Main | Tim & Victor's Totally Joyous Recipes

Victor in the Kitchen

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I was busy, today, working on a little project for my siblings... I have a lot of stuff that once belonged to my mom and other relatives that we've used over the years, but are unlikely to keep using a
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Steaks and Baked Potatoes

Gastronomically speaking, it doesn't take a lot to put a smile on my face. And sometimes, the more simple, the bigger the smile. A steak and a baked potato are as basic as basic can be - but with the tiniest
Continue Reading
Bread

Bread and Cold

While family and friends across the USofA are getting pummeled by snow and ice, we're supposedly going to see a bit of slushy snow tonight that turns into rain on Sunday with a temperature hovering close to 50°F. On Monday,
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

The End of Week Twenty-Seven

I've been circling the sun for 66 years - and I finally have the the very beginnings of a bicep. Not quite Charles Atlas - more like Charles Nelson Reilly - but it's almost beginning to be there! Will wonders
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Chicken Pot Pies

I was sharpening knives this afternoon when I started thinking about the knives my mother had when we were growing up. All of our knives are Wüsthof - bought one at a time over the course of about 15 years. Our
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Spaghetti with Shrimp and Artichokes

I think spaghetti will always be my most-favorite type of pasta. Growing up, 'pasta' didn't exist. It was spaghetti, elbow macaroni, lasagne noodles, or wide egg noodles. That was pretty much it. By the time I was 16 and was working
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Maple Syrup and Whiskey

At the grocery store, today, there were bone-in spiral-cut hams on sale for $1.19/lb. I probably wouldn't have even noticed them, but I was looking for ham hocks for Victor to make lentil soup. There weren't any around, so I
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Beef Stew and Mashed Potatoes

It has definitely turned into stew weather. It was 22°F when we headed off to the gym, this morning, and I think it got up to a whopping 32°F by this afternoon. It's dropping back down as I type. I can
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Pork Stew with Apples

Brrrr... it's cold, outside. It's that biting cold that seems to go right through ya. And there's rumor of a bit of snow on the way, too. Nothing major - 2"-3" - but I'm sure it's enough to send the
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

The End of Week Twenty-Six

Week Twenty-Six. Six Months. The pain, the pain. And I do mean pain. Oy, such contortions that man tries to put me through! Twenty-six weeks and we're both feeling so much better than when we started - more stamina, more energy,
Continue Reading
Victor in the Kitchen

Stuffed Peppers

I picked up a couple of red peppers at the store the other day while doing the shopping, and when we were putting things away, Victor said he thought they would make great stuffed peppers. I smiled and said go for
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Alaskan Cod and Fennel

I have often said that recipes are mere guidelines. They're ideas to help the creative juices flow - and tonight's dinner definitely fills that bill. The latest issue of Fine Cooking magazine came out a few days ago and it did
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Individual Cottage Pies

Your culinary terminology factoid of the day is: A Shepherd's Pie is made with Lamb. A Cottage Pie is made with Beef. I know. I know... Grocery stores regularly sell frozen "Shepherd's Pie" and they're made with beef. Many restaurants have Shepherd's Pie
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Chicken and Focaccia

I've had a ball of pizza dough in the 'fridge all week. It was left from the pizzas we made when Victor's family was over. Every day I've been re-rolling it and putting it back in its little container -
Continue Reading
Victor in the Kitchen

Butternut Squash Soup - with a twist

Yesterday, Victor made the best soup ever. Really. Pretty much in the history of soups, this one is right on top. No hyperbole. The.Best.Soup.Ever. It started off simply enough... A butternut squash and some broth out of the freezer... But it
Continue Reading
Victor in the Kitchen

Gnocchi and Eggplant

Victor was rummaging through the freezer yesterday and came upon a packet of breaded and fried eggplant he had cooked up in August. The cutlets were from eggplants in our garden - at a time when looking at eggplant was
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Pork and Polenta

The weather has been pretty unseasonably warm around here, so I thought I'd take advantage of it and grill a pork chop, tonight. As most of you know, weather usually doesn't stop me from grilling if I'm of a mind
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

