When you cook with a friend, one of the best benefits is you genuinely learn more about that person. You talk about all kinds of life things, you find out where she keeps her spices, and -- this is one of my favorites --what kinds of foods she likes and dislikes. One of the first questions when ...
Communal Cooking With Kids
You all know we are huge fans of sharing our kitchens with our kids, making everything from granola to pizza a group experience with family and friends. But I wanted to tell you about three projects my preschooler and kindergartner have done this year in their schools, which show communal "cooking" ...
On Our Bookshelf in April '09
Sauces: Classical and Contemporary Sauce Making by James Peterson This fabulous, exhaustive but inspiring book on sauces will teach you everything you need to know about Beurre Blanc, Hollandaise, Demi-Glace, Chutneys and so, so much more. ...
Family Recipes
If there's anything more wonderful than a family recipe, it's continuing the tradition by sharing it with children, family, and friends. I was so lucky this week to when Lori chose her Ukrainian family's pierogie recipe for a cooking date. Katrina, Lori and I took turns rolling little balls of ...
Stockpiling With Friends
The real-time note on facebook from my cooking friend Katrina popped up as I was posting about some food adventures. Katrina, in her first trimester with her third child, asked if sometime the month before the baby is due I could come over and big batch cook and freeze with her, stockpiling her ...
Rethinking the Dinner Party
The main reason many of us don't have more dinner parties, or even one or two friends over for dinner, is that we put too much pressure on ourselves alone to shop, cook, entertain and clean. Let's rethink the dinner party and make it a communal experience, not just a potluck but a time to come ...
Signs of Spring
For me, there are sure signs of Spring--the beloved seed catalogs start arriving in the mail, friends start talking about what to plant in their gardens and when they can start, and it's time to sign up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share, if your own veggie garden isn't big enough or ...
Hawaiian Pizza
There’s something about Hawaiian Pizza that trips our fancy, but feel free to substitute your favorite toppings and you’ll be reaching for that freezer door before you know it. We are providing a “from scratch” dough recipe, but prepared dough works fine. Recipe source:The Cooking With Friends ...
On Our Bookshelf in March '09
From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition. As you gear up to garden, join your local CSA or just do some great veggie shopping, make sure you look to this book for delicious, innovative recipes and ...
Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler
This week on Mardi Gras afternoon, my neighbor Erica called to suggest some spur of the moment Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the Good Times Roll). She left a message on my answering machine inviting me (and my two kids, who play well with her kids) to whip up some Jambalaya to take home for ...