The Odessa Record -

November and December are often filled with many family and community gatherings. Potluck meals call for easy transport and keep warm dishes. Pinterest and recipe blogs fill our... — Updated 11/23/2022

Thanksgiving menus are on the minds of many area cooks. Turkey, beef roast, ham, or a combination? What sides and desserts will fit in range and refrigerator space? What oven... — Updated 11/18/2022

Casseroles are perfect for fall days. Fragrant and warm from the oven, they make for cozy evening meals. Casseroles that are quick to fix or easy to prepare ahead are a boon to area... — Updated 10/27/2022

What can you do with a pound of ground beef when you are in a hurry, everyone is starving, and it is less than an hour before the next event deadline? Try Easy Skillet Beef and... — Updated 10/13/2022

Fall and winter root crops, potatoes, carrots and rutabagas are showing up in farmers markets and produce aisles. Winter squash will soon follow. John Madden’s Thick Beef Vegetabl... — Updated 10/7/2022

September and October bring more fall festivals and celebrations. Many feature an Oktoberfest theme and bake sales are a common attraction. Lebkucken, a German heritage recipe, is... — Updated 9/15/2022

School starting, community fairs and festivals and a return to routine schedules call for easy to prepare meals, as well as specialty items for bake sales and festival events.... — Updated 9/1/2022

Gooseberries, an old fashioned fruit, born on prickly branches that deter even our local voracious scabland deer, were plentiful this year. I did a little experimenting with kuchen... — Updated 8/18/2022

Zucchini, early peaches and watermelons; all seasonal summer delights. Yes, you can buy most fruits and vegetables year round, but local and fresh is always best. I recently tried... — Updated 8/4/2022

Summertime is berry time. Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are most common. Strawberry Shortcake is a favorite of many and was the GoOdessa Summer Recreation Cooking with... — Updated 7/21/2022

Summer side dishes are in demand with warmer weather finally arriving. Barbecues, picnics and other outdoor events calling for a dish to share fill calendars. Salads are an easy, po... — Updated 6/30/2022

Cool and rainy weather makes for a productive rhubarb year. I was asked how to freeze rhubarb so it works well in recipes. Freezing rhubarb is easy. Just slice or dice to desired si... — Updated 6/16/2022

Rhubarb and asparagus, early spring produce offerings, are in abundant supply currently. Those who pickle asparagus should plan to get this done soon, as asparagus season will be wi... — Updated 6/2/2022

April showers bring May flowers. Easter celebrations bring spring menus to mind. Some menus include traditional ham, others a roast leg of lamb. Every family has a variety of... — Updated 4/14/2022

Luau themes are popular for spring and summer gatherings. Leis and Hawaiian print décor and clothing, set the mood. Outdoors, tiki torches and grass table skirting add an island... — Updated 3/24/2022

Welcome to all in our expanded readership. The Welcome to My Kitchen column first appeared in The Odessa Record on March 11, 2004, as a monthly feature. Within a month, by reader... — Updated 3/10/2022

Are the tulips coming up? Is it snowing again? Eastern Washington weather keeps us guessing. Shelly Hauge’s recipe for “Ultimate Potato Soup” is a favorite at area soup... — Updated 2/24/2022

Valentines Day provides opportunities for cooks and bakers to show off culinary skills. Biscuits and cookies may be cut in heart shapes. Heart stencils will produce valentine embell... — Updated 2/10/2022

January is a good time to try new recipes. In theory, life has slowed, the holiday rush is past and winter weather keeps us indoors. Since our last column I have tried a number of... — Updated 1/27/2022

ODESSA – The Odessa Chamber of Commerce met Jan. 11. Colley Walter presented a proposal to offer presale orders of Deutschesfest Biergarten German Sausage. Orders would have to be... — Updated 1/19/2022

Crazy weather, causing extended travel delays has cleared area store shelves of a number of often-used ingredients. Items with a short shelf life are quickly bought up and stores... — Updated 1/13/2022

Cooking for a crowd can lead to leftovers. Hosts want to make sure there is plenty for everyone, and if the number attending is in flux, estimating amounts is difficult. At family... — Updated 12/29/2021