Utensils

I am including a few notes for you, just some things that I have learned as I cooked and experimented.
My Favorite Utensils are:

• Garlic press (a good one will cost you $17 and up, I bought one for $7.99 and it would not squeeze the garlic out of the holes. It just squeezed it…that was all…just flattened it!)


• Micro plane (for grating fresh spices like nutmeg)


• Tongs (Nice for turning meat on the grill, and serving meat) , If you have non-stick pans make sure you get tongs that are coated so that you don't scratch the pan surface.


• Blender (to puree with)


• Hand held blender--great for making those pureed soups


• Food Processor (You can make a nice coarse flour out of oatmeal)


• Paint brushes (for basting on the grill)


• Kitchen Aid Mixer (What I would give to have had this when I was baking all of those Carrot Cakes for Grace Fellowship!)


• Cutting boards (I like those plastic ones that you can put in the dishwasher for sanitizing)


• Melon baller (handy for coring pears and apples after they are cut in half)


• Mini Pans (You can take a recipe and make small versions of loaves, cheesecakes, etc. Freeze what you cannot eat and you always have dessert in the freezer)


• (3) 9 inch round cake pans for making those three layer cakes


• 9 x 13 sheet cake pan


• Chef’s knife (I have the one from the Chef’s Pantry. I always wanted a Wustoff, but this one has a sharpener so I have to admit I really do like it.) I have also purchased several single knives at Bed, Bath and Beyond when they have a "Select Savings" sample from Calphalon. These have proved to be very nice.


• Do not forget your knife sharpener. Mine is a simple Chef's Choice manual unit. I got it at Bed, Bath and Beyond for about $25 and it keeps my knives very sharp.


• Mollineo (Makes me feel like Grandmother is in the kitchen with me) whips Mexican Chocolate like from Ibarra or Abuelitas


• Good cookie sheets...I have found that my cookies don't burn on the air insulated type.


• Non-stick muffin pans (Muffins just fall out of these)


• Non-stick skillets and saucepans (I have not mastered the Emeril way yet!) When buying pans, remember that those sets that have 8 to 12 pieces will contain items that you will rarely use...I have bought several of those in my past. Now, I just buy the individual pans that show the most wear. The items that came in the "set" that are rarely used always look like new anyway; so, why replace them? One of my favorite pans is the "Short and Saucy" by Calphalon.


• Grind and Brew Coffee Maker (I like the smell of the beans grinding before the coffee is made.) Do an online search of reviews before buying one! My husband did this for me and you will find that the most expensive one may not be the one that gets the best reviews.


• Just added a timer that hooks over my ear. I love this thing. I sometimes put something in the oven and walk away from my timer. I may be too far away to hear it and forget my item. Well, this thing just goes wherever I go and I never forget my item in the oven! I got it at Sally’s of all places!


• My Bounds Pepper Grinder --I like it because it has a fine, medium and coarse grind dial.
• I always use two sets of measuring spoons when baking. One for wet ingredients and one for dry. So, make sure they are different. I use my white set for dry and my metal set for wet ingredients. It just helps to not have dry ingredients sticking to a wet spoon.
• I love using my box grater for medium amounts of grated ingredients, but the Salad Shooter is absolutely key for large amounts...like when I make Carrot Cakes! I have a flat grater for smaller amounts of ingredients.
• Do not forget to have a salt crock...for holding your Kosher salt.
• Glass measuring cups for wet ingredients and plastic or metal for dry ingredients.

Introduction to this site

Cooking and entertaining is a big part of my life.

I have been cooking since I was 10 years old and have collected, created, and tried hundreds of recipes.

I have found that anyone can be a success in the kitchen. It takes a little interest and the right recipe to get results that will impress even the least experienced cook. Every time you have a success in the kitchen it gives more confidence to try other recipes.

I believe that many memories are connected to the kitchen. We have a heritage there, we learned from our mothers and they learned from theirs.

I really did learn to make tamales from my grandmother, Carmen Vargas. She was my mother’s mother. I went to stay a few days with her one summer in Fort Worth and she taught me. She made Mexican chocolate for me, and used a funny whip thing to mix it up. When I went to Mexico, long after she had passed away, I would rub my hands together and say "Chocolate" to the vendors and they told me I was looking for a Mollinio. I found one and bought it and every time I look at it I think of her.

Anyway, Carmen Vargas was the epitome of Southern Hospitality! She had diabetes and could
not eat sweets, but you never were a guest in her home that she did not offer you a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. And what a piece of cake it was! The one I remember most clearly was a yellow layer cake with bananas sliced longwise between each layer and a rich buttery chocolate frosting to top it off! She used to make a yellow cake with pineapple filling between the layers and frosted with chocolate as well. And this lady never used a recipe! Can you imagine?

We have a heritage as rich as the delicacies that came from their kitchens.

My mother, Cecilia Mares, made the most awesome pineapple cheese pie when I was a little girl. I asked once for the recipe and guess what…it was nowhere to be found. She could not remember anything about it except that she made it. I have searched high and low for that recipe and never have found what I remember.

Now, she makes some awesome tortillas! I have never been able to master them like she does. She also makes tamales, enchiladas, sopapillas, wonderful pinto beans. Always ask the mothers and grandmothers for lessons, they are always so willing to share and hoping that you will have success in what they teach.

Maybe, you are the one with the touch that will mimic the talent in a particular area. I have tried but failed in some areas and have succeeded beautifully in others! I always want to see a victory in this area of kitchen heritage.

This site is a journey through my life in the kitchen. Many of the recipes are just my own favorites that I have made over and over and just want to share. I have included recipes that others in the family made and brought to family celebrations. My recommendation to all of you is to get those recipes now that you remember your mothers and grandmothers making. You will always treasure those memories.

I have included some notes for you. Some include stories about food we made. One dish that has many stories is the famous Frogmore Stew AKA Miranda Stew! It was one of my Dad’s favorite! When he died, we served it to many family members before his rosary. His sisters, Minnie and Isabel, were there. I told them that it was one of Daddy’s favorite dishes and that I just knew he would be happy they were getting to eat it. He would be saying, “Get some more…Look! Look! Get some more! Minnie, Isabel, Eat!, Eat!, Eat!” He sure liked for people to eat! He used to buy cheese for my niece when he would baby-sit her. He thought the world of her. You really never could go to his house that he wasn’t offering you something to eat or drink.

I started my journey in the kitchen at a rather early age. Daddy would not let us have sweets. So, I would buy the cocoa powder and tell him that we could add sugar to it to make our hot chocolate and it would last longer. Wasn’t I awful! Then when he would go to work, I would make brownies, cakes, and etc. for my siblings and myself. My sister says she remembers me baking for them back then.

So, Let us begin this tour of my heritage and journey in the kitchen!