Daddy's Home by Tony Rubino and Gary Markstein for August 03, 2013

Do you have any culinary specialties?

I’ve got a few seasonal favorites that I’m good at, but otherwise I don’t knock myself out.

I bake more than cook, but popular with guests is “Chicken Delicious” out of my Five-Ingredient Cookbook. No recipe in the cookbook has more than five ingredients.

Magician with the grill

That’s one way to keep it all to yourself.

I’ve got one mean dialing finger. :-DI don’t enjoy cooking. I have a few staple dishes that go to parties and seem to be enjoyed. Cheesy green bean casserole, cheesy potatoes, creamy corn pudding and a few different desserts.

I make an excellent Waldorf Salad – and I’m a wizard when it comes to all the side dishes for a big holiday meal.

Right now I’m doing everything vegetarian, but I DO generally always cook everything from scratch because I don’t trust food companies (and mine taste better). I picked up a recipe from Chef Tess for almond crackers (2 flavors mixing my OWN spices, not hers) and the last dessert contest I won was with homemade puff pastry that I’ve made since my teens.

hmmmm too many to list, but my most requested are my Shrimp Creole, any of my smoked creations and my brick oven breads

I try to do they four ingredient dish. Get four ingredients and see how they fit together. Sweet pumpkin pie, chicken corn chowder, and cakes have all been winners using this concept. I love spices.

And how could I forget mu gnocchi, lasagne and ham pot pie!

I’m a decent “cook-from-scratcher.”

Don’t care to cook much, but I make a good Brunswick stew, and I’m known for my sourdough bread.