Cavey’s Holiday Helper

Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, New Years … they’re all approaching fast. Which means you should be preparing for your Holiday feast. What’s that? You’re not ready?? Not sure what to make??? Never fear … Caveman is here! Just read on for some suggestions on how to make your celebratory spread highlight your time with friends and family.

Of course, nothing piques an appetite quite like some sumptuous appetizers. You could throw a bowl of nuts on the table and call it good. Though, at C3 we take our pre-meal hors d’oeuvres pretty seriously. A recent favorite of the Cave crowd has been Cavey’s Colossal Shrimp Cocktail. These giant seafaring crustaceans are plump, succulent, delicious, and relatively easy to make. Plus, you can make them ahead of time, and then plate them just before your guests arrive. Other tasty starters include our Baked Brie with Peach Sauce; Lamb Wontons, Teriockeye Salmon Wontons, or – if you are feeling fancy – our incredible King Crab Wontons.

With Hispanic influences solidly embedded into California cuisine, it is no surprise that Tamales are a savory Christmas tradition that we have heartily embraced in the Cavehold. While we are solidly in the Gringo category on the census questionnaire, we will hold our Killer Chili Rojo (Red Pork) Tamales and Killer Queso (Cheese) Tamales up against any competition from South of the border. The masa (dough) in these two recipes is smooth, almost creamy, with a fantastic flavor all on it’s own, while the fillings are so scrumptious and hearty. A perfect blend that makes for a fiesta for your taste buds. While they are labor intensive recipes, it really is a very easy dish to pull off. Besides, if you gather your masses together for an assembly line when it comes time to actually fill and roll the tamales, it goes by very quickly.

Side dishes are always a key to making any Holiday meal a memorable gathering. 2x Baked Potatoes are always a welcomed Holiday treat. Yes, they are truly the “angioplasty special”. But, you aren’t starting your New Year’s resolutions for another week or so! Besdies, it’s the Holidays … live it up!! If you need to tone it down a bit, you could always opt for our Roasted Red Balsamic Potatoes for a tasty tater alternative. Other sides you might consider are our Sauteed Asian Veggies, Caramelized Red Pear Salad, and our annual must-have Super Spinach Soufflé. You can’t go wrong, no matter what you choose.

The main course usually goes one of two ways for the Holidays: turkey or beef. Since we recently enjoyed a T-day Turkey Brined bird over Thanksgiving, along with some Phenomenal Focaccia Stuffing, we are opting for our world renowned Glazed Teriyamic Prime Rib. Whether you call it Prime Rib, Standing Rib Roast, or a bone-in Ribeye Roast this is one recipe that is full of flavorful nuances. It is a delectable dish that will have everyone at the table silent, save for the occasional mewl of palatable pleasure.

A sweet treat is always the way to end a marvelous meal. Unfortunately, the Cavewoman does most of the baking and dessert making around here, and the vast majority of her incredible recipes have yet to make it onto this cyber rag. However, we do have a few posted up that might merit consideration. At the top of the list are her Hand-Dipped Holiday Cookies and other treats. These are an easy way to take some of your favorite store-bought cookies and turn them into something special to cap your Christmas-Hanukkah-Kwanza-New Year’s soirée. Plus, you’ll see that you also get to make pretzel/nut clusters, as well … my personal favorite. Some other temptations include our Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Easy Peasy Cherry Crumble Cake, or simply top some ice cream with either our Cognac Marinated Mint Strawberries or Candied Kahlua Pecans. Any of these will certainly put the finishing touches onto your Holiday bill of faire.

I know! I know!! I’ve given you so many options to choose from. But, isn’t that better than being stuck in menu limbo like you were before you read this post? Yeah … I thought so! Besides, you could always just celebrate ALL the Holidays … it will give you an excuse to make more than one Holiday meal! 😉 Let us know how it goes.

The entire Cave clan wishes you a happy, healthy, and delicious Holiday season.

©2016 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Let’s Talk Turkey … And More!

