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
Tag: ingredients
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
Farmer Photo Op
As I mentioned earlier this week, my favorite farmers market is the Vista Farmers Market. Over the past few years I’ve gotten to know a few of the farmers pretty well. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’ll say it again: it’s SO important to get to know the grower – it’s
My Farmers Market Manifesto
I know I’ve mentioned it a million times before, but I love shopping at Farmers Markets. It’s kinda like church for me. Not the sermon-y part, (well sometimes,) but the after-service socializing – where you visit with friends you haven’t seen all week and catch up on the latest news and gossip. I always feel
All Around the Mulberry Bush
The first time I saw this peculiar berry at the Farmers Market I thought, “that looks weird. And gross. And weird.” I ended up buying the first pint more for its’ uniqueness than taste, (and three years later I still can’t accurately describe the taste), but each year I’m happy to see them again and
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 