My Own Farmer’s Market

My Farmer’s Market opened on Monday. It felt like the first day back at school.  I was embarrassingly giddy.  The kids were ecstatic to see what goodies would be laid out on the tables.  There were a few “new kids-” the honey man has his own stall this year and there was a produce vendor I didn’t remember from last year.  I ran into lots of my friends.  I caught up with my farmer friends about the happenings of life during the off-season- weddings, births and natural disasters.  There’s something about this that feels like a homecoming. Read more

Canapés with Walnut Butter, Apples and Aged Gouda

I’m going to tell you something about myself that will seem very incongruous with what you think you know about me.  Revealing this bit of information forces me to uncover that- deep in my heart- I’m not as gracious as I aspire to be.

I hate bringing food to potlucks.  I hate being asked to bring an appetizer, or side dish or whatever.  That seems weird, doesn’t it?  I mean, I love to cook and I love cooking as a gesture of affection.  What’s my problem? Read more

Drinking With Your Kids

It is finally hot out- truly sweaty, summery hot.  It’s the kind of hot that makes you thirsty.  You know how important it is to keep yourself and your kids hydrated in this kind of weather.  However, most parents turn to sugary or- just as bad- artificially sweetened drinks to whet their little whistles. Read more

The Miracle of Mirepoix

I’m gonna teach you about something so elementary that it will seem almost silly.  Being in possession of this grand culinary secret will make you feel like a gourmet insider.  It may be what some of you need to leap from recipe slaves to recipe architects. Read more

Walnut Butter

There are many reasons to love walnut butter:  it’s an interesting alternative to ubiquitous peanut butter, it’s rich with Omega-3s, and it’s incredibly versatile.  You’re already sold, right? There’s an even better reason to love walnut butter: it tastes kinda like cookie dough.  Really. Read more

Vadouvan Grilled Shrimp with Fava Bean Succotash

It’s time for more fun with favas!  This dish is throw-your-head-back-and-moan good.  You’ll be bewitched by the way that the complex spice blend, smoky grilled flavors and sweet succotash come together so perfectly.  Best of all, you will love that this dish is so simple to prepare and execute. Read more

Pastafest!

I am not going to lie to you and say that making homemade pasta doesn’t take any time.  It’s a bit of a project.  But once you tackle the few steps involved and appreciate the superior taste of freshly made pasta, you’ll be hard pressed to not make the time to create your very own.  Enjoy the process, get your friends or family involved, and the time will be most enjoyable. Read more

Spice-rubbed Grilled Chicken

This is the summertime version of Classic Roast Chicken.  This recipe is just as much about lifestyle as it is about flavor.  It’s about sitting out on the front porch with the other moms watching the kids play.  Suddenly, I look at the time and realize, ohmigosh, it’s five o’clock.  I run to the grill and light the coals with my beloved propane starter.  I pour a glass of wine, spatchcock a chicken, cleave the breast, rub it with spices, and before you know it I’ve got my bird on the grill and I’m back out with my girlfriends- breaking up squabbles about who spilled the bubbles and finding out the real reason why the folks on the next block put their house on the market. Read more

So you say you don’t have time to cook…

“What would you say to someone who said they don’t have time to cook?”

This question was posed to me by a local journalist who was at my house about two weeks ago.

Before I tell you what my answer to that is, let me describe that day.  It was a Monday and my shopping day.  I hadn’t slept all night for the second night in a row- typical kid sickness and insomnia stuff.  After doing the breakfast, dishes, get-‘em-off-to-school thing, I headed out to tackle “grocery day.”  I returned home to put the refrigerated stuff away. Heading out the door to pick up Sally by noon, I listened to the message on the answering machine regarding a business “project” I’ve been involved with.  There was a little crisis with that. Read more

Produce Primer: Real Strawberries

There is a strawberry season.   It’s in full swing right now in sunny California.  “Oh please,” you may say, “I can get strawberries year-round.”  In the dead of winter you can always pick up a pint of fruit called “strawberries”– those giant, scentless, underripe, and largely flavorless strawberry-shaped objects.  A little red styrofoam, anyone?  The truth is that those babies are engineered to fill containers cheaply (the bigger the berries, the easier to handle), look pretty (red and shiny on the outside, white and dry on the inside) and ship looooong distances without bruising or spoiling.  Flavor and texture are minor considerations, since you aren’t allowed the reality check of a taste before you pay for them. Read more

« Previous Page — Next Page »