Debbie called before coming over for a play date the other day and asked if she could bring her over-ripe bananas to make banana bread for the morning crunch. I had already planned to make She Crab Soup but didn’t mind a bit! As she walked in the door with at least a dozen bananas and a bag full of ...
While I’m Away
While I’m away, my herbs and vegetables will keep growing. The basil, cilantro and chives will beg for someone to snip them; my zucchini and beans will bear their first fruits and flowers. They will get thirsty in the relentless summer heat. I am not worried though. I have asked my cherished ...
Endless Inspiration
It was the first Tuesday of the CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) season and I went to pick up my share of farm fresh vegetables. I couldn’t wait! If not for my cranky toddler, it would have been a perfect moment. Like a child eyeing the colorful menu on the ice cream truck, I peered into crates ...
Peach Cobbler with Blueberry Syrup
Peach cobbler is a summertime staple for dinners with friends. A drizzle of fresh blueberry syrup over vanilla ice cream adds a complimentary touch. Recipe source:Cooking With Friends KitchenIngredients8 cups peaches, peeled, cored and sliced 8 tablespoons butter, plus some for greasing 1/2 cup ...
In Anticipation of Vacation
The week before my vacation, I’m spending a lot of time day dreaming about the foods that my family has missed for the past year: Razor clams, Goose neck barnacles fresh grilled sea bream, lemons picked from our own trees and fragrant rosemary bushes. I can picture the fresh melons, cucumbers, ...
Sweating Three Berry Jam
Three friends together in one extremely hot kitchen making a three berry jam. That was Jennifer, Jackie and I the other day, despite the heat advisories and early school closings. With only a small fan blowing a bit of relief towards us, the three of us stood in Jenn’s non-air conditioned kitchen ...
Better Biscotti
For years, I’ve been trying to perfect biscotti. I play with flavor, texture and even size. This little biscuit is finicky — a few too many minutes in the oven will make it overly crunchy. An extra tablespoon of butter makes it too soft. But I’ve also learned that there are a wide range of ...
Leftover Lentils
Last week, Suzy and I made a ton of salads and wound up with a huge amount of leftover lentils. Just as I was about to toss what we didn’t use into the garbage, I decided to hold off in the hopes that I could find a future use for them. They sat for several days in my vegetable crisper as I waited ...
Teach Your Friends Well
Sometimes cooking with a friend can be selfless. Yesterday was one of those days. I got together with my friend Christina in order to demonstrate the simplicity of making homemade granola. You see, her family loves the Bare Naked brand and she can’t seem to buy enough of it! That being said, the ...
Lakeside Communal Cooking
It was opening weekend at our lake club, the unofficial start of summer. To celebrate, we gathered with seven families (20 children) for our 5th annual lakeside BBQ feast. With four picnic tables and two charcoal grills, we took over about 400 square feet of prime picnic space. Hot dogs, hamburgers, ...