One of the unexpected benefits of owning a restaurant is becoming friends with some of your customers. I play a little game with my 4 year-old nephew in which he asks me to name all the people that love him. I go through the usual list of family and then ask, who else? He will […]
A Bear Hug in a Bowl
Well, it’s finally that time of year again. Fall is upon us and the nights are steadily getting cooler and cooler and the sweet aroma of wood stoves and fireplaces are permeating the crisp air, football is playing loudly every Saturday, and the thought of a snow-covered landscape is possibly right around the corner. But […]
A Turkey Burger for National Burger Day
While doing some research for an article I may have found the Best Dang Government Turkey Black Bean Burger Recipe Ever. Heck, let’s take advantage of some well spent tax payer money! The majority of the recipes I feature from .gov websites on my radio show or on www.thedeckchef.com deal with heart healthy, diabetic, and […]
Apple Butter Pecan Pork Chops for the 4th of July
There are some things that just seem to go together. The Fourth of July, Pork Chops, apple butter, pecans and Double Cola are some of those things. The flavors mix well, it’s perfect for a fall recipe and the ingredients are easy to come by. In fact, you may have everything in your kitchen right now. This […]
Artichoke Chicken and Potatoes
Artichoke Chicken and Potatoes 3 to 4 Chicken Leg Quarters, w/skin 2 Cans Artichoke Hearts Quartered, Drained 1 Medium Onion, cut into 8ths 1 Pound Mushrooms Sliced 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard 3 Pounds Red Potatoes, quartered 2 Bay Leaves ½ tsp. Dried Tarragon ½ tsp. Dried Thyme ¼ Cup Chicken Stock ¼ Cup […]
Banana Bread
Sunday morning I realized the bananas that had been lingering in the fruit basket were way past their prime. The only thing to do with over ripe bananas is make banana bread and I did just that. This recipe comes from my Aunt Maria. Aunt Maria always made her own yoghurt, this was before making […]
BBQ Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Sometimes when you have only a few ounces of barbecue in the fridge you have to either make a skimpy sandwich or just grab a fork and enjoy the two or three bites. Either way, it seems like a waste. I hate skimpy pulled pork sandwiches and a few bites would just leave me wanting […]
Beef Stroganoff
It looks like it might be a blustery couple of days around these parts. Beef Stroganoff is good comfort food and makes for a quick weeknight meal. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Beef Stroganoff 1lb. Ground Beef 8 oz. Package Fresh Mushrooms, Chopped 1 Medium Onion, Diced 2 […]
Beer Bread Plain or with Barbecue
Beer Bread Plain or with Barbecue My wife Ally loves baking. She makes some wicked cookies and cakes and has been known to whip out impromptu snacks on a whim using cake batter, cereal, and chocolate as well as other assorted treats found in the pantry. But when it comes to beer bread, she leaves […]
Black Bean Hummus
Tuesday evening our little nephew spent the night with us and in the hour before bedtime we found ourselves teaching him how to play the classic Sorry! board game. It was rough going at first, because as it turns out, four-year olds prefer only to win. They also protest rather loudly should their pawn get […]
Black-Eyed Pea and Greens Soup
October 1st thru January 1st is my favorite time of year. It may be because I am an October baby, or it could be because we finally get a break from all that southern heat and humidity. Either way once we turn the October corner and the weather breaks there’s no denying it, the season […]
Blessings of the Bird Soup
It’s 11:15 pm Thanksgiving night, the last guest just left, arms loaded down with leftovers. I pushed the start button on the final load of dishes in the dishwasher, grabbed my coffee, and waddled my still stuffed self to the computer to share this recipe with you. I might have over bought in the turkey […]
Blueberry Coffee Cake
This past Sunday I hosted a little impromptu brunch for my family, inspired by my need to make this coffee cake. I had spied the recipe on one of my favorite recipe blogs a couple days before and I was eager to give it a go. Most coffee cake recipes result in a cake that […]
Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Editors Note: This recipe is compliments of Melissa Davenport, owner of Corner Cafe on Ringgold Road. Ms. Davenport will begin contributing stories on a weekly basis to ERNO about her culinary creations. It is about this point in the summer that we are all overrun with zucchini. We’ve sauteed it, fried it, eaten it […]
Buttermilk Biscuits
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. We took a few extra days off from the restaurant this past weekend and boy did I appreciate that time off. Rain makes me want to get in the kitchen and bake. I have no idea why, but it always has. This past Monday morning was no […]
Buttery, Salty, Delicious Croutons
Did you try the bread recipe from last week? If you did, then you probably have a heel or two of bread kicking around the kitchen right about now. Are you looking for something to do with that bread? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Make croutons, buttery, salty, garlicky, delicious croutons. I might be […]
Cherry Cobbler
Back in the summer I would have prayed for a cold day like today. At 5 A.M. This morning when I had to go out in the freezing cold to go to work, I was dreaming of summer. Isn’t that the way it always goes, we want the opposite of what we’ve got? I came […]
Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken pot pie is one of those dishes great for cleaning out the fridge and/or freezer. There are no set veggies for this pie, I pretty much wing it each time I make it throwing in veggie odds and ends leftover from the weeks meals. This can be one of your best money saving dinners, […]
Christmas Parade Spaghetti
Not many small towns come together like East Ridge when it comes to Christmas and the parade. Every year in the City of East Ridge, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is always host to the annual Christmas Parade. You know you’re getting close to parade time when the lighted Christmas trees and snowflakes go up […]
Cinnamon Sugar Dutch Puff
Hosting a big Christmas morning breakfast has been my thing for about ten years now. A typical Christmas morning looks like this: I rise early in the morning and start the preparations, friends and family arrive around ten, starving from all their present opening, and we feast. Everyone leaves, I wash all the dishes and […]
Cornbread Dressing
It’s almost Thanksgiving y’all! I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you the cornbread dressing recipe we use at the restaurant. This dressing recipe can be made ahead of time and tucked away in the freezer unbaked. On Thanksgiving morning you can pop it in the oven and bake until golden […]
Easiest Super Duper Big Bowl Game Wing Recipe Ever!
The Big Game is here and that means writers trying to figure out a way to work the NFL’s Championship game, known as the “Super Bowl” to sports fans, into articles and headlines. The issue is copywrite laws which rightfully protect the NFL’s products, names, logos etc. Which is why I’m making sure to explain […]
East Ridge Culinary Writer Fires up Great American Grilling!
Fire up the Grills and Smokers! Kent “The Deck Chef” Whitaker has released his newest backyard cooking inspire book titled “Great American Grilling – The Ultimate Backyard Barbecue and Tailgating Cookbook” just in time for Father’s Day. Kent, former winner of the Emeril Live / Food Network Barbecue Contest, says that this book is the […]
Easy Summer Squash Caserole
One summer morning a few years ago I took a drive up to Flat Top Mountain Farm to buy a case of Roma tomatoes for roasting and freezing. I arrived at the farm stand to find not only the boxes of tomatoes I was after, but boxes and boxes of yellow squash at a really […]
Edna Ruth Byler’s Potato Rolls
On a whim one day this week I decided to make potato rolls for our blue plate menu. It was the best decision I made all week. These rolls are made using a slight variation of a rather famous old Mennonite recipe called Edna Ruth Byler’s Potato Dough. This dough uses a bit of mashed […]
Edna Ruth’s Recipe Passes Muster with Firefighters
Last time I left you with a recipe for Edna Ruth Byler’s Potato rolls and a promise that I would experiment with the other goodies that could be made from her dough. I haven’t made it to the cinnamon roll experimenting yet, however today I managed to make a batch of glazed doughnuts from the […]
Father’s Day Grilling: Memphis Dry Rub Bone-In Country Style Pork Ribs!