Without a doubt, the Thanksgiving feast is the all-time favorite meal in the Cavehold. The combination of good times with family and friends; the enticing colors, aromas, and flavors of the Fall season; and to be able to celebrate all that we are thankful for all makes for a memorable and savory Holiday. With that in mind, we are going to share most of the recipes and tips that help to make our Turkey Day such a favorite for us and our guests.

First, unless you will be cooking a fresh bird or some other type of main course, you need to consider when to start defrosting your turkey. Click here to discover how to safely and effectively thaw the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving dinner. We describe both the Refrigerator Method (preferred) and the Cold Water Method (acceptable). Once you have your bird returned from it’s frozen state, you’ll want to check out our famous T-day Turkey Brine to ensure your fowl is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. It’s so good, I’ve been threatened with great bodily harm if I ever change the recipe.

You can’t have a Holiday Turkey without some tangy-sweet cranberry sauce. Unfortunately, far too many modern homo-sapiens are good with the canned variety of the berry relish. We strongly advise you to adopt the Neanderthal way of thinking and give our Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It only takes an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both, flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with early prep is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Another essential feature of the T-Day meal, that can also be prepped ahead of time (something we recommend doing whenever possible for this labor intensive repast), is the all important gravy. Our Cavey Gravy is readily prepared the day before the big meal. Then, all you need to do on Thanksgiving is add some turkey drippings and reheat. Best of all it is a flavor filled moisture making sauce that goes good on the bird, mashed potatoes, stuffing … you name it!

Unfortunately, we have yet to post our delicious Focaccia Bread Stuffing recipe. But, we promise to take pictures next week and post the recipe before Christmas. Though, another side dish considered a staple on the Thanksgiving plate is the mashed potato. We have long used our scrumptious Garlic Mashed Taters for this crucial purpose. They are loaded with flavor, easy to make, and are sure to be a hit with your Turkey Day crowd. BTW, you can also see our video version of this recipe … it’s a hoot!

Another fun and flavorsome player in our Turkey Day lineup are Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys. These unique, colorful, and tasty yam birds have become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and we guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … what could be bad about that, right?!?! Plus, they are real hit with the vegetarians in your life.

This next dish has become a regular for just about all of our Holiday meals, no matter what time of year we are celebrating. The Cavewoman’s Super Spinach Soufflé is a warm, zesty, delicious dish that you probably won’t have any leftovers on, since everyone always wants seconds, and even thirds, on. While it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference!

Of course, every T-Day in the Cavehold is filled with football, family and friends. Which means we are together for an extened period of time. So, we always have plenty of apps, from shrimp cocktail with Cave’s Quick Cocktail Sauce to our scrumptious Baked Brie with Peach Sauce. Post-dinner, we somehow always have room for the Cavewoman’s apple pie and pumpkin pie. But, one of her biggest winners in the dessert selection are her incredible Pumpkin Whoopie Pies … a unique and welcome change to the usual T-day sweet treats. Give these a try and we promise you will be smiling with delight as they melt in your mouth.

We hope that the above recipes help inspire you to create a fantastic feast for your Holiday crowd. Whether you employ these or concoctions of your own, we wish that your Thanksgiving is filled with the warmth of family and friends; the flavors and aromas of the occasion; and, most importantly, the spirit and essence of the season. In other words, Happy Thanksgiving!

©2015 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

C3TV: Garlic Mashed Taters

On this episode, we’ve got a simple but scrumptious side dish that goes equally well with an everyday meal as it does with a Holiday feast. Our famous Garlic Mashed Taters! A simple, yet yummy mashed potato recipe that’s sure to get your taste buds dancing and your guests singing your culinary praises.

Episode 202

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

A Neanderthal Thanksgiving

Well, the big day isn’t until tomorrow, but the cooking almost certainly starts in earnest today. So, if you are looking for a few last minute Turkey Day ideas, I thought I’d share the annual standards we employ in the Cavehold.

I just posted my famous Cavey Gravy recipe the other day. But, you’ll need to put that gravy on something (though, some have considered just grabbing the gravy boat and a straw! 😉 ). Of course, the main event (ie. turkey) is a prime candidate to be smothered in that savory sauce, which calls for a start 24 hours before you pop it into the oven. That’s because we always use our T-day Turkey Brine to ensure a moist, flavorful bird. White wine, grapes, garlic, and rosemary are the mainstays of this magnificent marinade.

