The Small Town Chef

Sticky, smoky, sweet and just spicy enough—with fresh pineapple getting its own turn on the grill. There are certain recipes that almost seem made for summer grilling, and Huli Huli chicken is one of them. Sweet pineapple, salty soy, ginger, garlic and a sticky glaze hitting a hot grill? I'm already interested. Add juicy chicken thighs, fresh pineapple rounds and a couple of jalapeños straight from the garden, and now we're talking. Huli Huli chicken is Hawaiian-style grilled chicken marinated and glazed with a sweet-savory mixture of pineapple, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. My version uses boneless chicken thighs, fresh grilled pineapple and garden jalapeños for a little extra heat. Huli Huli chicken originated in Hawai‘i in the 1950s, when Ernest Morgado began grilling his teriyaki-style chicken for gatherings and fundraisers. Huli means “turn”—a reference to turning the chicken over the fire as it cooked. That repeated turning and glazing is still part of what ...

Different cultures. Different ingredients. The same idea: something fresh, bright and acidic to make simply cooked food come alive. Put a steak over the fire in Argentina and there’s a good chance chimichurri sauce isn’t far away. Braise a veal shank in Milan and gremolata shows up at the end. Grill fish in North Africa and you may reach for chermoula. Fold grilled meat into a warm tortilla in Mexico and pico de gallo does much the same job. Different countries. Different ingredients. Same basic instinct. Rich, smoky, roasted or simply cooked food often needs something fresh, sharp and aromatic to bring it back to life. And that may be what I like most about chimichurri. It isn’t really about making a complicated sauce. It’s about understanding balance. What Is Chimichurri Sauce? Chimichurri is an uncooked herb sauce associated with  Argentina & Uruguay , traditionally built around parsley, garlic, oregano, chile, vinegar and oil. It’s best known alongside grilled meats, but it...

Sometimes the best recipes begin in your neighbor's garden. Every summer it happens. Someone plants two zucchini plants, convinced they'll harvest a few vegetables for the grill. After a couple of months, they're walking the neighborhood, looking for anyone willing to take one, or more, home. That was me. My neighbor showed up with zucchini as big as my forearm and thicker than my fist. Two, actually. After making zucchini bread , grilling a few slices, and adding it to pasta, I still had enough left to feed a small village. So instead of making another side dish, I turned it into dinner. Not just any dinner—a crisp, cheesy flatbread layered with sweet onions, roasted garlic , creamy ricotta, fresh herbs, and enough mozzarella and Parmesan to hold everything together. The zucchini becomes silky and almost buttery after it's cooked down, while the roasted garlic melts into every bite. It's simple food, made from ingredients many of us already have growing in the gard...

How to Make Wellness Goals and Self-Care Habits Stick I’m happy to welcome fellow blogger Carrie Spencer back to The Small Town Chef. This time, she’s taking on something many busy parents know all too well: the challenge of making room for wellness and self-care when work, family, and everyday responsibilities already fill the calendar. As Carrie explains, the answer usually isn’t a complete lifestyle overhaul, but a few realistic habits that are easier to repeat when life gets busy...     For busy parents juggling work, kids, and the mental load at home, wellness goals often start with good intentions and end in quiet guilt.   The core tension is simple: self-care challenges don’t disappear when schedules get packed, and maintaining healthy habits can feel like one more demand in a day that already has too many.   Stress, unpredictable routines, and fading motivation make even basic routines hard to repeat, especially when “doing it right” feels like the only...

When the Fishmonger Sends You Home with Dinner My sister-in-law works at our local farmers market, which means she has access to some pretty wonderful food and produce. Every so often, as the weekend winds down, the market fishmonger has a little extra seafood that needs a good home. Thanks to their generosity—and her perfect timing—we sometimes get to take advantage of it. That’s how a few tilapia fillets recently found their way into my kitchen. Tilapia piccata is a quick skillet dinner featuring lightly floured fish in a bright sauce made with lemon, capers, white wine, and butter. I serve it with a simple garlic butter rice —or what I call scampi-style rice —finished with plenty of fresh parsley. Together, they make a complete dinner in about 40 minutes. Tilapia is mild, lean, and quick-cooking, which makes it a natural fit for piccata. A light coating of flour gives the fish a delicate golden crust, while the lemon-caper pan sauce makes a simple fillet feel like something specia...