Hello! Welcome to How To Feed a Loon! We are thrilled you stopped by!! If you’re new to our blog, you may be wondering, What in the world does “How To Feed a Loon” mean? We’re glad you asked!
We (Kris Longwell and Wesley Loon) have been married for over 30 years! We met in 1989 in New York City and it was truly love at first sight.
To repeat: Wesley’s last name is ‘Loon.’ As you may have noticed, there has never been a more aptly named person in the world. Which is why I affectionately refer to him as my “Loon.” And, he loves to eat my food and gets such joy helping me in the kitchen. When trying to think of a name for our blog way back when it all started, it came pretty naturally: How to Feed a Loon.
CULTIVATING CULINARY SKILLS
Throughout the years, I have continuously worked to hone my skills as an expert home cook. I have studied with some amazing chefs, participated in intensive culinary ‘boot camps’ at the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America in New York, and have read and devoured what seems like every cookbook and food blog in the world. Wesley and I have had the honor of cooking and demonstrating our skills at numerous home and culinary shows throughout the country.
I had the exhilarating and somewhat surreal opportunity to compete on Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games on the first-ever “Home Cooks” edition. Before filming began, Guy explained to us that he was reluctant to have a ‘home cooks’ episode, because the show is so demanding, and, up until then, only included professional (and often high-profile) chefs.
He told us four contestants that his producers scoured the internet and after many, many auditions and interviews, landed with four of the best home cooks in the country. I was honored, and admittedly terrified. But it was amazing and the judges loved my food.
In the fall of 2013, How To Feed a Loon started as a hobby, but soon turned into something beyond our wildest dreams. Throughout our journey, Wesley has become a master at food photography, video editing, food styling, and much more. His photography has appeared in dining/recipe calendars published by BIC Graphic, digital and hardcover cookbooks, and on the Cooking Channel.
You will notice that many of our recipes include a video of us in the kitchen making the dish. Through plenty of laughter, we show you exactly what you need to know to make the “Loon Approved” dish at home.
TEACHING WHILE HAVING FUN
We have the most amazing fans and followers on the planet. What we hear most is how we help home cooks feel at ease in the kitchen. We strive to bring joy and fun as you prepare comforting dishes that you will not only be proud to serve to family and friends, but recipes that you will want to make time and time again.
Here is a comment from a wonderful home cook in Texas that touched us so deeply:
“As are all of your recipes, y’all (yes I’m from Texas) are both gifted with the ability to take some of the most difficult and seemingly incomprehensible recipes and show us how to prepare them in such a way that we feel there’s nothing we can’t do in the kitchen….Y’all are a part of my family, from my sons and daughter that cook to my husband , myself and many more extended members of our family that I have shared your amazing site with.So from our family to yours; Love and thanks from Deep in the heart of Texas ❤️”
We have a simple premise here at How To Feed a Loon: Let’s do really delicious food, and let’s have a ton of fun doing it.
And most importantly, let’s show you exactly how it’s done in an easy-to-understand way, so your kitchen becomes your ‘happy place.’
Thanks for stopping by. Please come back often. And don’t ever hesitate to send us a note with any questions, thoughts, or feedback about a particular recipe or video, or anything that might be on your mind!
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND NETWORK TV!
And don’t forget to follow us on: YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook. And if you are a subscriber to the RCN Network, check out our TV Show (check local listings for air-times).
We love hearing from our friends and fans! We couldn’t do what we do without you or our two beautiful dogs, Ebenezer and Florence, or as we call them…Eb and Flo.
And why would we want to?
We wish you the very best life has to offer…and here’s to Fun, Food and Fabulousness!!
Cheers!
Kris & Wesley
I just came across your recipe for roasted tomato soup and now that I have our tomatoes I am going to make this fabulous recipe. I bet it is a fun time watching you guys cook. Nothing better than enjoying food with a loved one and doing it together.I will be looking through your recipe files and I am wondering if you all have recipes for lots of jalapenos. I have canned tons of salsa over the years but now as the years have gone by, I don’t want to do that anymore. Way to much work . I would love to share some of my recipes with you, especially a cake recipe that is out of this world and cannot fine it anywhere but my files. Let me know if you are interested.. If not, thats ok, but a great loss to the culinary finds.
Hi there Cecilia!! So very sorry for the delayed reply! We do have some yummy jalapeño recipes! We love our Jalapeño Poppers! YUM!! Sure! We’re always up for new recipes! Can you email it to: info@howtofeedaloon.com? Wonderful!! And we hope you enjoyed the tomato soup!!!
How could almost 10 years have passed and I only found you now?? Watched 1 video and immediately book-marked your page and subscribed on Youtube. You made cooking fun and enjoyable. I was stuck in finding it to be such a chore. Just watching you both made me smile and want to cook what you taught. Thank you for your great recipes, fun videos and bubbly personalities on screen. Your laughter is infectious. I’m looking forward to trying out many recipes from you. Wishing you both continued success and happiness.