Memphis style dry rubbed ribs are dry… but packed with juicy flavor! Here’s a way to bring some serious flavor to your bone-in country style pork ribs just in time for Father’s Day! This recipe is featured in my new cookbook Great American Grilling, which would make a great Father’s Day gift if you’ve […]
Food, Family, and Fellowship … the Only Gift We Need
The Christmas Season is always a time of hustle and bustle and anxiety of making sure you have purchased every last gift! While we get caught up in all of the traditions, holiday sales, and family drama; I feel like sometimes we truly lose the meaning of the entire holiday season. Now, I’m not trying […]
Game Night Rolls
Today I thought I would share with you a tasty little snack we make for family game night. I found out about these scrumptious treats while at a friends house. She made them for a get together, and let’s just say I don’t remember the occasion or who was at the party but I do […]
Gingersnaps … With a Little Less ‘Snap’
Growing up we hardly ever had cookies around the house. I don’t know if it was because no one really liked cookies, or because we were too pressed for time to make homemade and too frugal to pay for store bought. As a rare treat Mom might make a batch of chocolate oatmeal drop cookies. […]
Grilled Fourth of July Pork Ribs!
Happy Fourth of July Weekend! – Can you believe the holiday celebrating the birth of our county has all ready arrived? It seems like we were just handing out Halloween candy! When I talked to Dick Cook about this week’s article one topic popped into my mind! Pork Ribs! Now you can bet that grills will be fired up […]
Grilled Pizza; Easier Than You May Think!
Ally and I love just about anything cooked on the grill, and this goes for pizza as well. Yep, pizza cooked on the grill. Don’t worry. You won’t have to learn to toss dough over your head like those cool guys in high end pizza eateries. But I don’t think that would be fun […]
Grilled Shrimp & Mango Slaw
This recipe is all about preparing some Easy Grilled Shrimp and a tasty side! Summer grilling is getting started and that means plenty of grilled shrimp and other tasty items cooked over open flames! When it comes to shrimp I’m a sucker for serving them up with a side of cole slaw. But why use […]
Homemade Pizza
One of our favorite quick meals at our house is homemade pizza. Pizza can be made at home in less time than it takes to have a pizza delivered, and cheaper too depending on your topping choices. I am going to give you our basic pizza crust recipe and how we top a quick […]
Is it Called Barbecuing or Grilling?
My new book, Great American Grilling, is out and hitting the stores. I’m pretty proud of the book as it’s a combination of fun, history, food trivia, and of course great recipes. However; there has been one unexpected result. I’ve been emailed several times from fans asking questions the differences between outdoor cooking methods. The […]
It’s Blue and It’s New … Fernando’s
Ever since the bright royal blue beacon appeared along my travels down Ringgold Road, I have been waiting to see the glowing invitation of an “open” sign gracing its windows. It was through some Facebook chatter earlier this week that I learned the sign was lit: Fernando’s was open for business. Located at 5308 Ringgold […]
Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Restaurants Join Fight Against Breast Cancer
Orlando, Fla. (October 9, 2017) – Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurants has joined the fight against breast cancer through select menu and apparel items. During the month of October, a portion of the proceeds from Margaritaville’s Asiago Crab & Artichoke Dip with pink chips, Treasure Chests Pina Colada, and a Breast Cancer Awareness Pink tee will be […]
July Fourth Safe Cooking
The Fourth of July is nearing and that means it’s time to fire up the grills and smokers! Grilling, spending quality time with your family, enjoying delicious meals or having a neighborhood cookout all make for fantastic memories. Speaking of memories – here’s something you may have heard me say, or write in an article, […]
Kent’s Zesty Cheater Wings
Zesty Cheater Wings – Simple ingredients for a ZESTY taste. So why do I call them “Cheater Wings” Because this recipe is so easy it’s almost like cheating. Put a twist on chicken marinated in Italian dressing with a few quick and easy ingredient additions. This recipe is actually one of the first […]
Kent’s Slightly Spicy Crab Cakes