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! Plus, they are another traditional landing pad for the gravy. But, if you are going to cook like a Caveman, you are going to have to bump it up a notch or two. We accomplish that with our tasty Garlic Mashed Taters. Milk, sour cream, and cream cheese are all combined into this recipe to create a creamy, delectable side dish … which does make it the “Angioplasty Special”. Though, if you are only cranking these spuds out once or twice a year, your cardiologist shouldn’t mind too much. I can attest that your taste buds won’t complain one bit!

Every meal calls for a vegetable. But, even the most anti-veggie attendee can’t turn their nose up on the Cavewoman’s incredible Super Spinach Soufflé. With eggs, two kinds of cheeses, milk, and butter it is plainly obvious that this is not a healthy dish, either. So, we try to cut out some of the fat by using non-fat milk and light sour cream. It works great, and there is plenty of other fat in there to more than make up the difference! I guarantee if you try this one at your T-Day feast once, it will become a regular participant in your family’s faire for years to come.
HINT: I highly recommend that you get some Cougar Gold from the WSU Creamery for this recipe. It adds the perfect flavor that just pushes the entire dish over the top.

Holiday cooking has always been where my Mom shines brightest in the kitchen. Her creative mind is always at work … but, none more so than when she puts her signature touch on a recipe. This is plainly evident with her Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys – an ingenious spin on the traditional Thanksgiving yams. This unique, colorful, and tasty dish has become a real favorite of the Cavekids … not just to eat, but to make as well. They really look forward to working in the kitchen on these with their Cavenana, and this year is no different! They’ve already been asking us if their grandmother was “bringing all the stuff to make Yam Turkeys”. Put one of these on your guest’s plate, and I guarantee they will be ooing and cooing about how cute they are. That is, until they taste it and start oohing and awing about how delicious they are! Yams, orange, pineapple, nuts, marshmallows, butter … I mean, what could be bad about that, right?!?!

You can’t call it a Thanksgiving meal without cranberry sauce. However, far too many call it “good” with a canned variety of the tangy berry relish. If you are in that crowd, I strongly advise you step out of your canned comfort zone and give my Cave’s Cranberry Sauce a go. It will only take an extra 20 minutes in your meal’s preparation, and you will end up with a C-sauce that will forever have you shunning the pre-made type in the future. Plus, it’s easy … just the recipe on the package with some molasses and either wine, port, cognac or brandy added. Best of all, you can make it a day or two ahead of time and refrigerate it until chow time – which actually also helps it to set up better, both flavor and consistency wise. The only problem with that is keeping everyone away from it until the big meal … the Cavewoman is our biggest offender on that!

Most of all, we wish you the sweetest of Thanksgiving Holidays, filled with laughter, love, and memories to last a lifetime!

©2013 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. These recipes originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. These recipes may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies them.

Happy Tweet-giving!

Yesterday, while cooking up a storm, I was also “Tweeting” up a storm on Twitter. Using my semi-new Droid X, I was taking pics as I went along and posting them up on my Twitter account @CavemanCooking. Just in case you missed them (or aren’t a “Tweep”), I thought I’d share them, in chronological order (Actually, the first three are from the day before):

Turkey is brined!

Cranberry sauce is done!

Gravy base is simmering!

The “outside the bird” stuffing is ready to go!

Turkey is stuffed and going in the oven!

Spinach Souffle is ready to go.

OMG the house smells good! I keep going outside & coming back in to get a fresh nose full!! 😉
(No picture)

Cavemom’s Orange Yam Turkeys are ready to go!

Table is almost ready!

Shrimp Cocktail is served!

Baked Brie is served!

Turkey is done!

Forgot to get the “before” shot. Oh well! 😉 Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving pie trio. (From L to R) Pecan, Apple, and Pumpkin. YUM!

