Mark Karney
St. Louis Seasoning
When Natalie and I go to St. Louis to visit Kevin, Katy, Evan, and Nicholas, we usually have breakfast at one of the First Watch restaurants. They are a breakfast/lunch-only restaurant and their menu is unique with fresh and healthy … Continue reading →
Beware Kosher Salt!
Now, there is really nothing wrong with Kosher Salt except for the fact there are two distinctly different types, and if you use the wrong kind you will really mess up your recipe. When we so to St. Louis to … Continue reading →
New Section on Tips & Techniques
I decided to depart from the “recipes only” format and add a section on cooking tips and techniques. Now, that the kitchen remodeling is done and we have a nice new kitchen, I am spending more time honing my cooking … Continue reading →
Huevos Whatever
We were caught in a January Polar Vortex with temperatures in the minus range and I needed to drive Natalie to work since her car wouldn’t start. I knew I had part of a loaf of multigrain bread left for … Continue reading →
Fritatta with Avocado, Cucumber and Arugula
When Natalie and I travel we often stay at Marriott Couryard’s and usually have breakfast in their Bistro. My favorite item on the breakfast menu was their eggwhite frittata. They have changed their menu and still offer the frittata, but … Continue reading →
Summer Potato Salad With Tomatoes and Olives
Here’s a potato salad that makes use of summer vegetables and is lighter than traditional potato salad and should hold up better in the heat because it contains no mayonnaise or eggs. It’s also delicious! I found the basic recipe idea … Continue reading →
Grandma Jeanne’s Calico Beans
We have been blessed to live in a friendly and loving neighborhood since the boys were very young, and participated in many picnics and parties with our neighbors. Everyone had their specialty item, and Charlotte Welch always made a pot … Continue reading →
Towne Shoppe’s Hamburger Soup
Years ago, there was a Soda Fountain/Magazine Shop in downtown Barrington called the Towne Shoppe. I think it had been there forever. There was the typical long counter that you would find in a Soda Fountain along with the requisite … Continue reading →
Pureed Celery Root
We are always looking for new vegetables and interesting ways to serve them. Celery root or celeriac is a root vegetable that probably most people aren’t familiar with. It is rich in fiber and vitamins and has less than half … Continue reading →
Chili Cheese Balls
We made this recipe quite often in the past and recently made it again and remembered how good these cheese balls were. This is a relatively easy recipe to make and a bit different than the usual fare. They are … Continue reading →
Asian Turkey Burgers
When we went to St. Louis to view the 2017 eclipse, Kevin and Katy built a party around the event and served these luscious Asian Turkey Burgers. They reminded us of our Porkies (Barbecued Pork Patties) on this site, but are probably a … Continue reading →
Oven Dried Tomatoes
Dried Plum Tomatoes are absolutely luscious. The drying process intensifies the flavor and sweetness. These dried tomatoes freeze well and pulling out a package in the dead of winter, returns you instantly to the taste of fresh tomatoes from the … Continue reading →
Tortellini with Castelvetrano Olives, Grape Tomatoes, & Basil
Castelvetrano olives are a real joy. I discovered them in the Olive Bar at our local Heinan’s grocery store and have become addicted. They are buttery in flavor and not overly salty. They are great for snacking or in recipes. (Buy … Continue reading →
Croutons (For Soup or Salad)
There is nothing like freshly made croutons to add the perfect finishing touch to a soup or a salad. I’ve been making these for a while and never thought much of it. I recently made them with soup for my … Continue reading →
Apple Bran Nut Muffins
This is one of my favorites for a quick, healthy breakfast. I developed this recipe when the boys were young to try and come up with a muffin that wasn’t loaded with sugar, saturated fat and empty calories. It has … Continue reading →
Ginger-Garlic Spicy Asian Soup
I created this recipe a number of years ago for Natalie when she was suffering from a bit of a cold since she is a big fan of ginger, garlic, and hot peppers. It provided some relief and we’ve been … Continue reading →
Butternut Squash Soup
Print Butternut Squash Soup Recipe by: Mark Karney Category: Soup American I always hate to see the warm days of summer go, but one bright spot as the cold short days of fall and winter arrive is a nice hot … Continue reading →
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa with Avocados
Since I’ve been growing Tomatillos in the garden, I’ve been looking for new recipes to use them in. I found a couple interesting recipes on the web and adapted them to my own tastes and came up with this one. … Continue reading →
Baked Zucchini Appetizer
We’re always looking for Zucchini recipes. Here is a great appetizer with a fraction of the calories of breaded zucchini. Thanks to Marilyn Aliede for introducing us to this one. Print Baked Zucchini Appetizer Recipe by: Mark Karney Category: All, … Continue reading →
Natalie’s Pasta Salad
Natalie’s pasta salad is a group favorite at summer gatherings. She gets lots of requests for it, and it keeps well in the summer heat. Print Natalie’s Pasta Salad Recipe by: Mark Karney Category: All, Pasta, Salads, Vegetables, Vegetarian Ingredients … Continue reading →
Vegetable Picnic Sandwiches
The idea for this came from and old Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery that we’ve had since we were first married. As usual, it has been modifies for our taste and for ease of preparation. These are nice, light, summer … Continue reading →
Smoked Salmon, Basil and Zucchini Appetizer
This is a quick, delicious, summer appetizer that I came up with. We’re always looking for new uses for zucchini. I will usually make this from the first zucchini off the vine and it celebrates the beginning of the summer … Continue reading →
Roasted Garlic & Rosemary Hummus
This recipe has been very popular to those who have tried it, so I feel compelled to add one more Hummus recipe to the website. I’m not sure that it is technically Hummus as it is made from Cannelini beans … Continue reading →
Avocado Toast
I’m always looking for healthy breakfast alternatives. Most American breakfast foods are laden with fat, sugar and refined carbs, and oatmeal with fruit gets a little old after a while. Avocado toast is a quick, healthy breakfast that uses fresh … Continue reading →
Char’s Zucchini Pancakes
About August we are looking for as many ways as possible to use up the zucchini that is overtaking the garden. Our neighbor, Charlotte Welch, came up with this recipe for zucchini pancakes. It’s the best we’ve ever found. They … Continue reading →
Natalie’s Potato Salad
Everybody loves Natalie’s potato salad and the boys have all wanted the recipe, but it was never written down. Finally, I had Natalie make the salad and I stopped her at each step, measuring as we went. Forcing her to … Continue reading →
Mom’s Nut Roll (Dios)
My paternal Grandmother, Helen Kun Karney, immigrated to the United States at the tender age of 16, in 1901. She married my grandfather, Steven Karney in 1904; they both came from the same town in Hungary, Battyan. Dios (‘dee-oshe) or … Continue reading →
Mom’s Nut Roll (Dios) – Vegan Version
My grandmother certainly had no concept of Veganism in her day. But, times change and I have a number of friends who became Vegan this year, some of whom I have gifted at Christmas with nut roll and Kifli. I … Continue reading →
Kifli – Hungarian Cookies
Kifli is another Hungarian Christmas tradition that I remember well, and they were always my favorite of the Christmas cookies. Growing up, we called them Kiffles, which is the anglicized version of Kifli. I had never made them until long … Continue reading →