For as long as I can remember, my mother spends every holiday season creating elaborate tins of cookies and candies for our neighbors, friends and family. And each year, in exchange, we’d receive tins upon tins of fudge, puppy chow (not dog food) and other sweet, sugary treats. The family that lived up the road had…
Everyone needs an occasional break, and this week, it’s my turn! I’m headed back to my childhood home in The Ozarks for days of sunshine, old friends, thrifting, hillbilly activities and general relaxation. I’ll be back soon with tons of recipes, pictures and a recap of my time back in the south. And if you…
Oh, pan sauce. A staple of the culinary world; it is the jam to the peanut butter of steaks and filets. And it’s got a lot of butter in it. A lot. But geez, it’s delicious. Typically, after sauteeing a steak (or chicken breast), there is something called a fond at the bottom of your…
Sudden cravings are often silent, deadly and weird. Cadbury creme eggs? Bacon-wrapped hot dogs? Fried pickles? Random. So imagine my surprise when I found myself in desperate desire-land for some…Swedish meatballs? I mean, I know I need to get to Ikea in the near future, but…I usually can pin my cravings on something: stress, heartbreak,…
Some things never go out of style: trench coats. A little black dress. A good pair of jeans. All of these things eschew the adjective “trendy”. They’ll never be corny, and they’ll always be tasteful. Let me tell you something: what applies to fashion applies to food. There will always be the new, hottest flavor. But, just…
Asian cookery is an interesting beast. Garlic is still a star, but scallions replace shallots, and ginger makes a brief cameo. Oh, and then there’s the whole soy sauce thing. If you thought soy was in everything now, try three consecutive weeks of cooking with it. And sesame oil. And seafood. Lots and lots of…
Oh, French toast. How I have longed for you! For brunch, for dinner. For breakfast, sometimes. Oh, French toast, we had some good times. And then…and then came the day eggs made me sick. Reeeall sick. Before that day, French toast was a breeze. Dredge gluten-free bread in egg batter. Drop into sizzing margarine. Drench…
Pork chops are great. I realize that this is a rather broad and obvious statement, but no, seriously. I really like pork chops. I didn’t grow up eating pork at all. Not until culinary school did I get to experience the greatness of a great pork chop. Last night, I found myself a-hankerin’ for such…
Ah, yes. Whipped cream. It’s a universally loved dessert topping. On pie, on top of a sundae, cobbler, a shake…the list is endless, as are the possibilities. Classy, understated, and very much a necessity for any sweet-toothed dork. Unless that dork happens to be lactarded. Enter my- and many a-vegan’s dilemma as well. What are we to…
Fruits and vegetables are my favorite food in the entire world. Anything green will make me jump up and down. So, imagine my happiness when discovering 5-for-$5 organic Hass avocados last week. Oh, I was just ecstatic. I may or may not have caused the security guard in Whole Foods to laugh at me. Yeah,…