Great day … but, our house looks like Fall threw up on it! 😉
(No picture)

Our first T-Day in our new home was absolutely fantastic. Everyone had a great time and were stuffed fuller than our Thanksgiving Turkey! It was especially nice to have the Cave-mom-in-law there, after her harrowing health issues this year. We hope that your Holiday was filled with love, laughter and deliciousness!
If you’d like to see some more pics from our gathering, go to the Cavewoman’s Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/16372067@N00/

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Garlic Mashed Taters

One thing that most Thanksgiving gobblers agree on: mashed potatoes are a must! So, I thought I’d share our simple, yet yummy mashed potato recipe. Sure, it’s last minute. But, this is one dish that can be quickly whipped together.

INGREDIENTS

6 Medium Potatoes (Russet, Red, or Yukon Gold)
6 Large Cloves Garlic
1/4 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese, softened well
1 Tablespoons Butter, softened well
3 Tablespoons Green Onion Chives
1 Teaspoon Pink, Kosher or Sea Salt
1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

RECIPE

Thinly slice garlic lengthwise. Set aside.

Finely Chop green onion chives. Set aside.

Scrub potatoes well. Chop into even, generous chunks.
HINT: This dish tastes great whether you utilize Russet Brown, Red Rose, or Yukon Gold taters. No matter which you use, LEAVE THE SKIN ON! They are both healthier and tastier that way. Though, if you do go with the brownies, I suggest peeling 2 or 3 of the potatoes due to the heavier skin these spuds tend to have.

Fill a large pot halfway with water. Add half the sliced garlic and the teaspoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil.

Take the other half of the sliced garlic and place into tin foil. Drizzle with the olive oil and create a foil tent. Roast garlic in 350° toaster or conventional oven for 15-20 minutes, until tender.

While water is heating up (before it gets to a boil so as to reduce the chance of scalding yourself), and all the salt has dissolved, carefully add the potatoes. Allow to reach a boil and continue to cook until potato chunks are easily penetrated by a fork.

When fully cooked, strain potatoes well in colander, being sure to reserve the boiled garlic slices, as well. Immediately place strained taters into large bowl. Add butter, milk, sour cream, cream cheese, chives, and roasted “gah-lick” to bowl. Salt and pepper to taste.

Use a potato masher for it’s intended employ until the desired consistency of the taters are reached … some like ’em chunky while others like ’em creamy. You can also add more sour cream and/or milk at this point, if needed.

Serve as a side to a multitude of different dishes. Of course, they are perfect for Thanksgiving dinner. Though, they are served here with Korean Pork Chops (Daeji Galbi) and Sauteed Asian Veggies.

The entire Caveclan wishes you a safe and savory Thanksgiving!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cook Time = 20 minutes
Serves 6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Oven-Baked Cave Chips

This recipe was honored with a FoodBuzz Top 9!

Finally! A chance to share a recipe or two!! And, this one is yummy, yummy, in my tummy!!! Nothing better than homemade potato chips … especially when they are made in a somewhat healthy way. Best of all, they are easy as can be to make.

INGREDIENTS

2 Russet Potaotes
2 Cups Water
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Salt
Seasonings to taste

RECIPE

Scrub potatoes well and rinse with cool water. LEAVE THE SKIN ON!

Cut potatoes in half, crosswise. Slice thinly with food processor and slicing disk.
HINT #1: You can use a mandolin, or even a sharp knife, to carefully slice the chips as thinly as possible by hand. But, when someone like the Cave-in-laws give you a food processor for a gift, this is a great recipe to break it out for! Plus, it makes life a whole lot easier!! Be sure to put the flat cut side of the tater down into the processor for more uniform slices.

Place water and salt into a large bowl and whisk until salt is dissolved. Place potato slices into the saltwater and let sit for 20 minutes. Then, drain well in a colander.

When potatoes are completely drained, place back into large bowl, add olive oil, and toss gently until all slices are evenly coated.

Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with non-stick spray. Arrange slices in a single layer on the cookie sheets. Place into oven for 12-15 minutes (depending on your oven and altitude).

When chips are golden brown and crispy, remove from oven. Immediately place into a bowl and lightly season to taste, toss gently.
HINT #2: If chips haven’t cooked evenly, remove the browned ones and return the rest to the oven for another couple of minutes until done.
HINT #3: For these, I used Garlic Salt for seasoning. But, you are only limited by your imagination as to what you can use. Dried Italian Herbs, Onion Powder, Parmesan Cheese, Cayenne Pepper, even the cheese seasoning from a box of mac & cheese will work well on these.

