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Brisket is the name of a particular “cut” of beef, which tells you what part of the cow it came from.  Corned Beef is is a cut of meat (brisket) that has been cured (or pickled) in a seasoned brine.  For...

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Most of us depend on rice, pasta and potatoes as side-dish standbys.However, there’s a world of other interesting grains out there to explore: couscous, quinoa, barley and bulghur, for example. They provide that carbohydrate kick with a twist, and a different texture or flavor is always worth a try. This guide will explain...

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Chicken Marsala is the name given to chicken cutlets topped with a gravy made from Marsala wine (which comes from Italy.) This recipe is also chock full of mushrooms! I used a combination of Shitake mushrooms….…and Baby Bella mushrooms.For the Marsala Sauce you will need:1 pound of...

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A hearty bowl of hot soup is great on a cold, winter’s day.  Here is a selection that will satisfy both the hearty and the finicky eaters in your family. Baked Potato Soup This recipe is fantastic!  It is so thick you could use a fork to eat it!Split Pea Soup...

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Cod is a very mild tasting white fish.  Salsa, particularly fruit salsas, add the perfect zing this delicate fish.  Choose something like pineapple or mango peach. (The pineapple salsa I chose at my supermarket had a bit of a...

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A sashimi plate that includes (from left) salmon, swordfish and tuna - a range of fish texture and color.Choosing what fish to cook for dinner is a lot harder than actually cooking the fish!  Here is a quick guide that will help you sort out the different cuts and...

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Valentine’s Day is coming up soon, so it’s time to start thinking about chocolate! (Actually, I don’t need a holiday to think about chocolate!) .This blogpost is all about learning how to make fudge. Chocolate lovers may also want to check out my post on Chocolate...

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Jalapenos Stuffed with Sausage and CheeseFootball fans hanging around with friends, especially on a weekend, get just as hungry as all-night gamers . So what's on your party menu for football viewing?  We've put together the following items, which go beyond bowls of corn chips, pretzels and cheeses. We make no specific...

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These savory Sausage Balls are great to serve to company! They are a hearty snack or hors d’oeuvre. This is not a light and delicate dish, so you might want to serve them with some fresh-cut vegetables and a healthy dip just to balance out the decadent versus healthy options you...

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A quesadilla is a flour tortilla, filled with savory ingredients. You can fill a tortilla with lots of different fillings the same way you would choose lots of different fillings for a sandwich.Cheese is very often one of the main ingredients. I’m using leftover...

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There are lots of different things you can make for dinner with leftover (cooked) chicken. My favorite, particularly on a cold night, is a hot bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. This is one of those soups for which you can find really complicated, time-consuming recipes or - just use this quick version for...

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Sandwiches can be as exotic as you like, with all sorts of fancy ingredients. But, there is nothing quite as heart-warming as a classic “BLT.”Today I’m going to show you how to make a Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich, better know as the BLT!We've already discussed how to cook bacon...

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digg this! redditAhh, bacon! That crispy, chewy, salty and sinful cut of pork we all love. Bacon has disciples far and wide, some of whom devote entire blogs to it. The Bacon Show, for example, posts a daily recipe featuring bacon; the site "101 Things Every Cook Should Cook" has an...

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Forget “Mmm Mmm good”, this Tomato Soup is “Mmm Mmm great”! There is a surprise ingredient in this recipe which I’ll tell you about in just a second. It makes the soup taste smooth, rich and creamy without adding any cream!You will need a blender to make this soup, and you will...

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Shepherd’s Pie is basically a casserole made of cooked meat with gravy which gets topped with a layer of mashed potatoes and then baked.  It is comfort food at it's best!  As with all recipes there are many variations of Shepherd’s Pie, including some with a layer of vegetables as well.Here...

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In 1957, Freda Smith from Gibsonburg, Ohio pressed a Hershey Kiss into a peanut butter cookie and history was made! This cookie did not win the 1957 Pillsbury Bake-Off contest, but it become a huge star in the cookie world!Peanut Blossom is the official title of this classic cookie but it goes...

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I like to cook lamb chops quickly, in a frying pan, on high heat. Only seven minutes later, dinner’s ready!There are many different cuts of lamb available.These rib chops are have their own little “handle”, which makes them perfect for...

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This soup is thick, hearty, full of flavor, and perfect for the beginner cook. It was taught to me by my Dad, who did not cook very often but who had a few specialties that were his “signature dishes.” Cabbage soup was one of his best! He always...

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Many people just learning to cook are often a bit hesitant cooking a large piece of meat. It seems so intimidating! Well, it doesn't need to be, at all. This boneless pork roast is a great...

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When making Lasagna with meat sauce you can add cooked ground beef or cooked ground Italian sausage or cooked turkey-sausage to the sauce for a great tasting lasagna. To make Lasagna with Meat Sauce, start by reviewing my Spinach Lasagna video: Skip adding the spinach! You ...

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This is the year for you to WOW! all of your family and friends with that perfect home-made gift from the kitchen. There is no reason to spend money on gourmet-shop treats when you can make them yourself at a fraction of the cost. All my recipes are designed for...

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When it comes to buying mushrooms, we often go by appearance rather than taste. We stick to those clean-cut white button mushrooms, perhaps a bit intimidated by the wilder characters in the fungus family. But it's worth getting to know all those odd-looking mushrooms—they can really add taste and sophistication to your...

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I would like to welcome Jennifer Iserloh -The Skinny Chef - who is here today doing a special post for us on making healthy leftovers from your holiday feast! As a professional chef and certified yoga teacher, Jen has been sharing her philosophy on healthy cooking and...

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Welcome to startcooking's ultimate (and updated) guide to cooking a turkey! The thought of cooking your very first Thanksgiving dinner can be a bit intimidating, but with just a bit of advance planning you can definitely pull it off. Roasting a turkey is very similar to roasting a chicken. Go have a look...

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Adding sinfully rich gravy to either mashed potatoes, roasted chicken (or Turkey), pork or beef turns the whole meal into a holiday treat! (And it can also be used without the excuse of a holiday!)There are many, many different ways to make gravy, using slightly different techniques and ingredients. All gravies, no...

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Pecan Pie is a holiday treat! Chock-full of nuts, it’s a splurge that requires very little preparation time. However, you will need to plan for extra time at the gym after eating this mouthwatering dessert!There are tons of recipe variations for a Pecan Pie. I’m sticking to a very classic recipe...

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Sweet Potato Casserole is a vegetable side dish for people who say they hate vegetables. It is sweet enough to be a dessert, but since it really is a vegetable it can be paired perfectly with Roasted Chicken, turkey, and (especially) baked ham. In the USA, it is a traditional dish served with...

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Can you spot the buttercup squash? If not, read on!As autumn arrives, grocery stores and markets fill up with winter squash in all shapes and sizes. Acorn, butternut, buttercup, spaghetti … which one is which? And what do you do with them? This post will introduce you to some of the more popular...

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It was still summer when giant bags of Halloween candy started appearing on store shelves. Then, the bakeries and cafes upped the ante, pushing the fluorescent-orange-frosted cupcakes and cookies. You're conflicted: the adult in you hates Halloween hype, but the 10-year-old still salivates at the sight of all that sweet stuff. The good news is...

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There is an incredible variety of potatoes from around the world – literally thousands of them.  Different varieties of potatoes vary in texture.  They can be starchy, waxy, or somewhere in-between.  Some potatoes are great for mashing while others work best if baked or roasted.  At the grocery store there are usually...

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