Author: Ben Starr
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Curing Wild Boar
My wonderful neighbor Ron surprised me a few days ago with some cuts from a few wild boar he shot on a recent hunting trip. I took that as my excuse to get set up for home-curing…something I’ve been researching for a VERY long time. Curing meat through the application of salt, occasionally smoke, and…
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Wild Mushrooms!
I have a confession to make, and I can’t hold it in any longer: I am a mycophage. But I’m not alone. You’re probably a mycophage, too. In fact…most of us are. If you eat mushrooms, truffles, cheese, beer, yogurt, or bread…you’re a mycophage. Mycophages eat fungus. My house backs to a large park, the…
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Go Ahead…Shoot Me
I’ve never been a person to shy away from a debate. When I was 8 years old, my mother, exhausted after an hour of verbal sparring with me, threw her hands up in the air in a rare display of lost temper, and screamed, “YOU’RE GOING TO BECOME A LAWYER WHEN YOU GROW UP, I…
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Utah Series: Hot Springs
Those who follow my blog regularly know how obsessed I am with natural hot springs. They never cease to amaze me. The fact that toasty warm water seeps up from beneath the ground and provides us with a natural jacuzzi just blows my mind over and over. In this special series where I’m highlighting my…
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2012/2013 Flu Diary H3N2
I’m usually a pretty healthy person and I haven’t had the flu since I was a kid. Still, I almost always get the flu vaccine each year because my allergist insists on it. This year, because of a crazy travel schedule and a constant stream of visitors since Thanksgiving, I hadn’t had time to get…
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Merry Christmas to All!
Today is Christmas. 2012. Christmas is a holiday celebrated around the world, and though it is claimed by Christians as a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and the holiday is named thusly, its roots predate Christianity and it draws on ancient celebrations from many religions. I have always been drawn to Christmas for…
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1-Hour Hazelnut Cranberry Sticky/Sweet Rolls
When I’m making a very special breakfast, I often choose my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls because they get rave reviews. Any kind of yeast-risen roll for breakfast is a winner…but sometimes you can’t prep the night before, or don’t have HOURS to prep that morning. So I’ve been developing a series of 1-Hour yeast risen recipes…
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Utah Series: The Secret Anasazi Fortress
Over the coming weeks I’m going to take you on a tour of some of my favorite spots in one of my favorite states…Utah! If you’ve ever been to Utah, chances are it was to one of their stunning national parks, like Bryce Canyon, Arches, or Zion. Or maybe you were visiting Salt Lake City…
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Buttermilk Cardamom Coffee Cake
We’ve lost the coffee cake, somehow. I rarely see it on menus at breakfast restaurants. And it’s such a yummy and easy thing to make. I’ll make an attempt at revitalizing interest in coffee cake by coming up with some new, inventive flavors, and this is my first…featuring my favorite spice, cardamom. So many fans…
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Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins
Just when you thought breakfast couldn’t be more decadent, I bring you my legendary Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins…but stuffed with cheesecake. Yes…cheesecake. It sounds complex, but it couldn’t be more simple. These muffins come together in about 15-20 minutes and bake in another 20. Less than an hour of work, and you’ve got what many people…