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 ...
Kitchen Chronicles
Staples Swap
The Denver girls who cook together are meeting again this month to swap what we reach for the most in our kitchens...staples. It's the first time we're trying this swap, with the idea that we all need to stock our freezers and fridges with healthy, delicious ingredients for quick meals. We're ...
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 ...
Cherry Capital
I'm about to be in a two-bedroom Lake Michigan beach house with a dozen people, and I can't wait. We'll shop for smoked fish in Leland (where I once ran into Mario Batali, so it's got to be good, right?), make cherry dishes from the local fruit, and drink wine as we watch the waves rush in and out. ...
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 ...
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, ...
Stretching Muscles
A ski instructor once told me since he started skiing, he thinks about it even when he isn't really thinking about it. He might stand on an escalator almost unconsciously moving the right way, exercising muscles on the off-season. You might have had the same experience when you're learning a new ...
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 ...
Stove Strike
It's not officially summer yet, but all around the nation the weather is heating up, causing many of us to go on a stove strike. It's a great time for our Cool Cucumber Dill Soup (see home page) or to throw together a Garden Vegetable Salad or Gazpacho with very little effort or cooking. Our ...
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 ...