Our lawns are lush, our gardens are already going gangbusters, and we’ve been topping 80 degrees for over a week. (I just got back from Spain, where it was even hotter — it was more like 95 in Córdoba. Thank goodness for refreshingly cool Moorish courtyards! The ones with flowers and fountains give new meaning [...]
Continue reading about A Must-Have Summer Pair: Sweet Berries & Fresh Herbs
It’s true: oatmeal makes a great breakfast. But not the flavored, sugared, powdery instant oats that are more chemicals and sweeteners than they are oats. Plain, old-fashioned rolled oats are a much better choice…and you can flavor them any way you want! You could even cook a giant batch once or twice a week and [...]
What do strawberries and pickles have in common? More than you’d think! In honor of spring shading (sunning?) into summer, I thought I’d try making a seasonal sweet-and-sour salad by tossing together strawberries and pickles. Roasted asparagus and Romaine lettuce provided the backdrop, and a creamy Dijon dressing tied it all together. It’s simple and [...]
In the wide-ranging world of dairy, there are two main classifications: fresh (or sweet) and cultured (or sour) dairy products. Fresh-milk products are made with just-milked milk that has not yet had a chance to ferment and age into more complex flavors. This includes fresh whipped cream, most ice creams*, most soft and creamy cheeses, [...]
Continue reading about A European (Turned American) Twist on Strawberries & Cream
It’s finally arrived, folks: wild salmon season! The sustainable wild salmon fisheries up in Alaska are running at peak capacity right now, which means not only can you get fresh wild salmon — as opposed to frozen — you’ll probably have a choice of different varieties available at your local fishmonger shop. (Superior Fish had [...]
Continue reading about Featuring Two of Summer’s Stars: Strawberries & Wild Salmon
It’s strawberry season! Not to mention chive season and lettuce season. Cool evenings and not-too-hot days make for smoother, softer-tasting chives (as the season progresses, they get more and more oniony) and sweeter, softer-tasting lettuce (hot days = more bitter leaves). All of that means it’s the perfect time to enjoy simple salads, either as [...]
Continue reading about Spring is in the Air…and on the Plate
Fancy, towering cakes are amazing examples of culinary architecture, but they’re time-consuming to make and sometimes puzzling to eat. (How can we poke a fork in without making the entire thing collapse in on itself?) In terms of classy desserts, I’ll take a nicely stocked cheese and fruit plate over an umpteen-layer cake any day…especially [...]
In the tradition of memorable beverages like the Harvey Wallbanger and the Arnold Palmer, I’m going to name my most recent smoothie/cocktail creation after my friend Jill. Why? Because she’s nuts about watermelons — she’s capable of consuming an entire melon in one sitting. (I wish I could do the same with my beloved pineapples, [...]
Continue reading about Refreshing Your Smoothies with Watermelons
Why use a tool for one use when you can use it for five? Or six, or seven? Witness the ubiquitous egg-slicer, a tool that is capable of much more than its name implies. Assuming that you have a sturdy version (preferably made entirely of metal), you can slice anything soft and roughly egg-sized: strawberries, [...]
Continue reading about Eggs, Schmeggs…It’s Time to Multi-Task!
