Ron's Recipes

Okay, let's get a few things straight.

Saturated fat is THE ENEMY. Saturated fat is the nasty stuff that ends up clogging your arteries.

True, some of us are genetically disposed towards clogged or clear arteries, but regardless, saturated fat is the bad guy, the evil intruder that Ron's Recipes seeks to avoid.

Not all of my recipes are low in calories. I'm a firm believer in different calories acting differently within your digestive system depending on where they come from. I believe calories from saturated fat go straight to excess weight. I believe calories from olive oil get burned up.

All fat is not bad. In fact, the fats in olive oil are good for you.

That's why you should reach for the olive oil and leave the shortening alone whenever possible.

Olive oil adds a unique, delicious flavor to whatever it is you're cooking. I prefer extra virgin, which is the darkest and richest form. You can get lighter, less flavorful versions as well.

What spices must be on your shelves if you would like try any of Ron's recipes?

Well, I don't use a ton of spices. And I also stay away from exotic, expensive stuff like saffron. In fact, with a fond wink to M*A*S*H, I'm more of a meatball chef. But I never hear any complaints from my dinner guests!

I have a lot of irons in the fire. Besides my 40 HPW job, I also run a website business. I host sites for customers, but I also maintain four heavy-duty sites of my own that require lots of creative content.

Ergo, I have to stick with a few tried-and-true ingredients to cook with. I don't have time to experiment.

Following are the essential spices and edibles you'll need to have on hand to successfully replicate Ron's recipes.

First of all, you charcoal grilling purists, no offense intended, but you may as well leave now.

I have cooked hundreds of meals over charcoal. And yes, it adds a distinctive flavor impossible to duplicate with gas. But the problem is that Weber Kettles and the like have one cooking position: DIRECTLY OVER THE FIRE!

Ron's recipes depend on slower heat than that intense blast you get three inches above the coals. So, with apologies, cook my recipes over charcoal at your own risk. Gas grills are highly recommended as the heat source of choice.