with their meal.

Clockwise from top left: Oven “Fried” Parmesan Zucchini Squash, Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque with Sage Cream, Cauliflower Gratin, Gyoza or Potstickers Baby!, Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Roasted Garlic Tarts, and Roasted Asparagus with Ginger Soy Sesame Dressing.

 
 
 
Katie’s favorite ingredients or food pairings cover a the wide range of flavors, from basil pesto, mushrooms and cream sauce of any kind, to Thai food ingredients. The meal that she prepares when she has only 3 minutes to get it ready? Sliced French bread with pesto, turkey, provolone and red onions, grilled on her George Foreman. But my favorites among her main course dishes are her seafood recipes, which may not be the first thing that comes to you mind when you think of teen-friendly food.

Clockwise from top left: Honey and Lime Grilled Salmon, Mussels In White Wine Garlic-Butter Sauce, and Lemony Ricotta Shrimp Fusilli Pasta.

(Every time I look at that salmon, it makes me want to march outside and fire up the grill.)

 
Now comes the part I like the most about these features: the part where we ask our guest of honor some questions. Maybe we’ll find out if there’s anything at all that gives this superwoman in the kitchen (yes, I’m still thinking about the weekly hosting of more than 30 teens) any trouble. Take it away, Katie!

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: Getting my family together in the kitchen. Our kitchen is the social hub of our home.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities?
A: Jamie Oliver. I love his home grown concoctions.

 
Q: What is your go-to dish or meal?
A: Grilled chicken with some sort of roasted vegetable. I haven’t met a vegetable I dislike yet. I’ll toss broccoli, Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes or a combination of several veggies on a sheet pan with some olive oil and chopped rosemary, sea salt and pepper and roast them until they’ve caramelized. Super easy and effortless.

 
Q: Is there a strange food or food combo that you really, really enjoy?
A: Whole green onions dipped in sea salt. My Grandpa Alex taught me to do that straight out of the garden. However, it makes for really regrettable breath later on.

 
Q: Do you have a most memorable kitchen flop ever?
A: Just one? I once put a soup pot on with a whole chicken it it to boil for chicken and dumplings and forgot about it and left for work. When I got home that afternoon, the house was full of smoke. I think it took about a month to get the smell out of the house!

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: No doubt, poaching eggs! I can’t do it. I bought one of those pan molds. I just can’t do it. I end up with egg-drop-soup.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: If you need to slice garlic and need the pesky paper peel to come off easily, instead of buying one of those $15 rubber tubes, use a jar opener. Place the clove on the rubber jar opener and fold the top over and roll with the palm of your hands. Voila! The peel comes right off, leaving your garlic clove intact.

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Thanks for answering our questions, Katie!

 
Katie’s recipe box here at Tasty Kitchen is bulging with more than 60 delicious dishes. To see more of her recipes and learn more about her, head to her blog Dishin and Dishes, where you’ll find other posts about gardening, teens, home and family, Oklahoma, and various cool little household tips and tricks. Oh, and if you poke around a bit, you just might find a link to a video of her Mr. Wonderful proposing to her. Such a sweet moment, and the shocked look on her face is priceless.

 
It’s time for a new post featuring one of our many wonderful members here at Tasty Kitchen, and today, we’ll get to know theparsleythief. Bet you didn’t know her concentration in college was glassblowing and glass design. (Intrigued? I know I was.) We’ll learn more interesting things about her today, so say hi to Katie, everyone!

Katie lives in South Norwalk, Connecticut with her two young boys, who she lovingly refers to as her “Bozos”—not because they have red noses or huge feet but because they’re wild and goofy. She grew up in Connecticut and lived in Brooklyn, New York when she was “single, attending art school, and ordering takeout.” Of course, as you can see below, she’s come a long way from that and now her recipe box is just chock full of good stuff.

Clockwise from left: Rum Balls, Spice Sugar Cookies, and Apple Crisp.

 
 
 
Although the demands of raising a family meant that her art and her career fell to the wayside, she started blogging after being encouraged to do so by a friend who had also started one. Her blog, The Parsley Thief, gave her the creative outlet she needed. Finally, she was able to share recipes, food tips, and finally use some of her creative talents. Believe me, this lady is definitely creative in more ways than one.

Clockwise from top left: Carrot Ginger Dressing, Dill Pickles, Grilled Baba Ghanoush, Mini Crab Cakes, and Fattoush.

 
 
 
Not surprisingly, Katie loves all kinds of fresh herbs, as the name of her blog suggests. “I love how a little sprinkle of green can transform something simple into something gourmet,” she explains. She’s right, too. I love how the fresh green herbs make some of the dishes below look extra vibrant.

Clockwise from top left: Chicken al Mattone, Beef Bourguignon, Tarragon Chicken Salad with Pecans and Cranberries, Sticky Balsamic Ribs, Chicken and Dumplings, and Guinness Beef Stew.

 
 
 
Katie says that she isn’t a picky eater and that it takes a lot for her not to try something new. But she is a stickler for following a recipe to the letter the first time around—even when her instinct tells her that something just isn’t right. She always wants to know how the recipe developer intended for it to taste before making any adjustments. Her go-to meal is her Spaghetti and Meatballs, and believe me, she can do wonders with pasta.

Clockwise from top left: Roasted Almond Ricotta Pesto with Olives, Pasta Salad with Fresh Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Olives, and Minted Apricot Couscous.

 
Don’t those look incredible?

Now it’s time to ask Katie some questions and let her do the talking. So let’s learn even more about this talented lady, including her current favorite quick snack or meal that kinda made my mouth water.

 
 
Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?
A: I know for some people, cooking can be a chore. So it may seem strange to some but I love the process of cooking. I love cooking from scratch. Sometimes the things that are the most time consuming and involved are the most appealing to me. Now, don’t get me wrong. There are plenty of nights when I curse the very thought of getting dinner ready, even if it’s just mac n’ cheese from a box. But when I am in the mood to cook, I love it. I also love sharing food. I love entertaining.

 
Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?
A: My father is a good cook and I am definitely inspired by that. I remember making New England clam chowder with him as a kid. It took all day and it was really good! I was also extremely close to my grandmother growing up. She made the best Italian food. Her meatballs were the best I’ve ever had. She also made an incredible Eggplant Parmesan. My father comes very close to replicating her signature dishes. But unfortunately, no one can touch what she did.

 
Q: If you had to eat something right now and had only 3 minutes to get it ready, what would it be?
A: Lately, that would be toasted cranberry pecan bread from the SoNo Baking Co., smeared with some good blue cheese. I love bread and I love cheese. I love them together and could live on that the rest of my life. The only criteria is that it must be good bread and good cheese.

 
Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?
A: Rolling out pastry correctly gives me a lot of trouble. I find it nearly impossible to do without stretching the dough. Stretching pastry makes it shrink back in the pan while baking. So it’s not good to do.

 
Q: What is your favorite kitchen tool?
A: Goodness. How do I choose just one? If I had to, I would say I couldn’t live life without a sharp knife.

 
Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.
A: I am still a novice in many ways. So I am always learning something new. But off the top of my head, I would say I wish I had always known that old eggs were easier to peel than fresh ones.

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Thanks for answering our questions, Katie! Now I’m going to need some of that pecan bread and blue cheese. Yum.

 
Katie’s talents extend beyond the kitchen, so head over to her blog, The Parsley Thief, and find not just great recipes but posts about her children, photography (her background is in Art and Photography), gardening, products or designs that she loves. In other words, it’s all about the things that she enjoys and so generously shares with all of us.

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