Hi there, Simone!! It may have taken 10 years, but now you’ve found us and we’ve found YOU!!! Thank you so very much for your kind words! Helping you have a little more comfort and fun in the kitchen makes us more happy than you could ever know. Thank you so much for reaching out to us! We appreciate that very much! Please stay in touch and stay tuned…so much more fun and food on the way!!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Found your site by looking for Po Boy recipes! (I have now saved your catfish Po Boy recipe) Y’all seem like great people! 🙂
Hi Kris & Wesley
I would like to know why you don’t have a video on this page as I used to watch you all the time ,now I can not watch anymore and I really miss those video Please put them back on here so I can have watch them again I live alone and I make quiet few of your recipes . I just cut them down to suit me.
But with out the video I do not enjoy this site anymore ..
Thank you have a great day
Hi Kris & Wesley
I would like to know why you don’t have a video on this page as I used to watch you all the time ,now I can not watch anymore and I really miss those video Please put them back on here so I can have watch them again I live alone and I make quiet few of your recipes . I just cut them down to suit me.
But with out the video I do not enjoy this site anymore .. so Please I need the video
Thank you have a great day
Hi Vera, nice to hear from you! You’re actually on our “About Us” page. This page doesn’t have a video since there’s no recipe. Almost all of our recipe pages have a video included. The video is usually near the top of the blog post. Let us know if you still have trouble finding the videos. Thanks, Vera, have a wonderful day!
I just subscribed to your YouTube channel. I’m planning to make the white lasagna with chicken and spinach this weekend. I can hardly wait! Thank you so much for the laughs and recipes.
Hi Lisa!! First…thank you SO MUCH for subscribing!! And we hope you enjoy the white lasagna as much as we do. Thanks for your support! That means the world to us!! Stay in touch and stay tuned…so much more fun and food on the way!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Thanks for the many laughs and good food. The two of you are just what the world needs. Take Care of You and Yours!
Hi Carol! We can’t even begin to tell you how much this means to us! We love doing what we do because of people like you! You take care, too, and please stay in touch! So much more fun and food on the way!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Please add me to your mailing list.
Joe Cooper
Hey Joe! Absolutely! Just added you to the list! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Please sign me up for your newsletters. Thanks
Hi Joan! Added!!! Stay in touch!
Is this how to join your Email, that’s what I’m trying to do? Thank you very much
Hi Jeri! We just added you to our newsletter list. Now you’ll never miss a new recipe! Thanks for joining and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
I would love to get your newsletter as your roasted tomato soup is one of my all time faves and I am getting ready to try carrot ginger soup. Can you tell I just got a Vitamix immersion blender?
Looking forward to having frequent enlightening missives!
A fan in WI (or Curdland as I call it)
Hi Nancy! Congrats on the new Vitamix immersion blender! You’ll have fun with that! We are so so happy you are enjoying the roasted tomato soup and we can hardly wait to hear back about the carrot ginger soup! We’ve added you to the newsletter list so you’ll never miss a new recipe! Thanks so much! And we LOVE Curdland!! LOL! That’s perfect!! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Hello fellas. Well on the Senior Citizen side of the line, a this late date, the good/bad news isn’t that my wife’s recent health problems over the last couple of years is she’s now diagnosed with Celiac Disease – far less serious than the other diagnoses they were testing for/expecting.
The good news is that she’s been just as healthy as ever since we eliminated all sources of gluten in her diet. The bad news is that pretty much all tasty beers, Guinness or not, are made from grains containing gluten.
Sooo, both generally speaking – and specifically right now as I’m eyeballing your Dublin Coddle – what can you suggest as the closest substitute as far as taste goes to replace the beer?
I’ve been trying to fake it with other recipes that include beer as an ingredient with various replacements… and so far, the resulting difference in taste has been an utter failure.
I’m guessing I’m not the first with a member of the family being diagnosed with Celiac disease (or religious restrictions). With that in mind… any suggestions to replace the Guinness, fellas?
Thanks all,
Rick
In The Last Best Place, The Mountains And Streams Of Montana
Hi Rick! We are so sorry for our delayed response! First and foremost, we wish the very best for your wife and we hope she is getting along okay! There is a non-alcoholic beer, but that’s probably not an option either. You could just use a good beef stock in its place and still get delicious results. Please let us know what you decided to do! And Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Please give our best to your wife! Best, Kris & Wesley
OK, we searched for a recipe online and found a version of that recipe here. Usually we just move on, but something about the site caught our attention, and now we’ve gone through all the recipes (not made them all, just looked through them, gaining 5 pounds just from looking). We will join others in complimenting the site and its creators and request our email be placed on “the list” (assuming the list is only for new recipes, of course). Here is what we like: user friendly, very enticing photos and explanations of recipes, easy to access printable versions, and putting the recipes in some context of your personal lives. The range of recipes is also impressive: from NY style cheesecake to Southern recipes. We have lived in NYC and the South, so we understand your passion for those foods. Perhaps you have the large Italian section due to your time in NYC. Indeed, perhaps that also explains the great Asian section. Anyway, thank you. — Jennifer and Paul
PS: Our only complaint (not that we have any right to complain) is that the recipe for “salted caramel sauce” has no salt in it. Otherwise, you have achieved perfection!
