This past weekend I found myself puttering around the kitchen again. I had purchased 2lbs. of Bing Cherries the previous weekend and I needed to do something with them before they went bad. So, I decided to make a cherry pie. But this isn’t really about the pie. It’s about the tools I used to
Category: In the Kitchen
Avocado Capital of the World
San Diego County produces 60% of California’s avocados and I’m lucky enough to live in the avocado capital of the world. Really. During harvest season, (March-May), you can actually drive down the road plucking avocados from the trees without even leaving the car – they’re that plentiful. And cheap. (No, I don’t get all of
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Earlier this season on “Top Chef Masters” the chefs participated in a challenge where they had to put a modern spin on vintage dishes like Oysters Rockafeller (never had ’em), Beef Wellington (very Julia Child), Deviled Eggs (love ’em) and Grasshopper Pie (hate it.) Why in the heck wasn’t Pineapple Upside-Down Cake on the list?
A Season for Change
Big, big changes on the “Cooking for Madison” scene have contributed to my relatively long absence from the blogging world. All good of course, but all exhausting. When I started my blog, I was a working Aunt living with my brother and niece and I was focused on sharing stories about our mealtime antics, (with
Who Knew Rice Was So Versatile?
Yes, I know. It really was a rhetorical question. Most people know, rice is the most important staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in East and South Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies. And I think I’ve recently joined them. Blame it on Northstar’s rice
I Have a Thing for Leeks
I don’t know why, but for some reason I love leeks. As far as I know my mom never really cooked with them so it’s not like I’ve got some wonderful childhood memories tied up with the smell of gently simmering leeks, (like I do with spaghetti sauce.) They look like big, fat overgrown scallions
“An Electric Mixer Fitted With the Paddle Attachment”
Are you ready for the saddest mixer story ever? I mean ever. It’s about a young woman, her dreams of baking dominance and the kitchen appliance that crushed them. Yes? Then let’s begin….. I’ve got a love/hate relationship with my kitchen appliances. On one hand, there’s no way I could do some of the things
Pie is My Favorite
I love pie. I love fruit pies, cream pies, savory pies. Basically serve anything in a light, flaky crust – whether for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner or dessert – and I’m done for. I think Rose Levy Beranbaum said it best in her cookbook, “The Pie and Pastry Bible”: There are two kinds of people:
International Breakfast Pastries, kinda…
Unless I’m completely hung over or have just finished running 4 miles, I rarely enjoy a big breakfast. I think breakfast is perfect when it’s nothing more than fruit, a protein (like yogurt, string cheese, nuts or an egg), and a bit of starch – like a piece of toast or a granola bar. The
Cooking For Madison 