Serve as a side dish to your favorite sandwich, hamburger, hot dog, or just as a delicious snack. Enjoy!

Prep Time = 30 minutes
Cooking Time = 12-15 Minutes
Serves 4

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Roasted Red Balsamic Potatoes

Yeah, I know … been a while since I posted a new recipe. Been dealing with a family emergency. So, I deserve a little slack. 😉 To make up for it, I’m giving you a very tasty dish that really compliments just about any main course … beef, chicken, pork, fish, you name it!

INGREDIENTS

4 Medium-Large Red Potatoes
2-3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Garlic, minced (approx. 4 cloves)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, finely chopped
Salt & Pepper To Taste

RECIPE

Preheat oven to 420°. Scrub and rinse potatoes. Then, cut them into bite sized wedges. LEAVE THE SKIN ON!

Mince garlic and chop basil.

In a large bowl, place potatoes, garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined.

Evenly coat a large cookie sheet or baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Evenly distribute them, trying to keep the skin side down. Place into oven.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until potatoes become golden brown along the edges (These probably could have used another 5 minutes, but everyone was starving and all the other dishes were ready 🙂 ). Remove from oven, and immediately drizzle balsamic vinegar over the potatoes. The vinegar should begin to sizzle and caramelize. Toss the potatoes until they are completely basted in the vinegar.

Serve potatoes with other dishes of choice. Pictured here with Steak ala Cave and a steamed artichoke.

HINT: Got leftover taters? Just cover and refrigerate until morning. Then, in a skillet, saute some onions and minced garlic in olive oil and, when onions are translucent, add the leftover potatoes. Continue to cook until taters are thoroughly warmed. BOOM … now you have some incredible home-style Breakfast Potatoes!

Prep Time = 10 minutes
Cook Time = 30-35 minutes
Serves 4-6

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This recipe originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at https://cavemancooking.wordpress.com authored by Caveman. This recipe may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Mom’s Day

As posted earlier today, I had high hopes for a fun and flavor-filled day to celebrate the Cavewoman’s daily gargantuan task of motherhood. Yet, I started the day in fear. Fear that Robert Burns’ often paraphrased line, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”, would come true today. But, my Mother’s Day Fairy Godmother must have been on her game because the only plan that didn’t go as planned was our Steamed Artichoke lunch. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
With both Cavemom and Cavemom-in-law both out of town for the big day, we were left to a very intimate Caveclan celebration. The day started with cards and presents, which included a certificate for a foot massage and a planter full of tulips that were about to bloom. They didn’t stay in the planter very long, though, as the C-woman had a perfect spot in the backyard for them. So I donned the gardening gear and made quick work of the first Mom’s Day honey-do of the day.

Next, it was time for breakfast. I “whipped up” some Cavetaters and went to work on a veggie-friendly Eggs Benedict that subbed out the traditional piece of ham or Canadian bacon for a slice of vine ripened tomato. Unfortunately, the Benedict process is too labor-intensive to be able to make it and shoot photos at the same time. So, I can’t post the recipe … yet! It was such a hit that I will be making it again later this week and the Cavewoman has agreed to handle the camera work. Until then, you’ll just have to enjoy the view:

Afterwards, I was delighted to hear from my wife that this version was better than what she gets at her favorite restaurant for Eggs Benedict … and that she was “not just sucking up by saying that!” 😆
After such a filling meal we had no room for dessert and, in a few hours, didn’t have room for our planned lunch of steamed artichokes. But, around 1:30pm the Mom’s Day girl decided that our skipped dessert would make a great “lunch” … and who was I to argue?!? 😉 Now, I wish I could take credit for the Cheese Filled Crumb Coffee Cake that graced our plates. But, Entenmann’s makes one of the very few store-bought desserts that make it into our house. Though, for good reason – it is THE BOMB! Well, it was the bomb until today, when I added some Cognac marinated Mint Strawberries to the equation. Oh my! Now, it’s THE BOMB!!