One of the recipe articles on my website this week was for my version of Slightly Spicy Crab Cakes. My mother-in-law Joan is in town for a week-long visit and before she came I asked my foodie question. It’s the same question I ask before every visit. “Any special recipe requests beside the ribs you […]
Lunch Box Granola Bars
Last week we closed the restaurant and took our first week long vacation, well “stay-cation” really, in two years. We slept late, went out for lunch, and got several projects accomplished around the house. It was relaxing, but you know what? By the end of the week I was READY to go back to work! […]
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
In a continued effort to save money and get healthier we are trying to eat more veggies and less takeout. This effort culminated in the creation of a new recipe this past Sunday. I really wanted take out Chinese food, REALLY wanted it. As my luck would have it recent plumbing work had depleted any fun […]
Miss Edna’s Cinnamon Rolls
I was planning to have this recipe for you last week but I ended up spending the week battling a nice bout of poison ivy instead. I managed to cook and work at the restaurant by day and retire to my Epsom salt baths and Benadryl comas by night. This morning however, I had enough […]
Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts
Pan Seared Brussels Sprouts 2 Pounds fresh Brussels Sprouts trimmed and cut in half 1 Medium Onion Diced 1 tbsp Olive Oil 8 Slices Bacon cut into ½ inch pieces 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar Salt and Pepper to taste Cook bacon until brown in a medium size skillet. Remove bacon from skillet and allow to […]
Pass the Green Stuff
Editor’s Note: To learn more about the Tennessee Rebel, click here. For all of you purists out there, I get it. That’s why I have waited until the week after Thanksgiving to start talking Christmas! You know your family is just as weird as mine, and we all have our quirky holiday traditions. Well, I want […]
Pesto Torte
Hey friends, how are your summer gardens doing? With the every other day watering the husband has been doing ours is performing well despite all this dry weather we are having lately. I have been overrun with the amount of basil I planted this year, who am I kidding, I always over plant basil. I […]
Q & A With ‘Heart Attack Shack’ Owner Brian Tipps
Brian, let’s begin by having you share something interesting about the Heart Attack Shack story? I guess I would say the story is still being written as the customer base grows. To my knowledge the furthest away someone lives that has eaten with us is from New York. These guys were in Tennessee for […]
Rainy Day Pancakes
I don’t know if it was the rainy weather this morning or some other cause, but we must have sold around three dozen of these pancakes today at our little restaurant. I had to make multiple batches of this batter this morning and decided on the last batch to snap a quick picture to share […]
Review: Ultimate BBQ Bundle by Big Time BBQ
Every once in a while I have the opportunity to test products associated with grilling and barbecue. I decided that readers of East Ridge Online News would enjoy hearing about some of the items that I get to play around with in the form of product reviews. A couple of weeks ago I found myself […]
Roasted Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Roasted Bacon Wrapped Asparagus 1 Bunch Fresh Asparagus ½ Pound Bacon Cut in Half 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil Salt and Pepper to Taste Cut bacon slices in half so that you end up with about 16 short slices. Wash asparagus and trim down the woody stems about 1 inch. Group two to three […]
Roasted Potato Salad
Several years ago I found this recipe while searching for additional ways to use cilantro. Oh I have my my trusted guacamole, salsa, and city-style tacos, but I was needing something more. I don’t remember now where I stumbled across the recipe, perhaps the internet or a cookbook. The original was printed neatly on my […]
Rugelach
The recipe I am sharing with you today is a new one to me. Until this week I’d never heard of rugelach before. Being the kind, self sacrificing, person that I am, I took it upon myself to make and test several batches of rugelach just so I could report back to you with a […]
Southwest Corn Salad
Yesterday morning as I opened the back door to head out to work I expected to be greeted with the same warm, humid air we’ve grown accustom to this summer. I was instead, pleasantly surprised that the air was crisp, cool and contained the slightest hint that fall is just around the corner. We even […]