Never mind — out fault. The actual recipe says “homemade caramel sauce” but the printable version says “salted caramel sauce.” Sorry about that.
No worries! That’s our fault! We need to (and will) change the title on the recipe card so it doesn’t include “salted.” Thanks for the heads up! We appreciate that a lot!!!
Hi Jennifer and Paul!!! We honestly can’t even begin to express how much your message means to us! We are beyond thrilled that you are enjoying our recipes, presentation, and videos! We love good food and have been blessed to work, visit, and live and places that thrive with amazing culinary excellence and variety! Please stay in touch! You both are the reason we do what we do!!!! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
This is a great site. Many good classic recipes, many seem to have original twists. Love the commentary. Love the enthusiasm and joyful energy. The world is a better place because of this site!
Thank you so much, Marjorie! That means the world to us! Truly, it does. Please stay in touch! All the very best, Kris & Wesley
New to your blog and excited to try the Chicken Marsala for my husband next weekend. I also read the recipe for your peach cobbler and (living in Texas) can’t wait to drive to Pittsburgh for peaches in May and put that recipe in rotation as well! Please add me to your mailing list, as I would love to receive all the new recipes!
I love your story! I have enjoyed sooooo many of your recipes! I’m making your stuffed herb tenderloin today. I’m planning on making your Texas Chili next week. When I went to pull the recipe I had pinned, it came back as no longer avaliable. That was my go to Chili recipe. Is there any way to get that recipe? I would also love to be on your list for any new recipes that come out. Please and thank you!
Hi Ray! Thank you so so much! We are thrilled you are enjoying our recipes! And so sorry about the Texas Chili recipe. Somehow it got deleted from our site! We needed to re-create it and it got a new web address. Here it is: https://howtofeedaloon.com/texas-chili/. We also added you to our newsletter list so you’ll never miss a new recipe when it’s published! Thanks again for your support and please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesely
I fell in love with Queso when I was recently in the Austin area. It became my goal to find the best tasting Queso recipe. Today was my recipe test day. I actually had a different recipe I was going to try, but my husband wasn’t excited about it calling for Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Oddly, I was looking through my binder of recipes for my Chile Verde recipe and stumbled upon a printed copy of your Tex Mex Queso recipe. For the life of me, I can’t remember ever finding nor printing your recipe, but there it was in my binder. (It was a no brainer which recipe I was going to make) So I returned my Extra Sharp Cheese and bought the American Cheese and everything else to follow your recipe. It is absolutely delicious! The Queso received raved reviews from my “foodie” family! I also made your Pico de Gallo recipe and it too received raved reviews! Thank you very much! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!! Y’all Rock!!
Hi Renee! We can’t even begin to express how happy this all makes us! We understand the need to get your hands on quality queso! And to be able to make it in your own kitchen is even better! Sounds like you prepared it perfectly! Thank you so so much for sharing and for the WONDERFUL review! That means the world to us! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
My husband announced that he is tired of the texture of chicken. I had just bought 4 rotisserie chickens !! to make dishes to freeze so he doesn’t have to cook when I recover from surgery in 2 wks. Found your Best Chicken Salad recipe. It is sooo scrumptious! He inhaled it! I’m going to make a curry version for myself. Glad I can freeze it. Thank you for the best chix salad I ever tasted.
Noel! You just made us so so happy! We are thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the chicken salad! We have a curry version on our site, too! It’s soooooo good! And we wish you a safe and speedy recovery from your surgery!! We hope you’re able to enjoy some yummy chicken salad (and more) while you recover!! Stay in touch! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Kris. Recipe for zuppainglese?
We loved the spiedini at the old Grotto Azzura (established 1900’s, Mr. Davino).
Did you know Neal O’Donnell? He was a friend and chef working for Corning, Inc. (Formerly, Corning Glass Works).
Richard
Hi Richard! We don’t currently have zuppa inglese, but we are inspired by it! We’ll research and see if we can get into our production schedule. Thanks for much for the inspiration! I don’t think we know of Neal O’Donnell, but visited Corning Glass Works with my parents about 10 years ago, and it was amazing! Although we just watched glass blowing…we didn’t know there was a chef on staff!! Take care, Kris & Wesley
Haven’t tried a bad recipe yet!
Thank you! Love your videos.
Wishing you a happy healthy new year!
Thank you so so much! That fills our hearts with happiness! Thank you so much for sharing! And we wish you the happiest and healthy new year, too!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Put me on your list for recipes. Thanks. I am trying your pork roast today!
Yay! We added you to the list! Now, every time a new recipe is published, you’ll get it via email!! And, when you can, let us know how the pork roast turned out! Best, Kris & Wesley