On a side note, next week we’ll be doing our first “Secret Ingredient” theme with several recipes posted that will include the special element. I’ll give you a hint … the first secret ingredient can be found in the strawberry recipe.
After some football, soccer, Crazy Eights, and some light house cleaning to prep for some family visitors expected this week, it was time to start working on dinner. Again, a bit labor intensive, but well worth it! A Baby Greens Salad with Caramelized Red Pears, Candied Pecans, and Goat Cheese got the meal started. (Recipe should be up tomorrow)

For the main course, one of my wife’s favorite dishes in the world was on the docket – King Crab Risotto with Artichoke Hearts and Pine Nuts. Of course, being the herbivore that she is, Cavewoman got hers sans crustacean. The Cavekids and I, however, enjoyed the crab-filled version that the recipe’s name suggests. Best of all, everyone was completely satiated by meal’s end.

Needless to say, after all this fun, frolic and flavor I am cooked! Yet, it was all worth it to hear the Cavewoman say, shortly before hitting the hay, that she had a “great day”. Funny thing is, she wasn’t the only one! 🙂

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.

Peeling A Multi-Layered Potato

As you know, a potato is no onion. That is to say, a tater only has two layers: the skin and the starch. This post, contrarily, will have several layers. Yet, it will still pay homage to the layer-declined tuber.
First, however, a quick update on dad. The good news is that he continues to, once again, be able to swallow small amounts of water and pureed food. Hence, the end is no longer as imminent as we believed it to be just a week ago. Of course, the insidious disease that has put him in his near vegetative state remains cureless and will eventually regain it’s dominion over his ability to sustain himself. I thank each of you that has offered support and sympathy in this difficult time … I can’t begin to describe the comfort and succor it has given to my family and me.
Secondly, a quick update on the new cave. We have just three more days to complete all the work we need to get done before moving day. Yes, the pressure is on. Yes, I am having great doubt that I can meet that deadline for all my projects and packing. Yes, I am freaking out! 😮 To add to my feelings of dread, the weather report is calling for a huge storm this Saturday … moving day. Can we buy a break?!? The good news: the Cavewoman loved the light fixtures I picked up for the bathrooms. One thing (actually five things) I won’t have to return!
Thirdly, did anyone else notice that yesterday was “Countdown Day”? (3/2/10)
And, lastly, I have been feeling very guilty about not being able to post anything here food related in the past week or so. Getting ready for our northward migration has not only limited my writing time, it has pretty much wiped out any chance for me to do some cave-cooking. So, it is with great delight that I get to share with you the awesome tater tip below, sent to me by the Cave-in-laws.
My excitement exists on several levels (ie. layers). Obviously, I finally get a long overdue culinary concept published on this cyber-rag, and it really is a great tip. But, perhaps the most arousing part is that it is delivered by Dawn Wells who played Mary Ann on the infamous sitcom “Gilligan’s Island”. Growing up, nearly every heterosexual male I encountered had a thing for Ginger – the voluptuous actress stranded on the uncharted, yet often visited, island along with six other castaways. My “thing”, however, was always for the unassuming, Daisy-duke clad, Kansas farm girl played by Ms. Wells to whom time has been extremely kind (ie. she is still hot! ;)). So, it was with incredible glee that I watched the following and made plans to try the next time a potato needs peeling:

On a side note, I find it amazing that GI has received such legendary status considering that it only lasted three seasons on network TV. Though, back then, a season consisted of 30+ episodes, as opposed to today where as few as 6 shows may constitute a season. With 98 different episodes to choose from, syndication was what made this show such an enduring hit that will actually spawn a major motion picture to be released later this year. IMHO, the incredible post-cancellation success of shows like GI and Star Trek are proof that many, if not most, television executives have no idea what the heck they are doing. But, that is fodder for a whole other subject on a different forum.

©2010 Caution: Caveman Cooking/UHearMe, Inc. All rights reserved. This originally appeared on the Caution: Caveman Cooking blog at http://cavemancooking.net authored by Caveman. This may be shared and reprinted as long as this entire copyright message accompanies it.