Spinach Pie
In our most recent quest for better health the husband and I have been watching our diet. You know the drill, more fruits and veggies…less meat, fried foods, and sugar. So far we are surviving well, I have a few tasty, yet healthy recipes up my sleeve. While we don’t necessarily stick to a “Meatless […]
Strawberry Pie
This past Saturday I received a text from my mother exclaiming “Linda’s Produce has flats of Florida strawberries!” I knew I had to have some. You see, in preparation for the impending strawberry season I’ve been pouring over recipe after recipe for strawberry pie. I was itching to try my own compilation pulled together from […]
Stuffed Cheeseburger
Happy Father’s Day weekend! I was blessed to be able to spend many father’s day weekends with my Pop. He was a great man who taught me many things that guided me through life. So go so far; the life lessons he passed along to me, and my brothers, must have been pretty good! He […]
Sweet ‘Tater Pound Cake
This past weekend we found ourselves picking apples at Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge Georgia. The weather was a bit warmer than we would have liked, but between the tractor ride, apple picking, and apple cider drinking we had a grand time. Alongside the many varieties of apples in the apple house at Mercier you […]
Tailgate Dogs and Brats Means… Homemade Mustard!
The Mocs are playing! Tennessee, Georgia, Bama, as well as other teams are all hitting the gridiron! That means it’s time for grilling hot dogs, sausages, and bratwursts. AND that means it’s a perfect time for some homemade mustard. I did a recent article on how easy it was to make homemade mustard […]
Tennessee Barbecue Hot Dogs and Smoked Sausages
Labor Day Weekend is here and that means it’s time to fire up the grills and get some dogs, brats, and wieners going. My question is this; why a Chicago Dog, or a West Virginia Slaw Dog, or an Auburn Scrambled Dog? Where’s the Tennessee Dog? I think it’s time to fix that – and […]
Tennessee Rebel BBQ to Bring a Different Spin on BBQ at The First Annual East Ridge Fall Festival
Lets face it, us Tennesseans are as proud of our BBQ as we are of our football team. (GO VOLS!) Here in the south BBQ is serious business. Our journey to the best BBQ all started with a small smoker and a desire to create the best Tennessee BBQ in the Southeast. What makes us […]
The Love Language of the Holidays: Food
I was first challenged to write on topic of food during my junior year at Belmont University. I was taking what is better known around the university as a “third year writing class.” It’s with good intent that they make you take an English course later in your collegiate career to guarantee you have at […]
The Masters Means Golf and Pimento Cheese
The Masters weekend is upon us as the best golfers from around the world prepare take on Augusta National for rounds 3 and 4 following the cut. When you think of the Masters you think of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Pimento Cheese, Bubba Watson, and more. Yes, I did slide Pimento […]
Time for Talking Turkey
The Basic Info On Cooking a Turkey There are a bunch of ways to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving. You can bake it, grill it, smoke it, and deep fry! I tend to lean towards the oven or the grill. Despite your chosen method there are a few things to consider. Here’s some Turkey Day […]
UT Wins YETI FLW College Fishing Event
The University of Tennessee team of John Lambert of Blountville, Tennessee, and Logan Brewster of Maryville, Tennessee, won the largest collegiate fishing tournament of all-time – 273 boats – Saturday at the YETI FLW College Fishing event on Lake Guntersville presented by Berkley. The duo weighed a five-bass limit of 25 pounds, 9 ounces to best the massive field, […]
Velvety Carrot Soup
Late Sunday afternoon I found myself starving, and needing to get some shopping done. I headed off to Costco figuring I could grab the groceries and some free sample snacks to tide me over until dinner. All was well until I made it to the freezer section. While searching for the frozen sausage patties, I […]
White Bean Enchiladas
Happy New Year everyone! It’s been a while since I have been able to get a recipe post together for you. We’ve had a busy Fall and Christmas season at the restaurant and are just now able to come up for a bit of air. I don’t know what’s going on at your house today […]