I've hired a caterer for all my kid's parties and that caterer is me (and my friends). Whether it's with a friend or solo, I've been cooking and freezing throughout the years to successfully host celebrations. I've got my kid's many friends in mind as I mold crab cakes, stuff empanadas and brine ...
Kitchen Chronicles
Fiddle-de-Diddle Fiddleheads
What are those strange looking tightly curled up things? The ones that look like "rolled up asparagus" to a ten year old. Fiddle de diddle, they are Fiddleheads, a strange and wondrous vegetable that look and taste like no other. And they are in season, farm fresh, here in the ...
Savor Summer in a Two-Bite Morsel
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Hiding in the Catskills all summer has made me miss two things about Jersey: the organic corn and tomatoes. I’ve waited weeks to sink my teeth into a just-picked piece of sweet Jersey corn and so this time when I returned for the day I made sure to stop at my favorite farm stand to get some overripe ...
Bittersweet Barberries
Zereshk is the Persian name for barberries and that's what they'll always be known as to me. As I write this post, I do so bittersweetly. Just as the tartness of these tiny berries are sweetened slightly with sugar, so too are my thoughts as these berries evoke fond memories from my ...
Spring in a Bowl
That's what Suzy named the delightful fennel salad we created for lunch a few years ago. With several feet of snow piled outside the windows, we sat down to enjoy a light and lemony lunch. Just maybe, by making and eating something so bright and refreshing, we could revitalize our snow weary souls. ...
Carrot Cake Mini-Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting
Somehow, Easter equals carrot cake for me. Maybe it's an honor for the Easter Bunny, but for me it's an excuse for these delicious bite sized muffins. Moister than most other muffins, this has a secret ingredient (pineapple) and is beautiful with traditional cream cheese frosting piped on top. They ...
Serve up a Farm Fresh Freaky Halloween
Transform your farmers’ market veggies into eerie foods for a pre-trick-or-treat party with deliciously daring (and healthy!) Halloween nibbles! Lizard Skin -- With just a bit of imagination, kale chips become crispy pieces of lizard skins this Halloween for a melt-in-your-mouth crispy ...
Countdown to a Farm Fresh Freaky Halloween — Jack-o-Lantern Potatoes
Use Halloween cookie cutters to transform potatoes into crispy Jack-o-Lanterns, ghosts & goblins. You’ll need the largest sweet potatoes and potatoes you can find and some small to medium sized Halloween cookie cutters. To create these treats, peel the skin off of the potatoes and slice ...
Restaurant Worthy Ravioli — Reminiscing with Lou
When you’ve got a pro at the helm, cooking with friends shines in all its glory. And when it’s Lou Palma at the helm, the sunshine can be blinding it’s so glorious. Now, Debbie and I are no amateurs when it comes to making ravioli. We’ve got it down pretty darn pat when it’s just the two of us in a ...
Homemade Valentine’s Day Treats
Maybe it's because Valentine's Day is my birthday, but I take the holiday quite seriously when it comes to expressing love through something sweet. And though I could certainly go to a candy shop and get my kids their treats, nothing is more appreciated than something homemade from mom. Some may say ...