Welcome to the Well Worn Apron Food Travel Blog!
If my apron could tell tales, it would fill your ears of tales of meals cooked for friends and family in a few kitchens over the years. It was a gift from my Dutch sister-in-law almost two decades ago. The many stains on it are there to stay at this point. I like to say it gives the well worn apron character instead of being a dirty old thing. It is most cherished by me. And everyone around me as when the well worn apron comes off the pantry door, it means that some good food is coming their way. The well worn apron has even made it into my backpack to travel to cook for others, so for an apron it is well traveled.
Join me as I cook, eat, travel, and share on Well Worn Apron Food Travel Blog since 2011!
Cheers! And let’s eat!
Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi
Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi with Kale Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi is one of the only recipe where I can get my guys to eat kale without faces of pure disgust. The menfolk in my house are not fond of kale or any other bitter greens regardless of how it is prepared. You...
Life Experience Well Worn Apron Roams
The summer of 2017 was a life experience where for the month of August we were roaming nomads. It is a polite way of saying we were without a home for 30 days as we moved from Tarboro, North Carolina to Newport, Rhode Island. It was not planned that way, but when life...
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Disappearing Tangier Island
Disappearing Tangier Island Tangier Island is a small island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. It is disappearing due to a change in climate. This post is not about climate change, but the loss of a unique community and culture. Tangier Island has a rich history...
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Boiled Peanuts from North Carolina
Boiled Peanuts are an NC specialty. Unless you are from eastern North Carolina then you most likely have never heard of boiled peanuts. They are a well-kept secret. It is a very seasonal and local specialty. You know it is that time of year when stands pop up all over...
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Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi
Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi with Kale Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi is one of the only recipe where I can get my guys to eat kale without faces of pure disgust. The menfolk in my house are not fond of kale or any other bitter greens regardless of how it is prepared. You...
read more
Homemade Gnocchi
Nothing Beats Homemade Gnocchi Being Irish with the DNA test to show I have no southern European genes, pasta came out of a box and the sauce from a jar growing up. Fresh pasta was unknown. In the late 70s and early 80s, my mom learned how to make tomato sauce...
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Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Quick and Easy Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Attempting to lead hardened meat-lovers towards a plant-based diet is difficult. Black Bean Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes goes a long way in getting them to stop saying, "some chicken would taste nice in this."...
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Homemade Gnocchi
Nothing Beats Homemade Gnocchi Being Irish with the DNA test to show I have no southern European genes, pasta came out of a box and the sauce from a jar growing up. Fresh pasta was unknown. In the late 70s and early 80s, my mom learned how to make tomato sauce...
Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry Chutney - A Multipurpose Condiment Most American holiday tables from Thanksgiving to Christmas have some sort of cranberry dish. I grew up the jellied kind that came out of a can. Just slice it up and serve it. Sometimes my Mom would make a cranberry...
Layered Shrimp Dip
Warning: this layered shrimp dip is addictive. Be prepared to embarrass yourself at parties by hovering over it. Or at least that's me when my sister would make this wonderful party-friendly layered shrimp dip. Imagine me sitting in front of it on the porch of our old...
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Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Balls over Rice Sticks
Worth the Effort Vietnamese-Style Shrimp Balls over Rice Sticks Growing up in Newark, Delaware, there was a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant called Saigon. It was my first exposure to Vietnamese food over thirty years ago now. It started my love affair with southeast...
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Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
A Fresh Classic Beef Bourguignon Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon is simple and elegant While I use my slow cooker year round, the fall and winter are the perfect times to use the slow cooker. And the perfect time for the French classic of bistros, Beef...
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Not Your Granny’s Irish Beef Stew
Seriously Not Your Granny's Irish Beef Stew Unless your granny puts beef and wine in her Irish beef stew. My Irish Granny would never have put alcohol in any food. OK maybe a drop of sherry in the trifle, but that's about it. My Mom did not cook with alcohol, either....
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Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi
Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi with Kale Creamy Parmesan Gnocchi is one of the only recipe where I can get my guys to eat kale without faces of pure disgust. The menfolk in my house are not fond of kale or any other bitter greens regardless of how it is prepared. You...
Easy Quick Vegetarian French Onion Soup
Vegetarian French Onion Soup from Your Pantry It seemed a waste to throw out homemade baguette, but it was stale. And stale baguettes are not very nice. Unless you repurpose them to use as rocks or bats. What to do? Make vegetarian French onion soup. It is a great...
Italian Pandora Bread Pudding
Don't regift that Panettone or Pandora Breads Ever since watching the British Bakeoff Master Classes where Paul made the Italian sweet yeast dough, Pandora Bread, I wanted to make it since it looked tasty and lovely. It is a rich bread made with what flour, sugar,...
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No Waste Banana Bread
Overripe Bananas? Make Banana Bread Got overripe bananas sitting on your countertop? The ones you meant to eat a week ago or maybe longer. Yes, those. While you maybe tempted to put them in the compost or trash bins, do not. Do not waste them, but instead make banana...
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Layered Shrimp Dip
Warning: this layered shrimp dip is addictive. Be prepared to embarrass yourself at parties by hovering over it. Or at least that's me when my sister would make this wonderful party-friendly layered shrimp dip. Imagine me sitting in front of it on the porch of our old...
Italian Pandora Bread Pudding
Don't regift that Panettone or Pandora Breads Ever since watching the British Bakeoff Master Classes where Paul made the Italian sweet yeast dough, Pandora Bread, I wanted to make it since it looked tasty and lovely. It is a rich bread made with what flour, sugar,...