The End of Week Twenty-Five

Twenty-five weeks, boys and girls. We've been at this for twenty-five weeks. That means at the end of next week, we will have been at this for six months. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever thought I'd be
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Lentils

We do love our lentils around here. From soups to sides, there's always a reason to pull the bag out of the cupboard. While there are many different varieties of lentils available, we seem to concentrate on three - black beluga
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

A Whole Pork Loin

My impulse buy of the day, today, was a whole pork loin for $1.49 a pound. We're not pork-and-sauerkraut-for-New-Years folks, but I'll definitely take advantage of a good price. A bit over 10 pounds for $15.51 was not bad. I cut
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Moroccan-Spiced Lamb

If my mom ever cooked anything special for the new year, I really don't remember it. The first time I recall hearing about good luck New Year's foods was when I was in the Navy. Working with lots of guys
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Cassoulet

If you have ever had the opportunity to have a real cassoulet - resplendent in duck fat and confit - it is a meal you will not soon forget. In theory, it's a white bean stew, but calling it a
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Cleaning out the Spice Cabinet

I reached into the spice cabinet to get something and for the bazillionth time, stuff slid all over the place. I stopped, looked, and then proceeded to completely empty it. It was an act of necessity - the cabinet had
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

The End of Week Twenty-Four

The good news is Victor stayed the same - no loss no gain. The bad news is I gained three pounds. To be honest, I'm surprised it wasn't more. The Christmas Goodies have been calling my name - and I've
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Roast Beast and Hasselback Potatoes

Tonight's dinner is the roast beef I planned for Christmas. The potato is a recipe Victor found from Jamie Oliver. I love Jamie Oliver. I love his passion for food. He's a great role model for kids and adults. The roast
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Leftover Soup

I love meals that started out as other meals. My mom was queen of the reworked dish - serving a roast on Sunday and soup on Saturday with steak pie and hash served up somewhere in-between. It was an art form
Continue Reading
Victor in the Kitchen

Homemade Pasta

Yesterday, after dinner, Victor noted we had a goodly amount of sauce left from the cioppino, but very little seafood - definitely not enough for another meal. His solution was to make sure there were no shells left - and
Continue Reading
Bread

Loafing on Christmas Day

The benefit and the drawback of not having a lot of family around on Christmas is it's quiet. On the one hand, it's kinda nice to sit back and relax, not having to get out of comfy sweats or get
Continue Reading
Holidaze

'Twas The Night Before Christmas ...

... and more Ghosts of Christmases past have surfaced. Coming from a large family, Christmas was anything but quiet. When it was merely the six kids, it was chaos and pandemonium. Imagine six kids attacking the tree looking for gifts with
Continue Reading
Tim in the Kitchen

Spaghetti alla Chitarra with Sausage and Langostino

I had to go down to the fish monger - Seafood USA in Wayne - this morning to buy clams, mussels, and cod for tomorrow's Cioppino. I had already picked up the other things I needed, but these were all fresh.
Continue Reading

Tim and Victor's Totally Joyous Recipes

Welcome to the site!

We have recipes from family reunions, heart-healthy from the ’90s, artery-clogging from the ’60’s, rustic breads, gooey desserts, hundreds of recipes from friends and family, quick and easy ideas, and whatever we decided to pull together for dinner.
Eclectic, to say the least.

And eclectic really does sum up what it’s all about – fun food for fun people with something for any occasion.

Peruse the site and have some fun! There are several thousand recipes just waiting for you!

THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Family
and
Friends

This is a collection of recipes from family and friends, TV personalities, and stuff just found along the way. There are handwritten recipes from long-gone relatives and things we’ve recently found. There’s no real rhyme or reason to anything other than they’re things we like. Because that’s really what it’s all about.

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Outrageous
Holiday
Cooking

These are recipes shared by our wonderful family and friends. Recipes that have been handed down over the years as well as fun foods newly created. A one-stop-shop for all your Holiday Cooking!

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Family Reunion
Recipes
One

Family recipes shared at our first Family Reunion at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in 1986. They run the gamut from savory to sweet - with something for everyone.

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Family Reunion
Recipes
Two

Family recipes shared at our second Family Reunion at Fort Robinson, Nebraska in 1996. Even more fun foods!

