I am a Weather Geek. And that weather geek is twin to my inner menu-planner. Last Thursday I got really excited after checking the weather forecast – 100% chance of rain all weekend! We had a really, really, really mild winter in Southern California this year. And for someone who cooks/bakes according to season and
Tag: family
Homestyle Mac & Cheese – better than the “cheesiest”
Hands-down one of my favorite meals to cook and eat – especially in Autumn – is homemade mac and cheese. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not above eating the “cheesiest” variety that comes in that blue box, but when I’m really craving some pasta and cheesy goodness, I’m all about making it from scratch. I’ve
Preserving For the Future, part two
After overcoming my fear of poisoning my dearest friends and family, I dove headfirst into the, “Great Fig Jam Making Experiment of 2011.” Let me just say that prepping 10lbs of very ripe figs is a very messy process. I had decided to follow a relatively easy, (and pectin-free) fig jam recipe I found online.
Hamburger Helper Goulash Randomness
Now that I’ve emerged from my Mad Men induced stupor, (complete with a full bar – but I don’t blame the show. I’ve always wanted a cool cabinet complete with different serving glasses, liquor and mixers and watching 52 episodes of the BEST PERIOD DRAMA EVER finally spurred me to do it,) I’m ready to
Oatmeal: the good, the bad and the ugly
First, the good: Oatmeal is about as individual a breakfast item as you can get. Everyone has their own version: instant, flavored, quick, old fashioned; their own way of making it: stovetop, microwave, just-add-water; their own way of decorating it: milk, cream, nuts, berries, dried fruit or yogurt. Some just like making cookies out 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
Perfect Season is Here!
The upside to eating seasonally is that everything tastes so much better because its’ super-fresh. And I swear seasonal food provides just the nutrition I need at that time of year. But eating seasonally can also really suck when you’re tired of asparagus. Over the past few weeks, getting me into the kitchen was much
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
Cooking For Madison 