Cooking with Mary, Beer Can Chicken! Time to Grill

Guests George Back and Matt Payne

Ask Mary: To Add or Not to Add (Dressing), That is the Question!

Dear Mary,
I never know whether or not to add salad dressing to other people’s salads or to let them do it themselves. What do you think?
Teresa

I like to offer my guests a simple homemade vinegar and oil mixture that they can add to their salad themselves. To me this is very acceptable. What isn’t acceptable at your fancy dinner party is putting out a variety of mediocre salad dressings and having everyone choose their favorite one. That being said, if you want to use something like a pre-made Kraft or Wishbone dressing, go ahead and just lightly dress the salad before you serve it. The bottles really take away from a nicely set table.

On the flip side, for a truly casual dinner with your immediate family (mom, dad, children), go ahead and put out the bottles. They won’t judge you for it, and believe me, we’ve all done it!

Happy Cooking!
Mary

Tip of the Day

Here is a tip that I love. Take your traditional Greek salad and add a little touch of dried cherries or cranberries. It gives the salad a sweet, salty, and acidic accent that modernizes this familiar favorite.
Happy Cooking!
Mary

What I Cooked Today... Greek Salad

Greek Salad

Ingredients:

1. 1 green or red bell pepper deseeded and chopped
2. ¼ cup Kalamata olives (pitted) (in the pic they are black olives)
   
3. 2 tomatoes cut into quarters
4. ¼ cup feta cheese (I like to buy the cubes of feta and slice them into large slices to lay on top)
5. 1 tbsp dried oregano
6. ½ lemon
7. ½ cup red wine vinegar
8. ¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Chop all ingredients and place into a large bowl for your guests to serve themselves. Squeeze lemon over top and add the dried oregano. Let your guests add their own amount of vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Happy Cooking!
Mary

Ingredient of the Day: Olives

Olives

When I was younger, my great grandmother would invite us over for tea. Tea for youngsters actually meant Coca Cola, olives and goldfish, but that’s exactly how we liked it. A child’s dream. My brother and I would sit at the grown-up table in our lovely pressed outfits waiting for extraordinary treats to be brought out from the kitchen. Without fail, the black olives that we loved so much would end up on our fingertips and we would eat them off one by one. Meanwhile, our great grandmother would try not to reprimand us while quietly snickering under her breath.

Traveling has really fueled my love for olives. What was once only native to the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia is now found in all parts of the world. My favorite olive is the Kalamata, which is grown in Greece and offered as a tasty snack at the beginning of each Greek meal. The Kalamata is very dark in color and small in size. And of course, a true Greek treat! Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!
Mary

What I Cooked Today... Saganaki

Perhaps my favorite splurge on my European trip was the infamous or famous Saganaki from Greece. This timeless classic is a flaming piece of cheese with brandy. The Greeks will bring it to the table lighting on fire, and yelling "opa" to get you in the mood. The first time I had it I think I ate almost all myself, but after about an hour I realized that wasn't such a great idea. A little goes a long way. "Opa!"

Ingredients:

1 lb Kasseri Cheese (a very salty and aromatic cheese)
1 tbsp butter
1 lemon
2 tbsp brandy
And of course a lighter!

Directions:

First, slice the whole cheese into ¼ inch thickness. Follow that by topping the whole thing with butter and broiling it on a cast iron plate. The fun part comes next at the table. Pour the brandy over the top and light with the lighter. Be careful not to burn yourself! Lastly, squeeze lemon over the top, and be careful not to let the seeds fall into the cheese. Delicious!

Happy Cooking!
Mary

Regular Schedule Starts Monday!

Monday we will be back to our regular set up. I am back from my amazing trip and will still be showing webisodes from there, but the rest of the week will have recipes, tips and more based around my trip!
Happy Cooking!
Mary

The End Of Finding the Fish! Santorini, Greece

Cooking with Mary, European Adventure: Santorini, Greece! A Great Greek Feast

We missed the boat for the day, but we were hungry and stayed for a bite to eat. The fish there was so fresh it literally was walked off the boat 10 feet to the kitchen.
Happy Cooking!
Mary

Sunset Taverna
Santorini, Greece

Good Morning

Thank you for taking this amazing adventure with me. I have a few more webisodes that will be coming out in the next few days, and by the middle of next week I will be up and running for the regular line up. 

(Monday-Webisodes, Tuesday-Ingredient of the Day, Wednesday-Recipe, Thursday-Tips, Stories and More, and Friday-Ask Mary)

We will finally learn how to grill that beer can chicken, how to grill asparagus and how to cut chicken off the bone. In the meantime, I will be writing about my travels, and sharing recipes, stories and tips from all of my terrific experiences. Stay tuned. Mary will find the fish and it will be posted by this evening! Pacific time of course.

Happy Cooking,
Mary

Cooking with Mary, European Adventure: Santorini, Greece

Mary is on the hunt for a special fishing port in one of the most beautiful places in the world: Santorini, Greece. The port has been there for over 3,000 years. Let's explore!
Cheers,
Mary

Cooking with Mary, European Adventure: Athens

While backpacking through Athens our noses lead us to what is one of the most incredible markets I have seen yet. There were lamb heads, whole animals, and tons of fish being butchered on the spot. Take a look!

Happy Cooking!
Mary