Bill Retherford

Neither a trained chef or culinary expert but a true lover of food including the history, background and even the science behind what makes a great dish. With twelve years as a manufacturing consultant specializing in food processing, I have a unique perspective on how much of the food we purchase is created. Being fortunate to have travel extensively for work and pleasure provides me with ample opportunities to experience new foods and regional variations on a regular basis. I have an obsession for Reubens and will select a reuben sandwich without consideration of anything else on the menu if available.

Most commented posts

  1. Oven Baking Sausage: Quick, Easy and Minimal Mess — 32 comments
  2. Homemade Peach Liqueur, Capturing the Essence of Summer — 28 comments
  3. Easy To Make Homemade Wild Grape Jam — 27 comments
  4. MacGyver’s Fat Separator, Simple Way to Make Homemade Gravy — 22 comments
  5. Homemade Garden Grape Jam, Welch’s Take Note! — 13 comments

Author's posts

Jul 02

We Picked Way Too Many Peaches…Ideas?

Peaches on a Tree

Yesterday we picked way too many peaches at the home of our friends’ Nancy and Sam. After giving many away, I still have about 12 gallons of peaches that I need to process. Aside from making jam, ice cream, compote, liqueur, sherbert and even freezing them, I am looking for suggestions… Two months later and …

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Jul 01

Homemade Hot Dogs, Not a Home Run, but in the Ball Park

Hand crafted hot dog with mustard and ketchup

With the approach of July 4th, I thought it would be fun to make my own homemade hot dogs. I had a recipe and instructions to loosely follow, available time since it was raining outside and my mother-in-law as my assistant. I read the instructions, took stock of the spices on hand and then went …

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Jun 30

Honey, Where is the Dried Mint?

Mint in a pot

Dried Mint like many of the spices and herbs that sit in the spice rack abandoned and begging “Pick Me! Pick Me!” are never noticed until you need them for a recipe. You then remember that you used the last of the containers contents three months ago and never purchased a replacement jar of the …

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Jun 29

Homemade Garden Grape Jam, Welch’s Take Note!

Garden Grape Jam in Mason Jar

Of all the jams, preserves and marmalade that I attempt in the kitchen, the one that provides me with the most personal sense of accomplishment is the Garden Grape Jam. The reason is very simple, whereas all of the other fruits are source from east Texas, the grapes used in making this jam come entirely …

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Jun 28

Date Ice Cream, a Homemade Cooling Treat for the Summer Heat

Homemade Date Ice Cream in a Bowl

I could have started off with something simple like Vanilla Ice Cream or even used the hand-picked peaches that we picked, sliced, bagged and froze a few weeks ago, but I was determined to make Date Ice Cream using the Date Crystals that I had purchased. I have never made homemade ice cream before and …

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