Carol Ann Kates

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Tantalizing odors oozing from the kitchen. The laughter and gentle buzz of family gathered around the dinner table. It is a meal I prepare with loving care. Thanksgiving is not only a time to gather and give thanks but a time to enjoy traditional foods that span generations. And, it is the perfect time to get the whole family involved. Mashing potatoes is the perfect job for teenage boys. My grandmother Gladys always said the secret ingred

What is your favorite comfort food? One of our favorites is chicken and dumplings—fluffy, billowy dumplings atop delicious chicken soup. In our house, chicken and dumplings is the perfect ending to chilly, autumn days. Of late, we have been trying to eat more veggies. My husband requested chicken and dumplings, so when making it this last week, I added green beans, peas, turnips, and parsnips to the veggie mix I normally put into my chicken soup. He loved it. Have More Veggie

One of my favorite things about autumn is the comforting smell of apple pie baking in the oven. I love the aroma of baking apples seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg filling my kitchen with the flavors of fall. When I don’t have the time or energy to make a perfect-looking pie crust, I make crostatas or galettes. Crostata is the Italian version of a rustic, free-form, open fruit tart. The French call this same dessert a galette. These desserts are not make in a pie dish but rat

Perfect for cold, autumn suppers, carbonada is a classic Chilean dish. It is a hearty, flavorful stew made with beef and a variety of seasonal vegetables. Chilean cooks make their stews with potatoes, onions, and carrots just like we do, but they also add corn and peas. In the fall, they add winter squash or pumpkin. The consistency of Chilean carbonada can be thick and stew-like or more brothy like a soup. Traditional Chilean recipes I’ve looked at often add chopped red

Last week I shared a former co-worker’s recipe for Indian Fry Bread, which got me reminiscing about the years I worked for Northwest Exploration Company, located on 15th and Lawrence Street in Denver, just a hop, skip, and a jump from Larimer Square. At that time Larimer Square was filled with quaint shops and wonderful restaurants—the Magic Pan, Platte River Yacht Club, Laffite’s, the Bratskellar, Josephina’s, Café Promenade, and Soapy Smith’s. I could only afford to have lu

My husband and I recently took a driving trip through the Wind River Indian Reservation, the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone National Park,...

Pollo scapariello, also known as Shoemaker’s chicken, is a rustic Italian-American dish made with seared chicken thighs, sausage, and...

Pollo scapariello, also known as Shoemaker’s chicken, is a rustic Italian-American dish made with seared chicken thighs, sausage, and...

It was my turn to take dessert to my PEO meeting this last week. Apple squares seemed like the perfect autumn treat, and this recipe...

Green Hatch chiles are in season from August to September, although depending upon weather conditions, these chile peppers can be...

This flavorful soup is our new favorite to eat as we transition from summer to fall. Like many soups, it is tastier the next day, so it’s...

Empanadas are fried, baked, or grilled pastry turnovers that originated in Spain. They are popular entrées, appetizers, or snacks in...

My husband and I had intended to grow jalapeño peppers this year but instead came home with a shishito pepper plant. When we discovered...

My way of showing affection is making my family and friends their favorite foods. In a recent discussion with my son-in-law, Ryan, he...

Since I started doing social media, I learned that there is a national food holiday for every day of the year. August 8 is “Sneak some...

In listening to the business news recently, Stew Leonard, Jr., President and CEO of Stew Leonard’s Farm Fresh Foods®, was interviewed...

We recently celebrated three July birthdays—my grandson, Aiden, who turned 16, my daughter, Leelee, and son-in-law, Josh. Their ages...

When I was little girl and peaches were in season, every summer without fail my mother made the most delicious peach pie. We would wait...

Most of the recipes I share in my blog are recent creations. I do, however, often share recipes from my cookbook, “Secret Recipes from...

More and more, we are finding both beef barbacoa and birria on the menu at Mexican restaurants. What is the difference? Birria is a dish...