I apologize in advance for going all Julia on you, but really, what do you expect after a (quite large) glass of wine and total immersion in “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” volumes one AND two. I may ramble. And you have been forewarned. It’s no secret to my family that I’ve been struggling
March 16, 2011
Short URLdinner, family, food, inspiration, julia childDinner, In the Kitchen, Inspirations
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (www.unctad.org) the term citrus fruit includes several different types of fruits. Although oranges account for about 70% of citrus output, the group also includes small citrus – such as tangerines, mandarines, clementines and satsumas – lemons, limes and grapefruits. And I swear I have about
March 15, 2011
Short URLblood orange, citrus, cooking, food, grapfruit, ingredients, lemons, oranges, seasonalIn the Kitchen, Ingredients, Seasonality
It’s easy to create a routine which quickly degenerates into a rut. I’ve found this to be especially true with food and cooking. Often I find a new taste, ingredient, tool or method of cooking and that’s what I stick to for awhile. (Case in point: I’ve made a total of five tarts – both
March 8, 2011
Short URLcooking, family, food, recipesBreakfast, In the Kitchen, Recipes
Pot Roast – the bastion of 1950’s kitchen cuisine. A foundation for countless recipes using leftovers. Gentle reminder of Sunday night dinners everywhere conjuring images of women in pearls and oven mitts. Comfort food at its’ peak. I’ve never really been a big fan of pot roast and not because of the misogynistic images it
February 23, 2011
Short URLdinner, family, food, recipesDinner, In the Kitchen, Menu Planning, Recipes, Winter
I mentioned recently that I have been acquiring kitchen gadgets at an alarming rate and I wanted to share a story about one of them – my new tart pan. I’ve been making “tarts” for years, but really, they were just tart crusts in a pie pan. They tasted different than a plain ‘ol pie,
February 22, 2011
Short URLbaking, cooking, dessert, dinner, family, food, ingredients, recipes, seasonal, tartDessert, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Recipes, Winter
So while I appreciate fine food and exotic ingredients, at the core my tastes are pretty pedestrian. In the past, anytime someone has asked me what type of food was my favorite, I was embarrassed to answer, “pub food.” But really, it’s just comfort food and is there anything better than a good burger, homemade
February 18, 2011
Short URLcooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, recipesDinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Recipes, Winter
I’m a die-hard Top Chef fan. I hinted at my obsession a few months ago, but we do take it pretty seriously around here. In fact, the other night Madison asked me if I could sit with her while she got ready for bed but after taking one look at the TV, decided to ask
February 16, 2011
Short URLchicken, cooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, inspiration, recipes, success and disasterDinner, In the Kitchen, Inspirations, Recipes
Out of boredom, I challenged myself a few weeks ago to try some new recipes. I had just purchased the newest Ina Garten cookbook in hopes of gaining some inspiration but to be honest, the first time I flipped through it I kinda thought, “hmm.” Clearly I wasn’t in the mood to be inspired. So
February 15, 2011
Short URLcooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, menu planning, recipesDinner, In the Kitchen, Inspirations, Menu Planning
Cauliflower is a funny thing. I never minded it as a kid (and Madison doesn’t either) but I have had plenty of kids at my dinner table turn the stuff down. I know, it’s kinda stinky, looks weird (sometimes all I can think of when I look at it is a boxers’ cauliflower ear. Gross!)
February 9, 2011
Short URLcooking, dinner, family, food, ingredients, inspiration, menu planning, recipes, vegetableIn the Kitchen, Ingredients, Recipes, Seasonality, Winter
I knew the day would come when unfortunately, those words became, “umm, you know I don’t like cheese anymore. It makes me gag. Or bananas. I don’t like them either. And by the way, I’m really tired of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.” It used to be that almost every time I made dinner or
February 1, 2011
Short URLcooking, family, food, menu planningIn the Kitchen, Inspirations