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Tim's
Mom's
Cookbooks

Here it is! Tim’s Mom’s collection of recipes from the 1960’s and 1970’s. Days when cooking was definitely more fun and adventurous! The two original loose leaf binders contain recipes culled from magazines and newspapers, as well as handwritten recipes by her, her mother, and other friends and relatives.

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Recipes
From The
Heart

These recipes were created for the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center by menu and recipe coordinator Christine Leishman, who has extensive experience in some of San Francisco’s finest restaurants. They are for anyone who is serious about cooking and eating delicious and healthful foods.

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Little Gram's
Cookbook

“Little Gram” was Mary Ferante, nee Taomina. She was our sister-in-law Marie’s Grandmother, and, while not exactly a blood relation to us, was nevertheless “Little Grandma” to us as well. She was spry, active, and ready to talk politics or cooking right up to her passing in July 2008 at 105. Yes, one hundred and five.

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Recipes
From
Villa Modica

The villa is located in Modica, province of Ragusa, in Sicily – in the southeastern corner of the island. Close to Syracusa, Catania, and easy driving to Mount Etna, it’s the perfect location. And the food. The food. The food...

THE RECIPES
THE COOKBOOK COLLECTIONS

Quick Meals
In
Minutes

These are mostly recipes created when Tim was doing demo work. They are quick and easy - and should really take only minutes to throw together.

THE RECIPES

Bread

Bread and Cold

While family and friends across the USofA are getting pummeled by snow and ice, we’re supposedly going to see a bit of slushy snow tonight that turns into rain on Sunday with a temperature hovering close to 50°F. On Monday, we’re supposed to drop to single digits tur...

by Tim Dineen

Tim in the Kitchen

Steaks and Baked Potatoes

Gastronomically speaking, it doesn’t take a lot to put a smile on my face. And sometimes, the more simple, the bigger the smile. A steak and a baked potato are as basic as basic can be – but with the tiniest little tweaks, they can become awesome. The tiny tweaks toni...

by Tim Dineen

Desserts

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

‘Tis the season to eat pumpkin – and while pumpkin pie is one of my most favorite desserts, a pumpkin cheesecake ain’t too shabby, either – especially when pecans and maple syrup are included! We’re bringing a couple of desserts and an appetizer to d...

by Tim Dineen

Victor in the Kitchen

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I was busy, today, working on a little project for my siblings… I have a lot of stuff that once belonged to my mom and other relatives that we’ve used over the years, but are unlikely to keep using a lot in the future. I’ve been thinking that they – or the...

by Tim Dineen

Holidaze

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas …

… and more Ghosts of Christmases past have surfaced. Coming from a large family, Christmas was anything but quiet. When it was merely the six kids, it was chaos and pandemonium. Imagine six kids attacking the tree looking for gifts with their name on it. A finite amount of ...

by Tim Dineen

Both of Us in the Kitchen

Homemade Gnocchi

I have been looking at the gnocchi roller for months. It’s a Mucca Rigagnocchi Gnocchi Rolling Machine from Fante’s in South Philly. Fante’s has always been a pilgrimage site for me. I love the place and can get lost in there – and spend lots of dollars e...

by Tim Dineen

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

I was busy, today, working on a little project for my siblings… I have a lot of stuf...

Victor in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen
Steaks and Baked Potatoes

Gastronomically speaking, it doesn’t take a lot to put a smile on my face. And somet...

Tim in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen
Bread and Cold

While family and friends across the USofA are getting pummeled by snow and ice, we’r...

Bread

Tim Dineen
The End of Week Twenty-Seven

I’ve been circling the sun for 66 years – and I finally have the the very begi...

Tim in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen
Chicken Pot Pies

I was sharpening knives this afternoon when I started thinking about the knives my mother ...

Tim in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen
Spaghetti with Shrimp and Artichokes

I think spaghetti will always be my most-favorite type of pasta. Growing up, ‘pasta&...

Tim in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen
Maple Syrup and Whiskey

At the grocery store, today, there were bone-in spiral-cut hams on sale for $1.19/lb. I pr...

Tim in the Kitchen

Tim Dineen