Mariner's Cookbook

Beef Stew by Mariner, posted May 13, 2018

There is a well-known and revered brand of shelf-stable (canned) beef stew, recognized by its red plaid label. Many people like it, and on occasion, I've enjoyed it myself. The problem is, like most other ready-to-eat canned meals, I find it to be expensive for the amount of food you get, and a single can doesn't usually go very far.

Slow Cooker Boiled Peanuts! by Mariner, posted Dec 02, 2017

Well, our fabulous Thanksgiving Day feast and Family Reunion is well past, and I have almost a year to recover. Good thing... I'm getting pretty old now, and the preparation for that event is becoming real work!

Mom's Pound Cake by Mariner, posted Nov 01, 2017

Pound cake is widely-known for both its taste and its simplicity. I think Mom began making her own version of this cake about the time of my senior year in highschool.

Home-style Vegetable-Beef Soup by Mariner, posted Oct 28, 2017

I've been making this soup, on rare occasion, ever since I retired, at which time I temporarily assumed some of the cooking chores for which my Honey would otherwise have been responsible. I don't know why I haven't already posted it, because we really like it, and so has everyone who has had any of it. Anyway, I had a need to make some today, so I decided it was time to share my recipé.

Mom's Chocolate-Iced Layer Cake by Mariner, posted Oct 28, 2017

Following the passing of my father, in 1989, my Mom asked that the family begin celebrating Thanksgiving Day together regularly, in remembrance of him. She held that Thanksgiving was Dad's favorite holiday, and that it would be appropriate for the family to meet together at that time. We agreed to her request, and for nearly 28 years now - with only one exception - we have held our family reunion on Thanksgiving Day, in memory of our Dad.

Brunswick (Whatchagot) Stew by Mariner, posted Oct 25, 2017

For quite some time, my brother Lonnie has been making his version of Brunswick Stew. This is a favorite dish of mine, and he traditionally brings it to our Family Reunion, after which I try to make off with all of the leftovers.

Mom's Old Fashioned Dark Fruitcake by Mariner, posted Oct 21, 2017

Most of the time, when someone mentions fruitcake, it's a joke. I have to tell you though, my Mom has made a tradition of baking fruitcake for many years, and I think it's wonderful! I'm not particularly fond of any of the commercial fruitcake products - they're all too dry or doughy - but Mom's cake is very different.

Undine's Courtboullion by Mariner, posted Aug 18, 2017

Mariner heard about a different way to prepare fish, Cajun/Creole style, and decided we should try it. It's called Courtboullion (pronounced kū-bĭ-yōn), and it is a kind of poached fish - usually catfish, but it can be made with pretty much any fish (some say, any kind of seafood!).

Dill Pickles by Mariner, posted Aug 17, 2017

July 17, 2017 (this is when the story actually begins)

Some weeks ago I started a project involving fermentation - sauerkraut - and it was successful enough that I thought I might try some other fermented foods. The choice of what to try is a no-brainer: dill pickles, of course!

Hummus Fail-or-Why I Can Chickpeas by Mariner, posted Aug 05, 2017

My sister lives some distance away, from both me, and the area in which we grew up, and she has ever since she married a sailor and moved away, at the ripe age of... well, never mind! Just accept that it's been a long time. I visited her in her home for the first time, a few years ago, and in addition to entertaining us, she fed us some great home-made snacks.