The Small Town Chef

  A backyard-ready take on classic carne asada with a punchy red marinade, fire-roasted salsa, and real-deal grill flavor There’s a certain moment every year when the weather finally breaks—when the grill cover comes off, the beer gets colder, and suddenly everything just needs to be cooked over fire. This past week, I decided to try ArnieTex’s legendary carne asada red marinade —and yeah… this one hits. Not subtle. Not quiet. This is bold, backyard, feed-a-crowd kind of food. 👉 I’ve linked my streamlined recipe card if you want to cook without the scroll. A Quick Detour (Because This Is Real Life Cooking) Traditionally, you’re reaching for skirt steak here. It’s the classic—thin, beefy, built for high heat and quick slicing. But I didn’t have skirt steak. What I did have was a small, beef tenderloin roast. So I butterflied it, opened it up into a thinner cut, and let it ride in that marinade. And here’s the thing… It worked beautifully. Different? Sure. Less chewy, more tender, ...

Every now and then, I like to bring in voices that align with what this space is all about—real food, practical ideas, and making the kitchen feel a little more approachable. Carrie Spencer is one of those people. While we haven’t met in person, I’ve come to know her as someone who shares a thoughtful, grounded approach to food and family. Take a peak at her website and blog for more. In this piece, Carrie takes on a challenge just about every parent has faced at some point: getting kids to not just eat vegetables, but actually enjoy them. What I appreciate here is the focus on long-term habits over quick fixes. It’s not about winning one dinner—it’s about shaping how kids relate to food over time. She breaks things down into simple, doable strategies that fit into real life, not some idealized version of it. If you’ve ever found yourself negotiating over broccoli at the table, you’re going to find something useful here. Take a read—there’s a lot to like in this one.    A Pra...

The smooth, creamy onion sauce you didn’t know you needed, but will use on everything. Some of the best things in cooking start with onions. They’re the quiet foundation of countless dishes—soups, sauces, braises, and sautés. But every once in a while, onions step out of the background and become the star. That’s exactly what happens with Soubise , a classic French sauce that transforms humble onions into something silky, elegant, and deeply flavorful. If you’ve never made Soubise before, think of it as a luxurious onion sauce. Smooth, gently sweet, and incredibly versatile. It’s just as comfortable spooned under roast chicken as it is paired with seafood or roasted vegetables. It’s also one of those classic techniques that’s surprisingly simple once you know the technique. What Is Soubise? Soubise is a traditional French sauce built around slowly cooked onions that are blended into a smooth, creamy purée. In its classical form, the sauce combines onions with a light béchamel . Many m...

Why some dishes taste flat, and the simple ingredients that fix it instantly. There’s a moment in cooking I run into all the time.   You taste something. Salt’s right. Texture’s good. Everything looks the part. Smells good too. But the flavor just feels… a little too polite.   Most of the time, when food tastes flat, it’s not missing salt—it’s missing depth.   That’s when I start thinking about umami .   Usually it only takes one small move—a spoonful of tomato paste, a shaving of Parmesan , maybe a splash of soy sauce—and suddenly the whole dish wakes up.   That’s the power of umami. And once you understand how it works, you start seeing opportunities to use it everywhere.   What Is Umami? Umami is often described as savory , but I think of it more as depth .   It’s what makes broth taste rich.
 It’s why aged cheese is so satisfying.
 It’s what gives a slow-cooked sauce that “you can’t stop eating this” quality.   Scientifically, umami comes from...

There are desserts that look like you spent the entire afternoon baking… and then there are desserts that let puff pastry do most of the work. This tart falls firmly into the second category. I’ve always loved the combination of pears and goat cheese . The fruit brings gentle sweetness, the cheese adds that bright tang, and together they strike a really nice balance. After seeing a version over at Sally's Baking Addiction, I started thinking about how to build on the idea. Instead of layering raw pears over the pastry, I give them a quick poach in white wine with citrus and spice. Just enough to infuse flavor and soften them slightly. They’ll finish cooking in the oven, so keeping them a little firm at this stage is key. Both sheets of puff pastry get pressed together and rolled into one larger rectangle, giving us plenty of room for a generous layer of honeyed goat cheese, neatly fanned pears, and a sprinkle of sliced almonds for crunch. The result is flaky, creamy, lightly swe...