When I’m planning a big holiday meal I love to sit at my dining room table with a steaming mug of coffee and a stack of cookbooks. This is where I often find my inspiration for holiday menus. I imagine the flavor of each ingredient and how different combinations will work with each other. And
December 21, 2010
Short URL12 days of christmas, cooking, dessert, dinner, food, ingredients, inspiration, menu planning, seasonalIn the Kitchen, Ingredients, Inspirations, Seasonality
Every year since I was four the Christmas Elf has come to visit on December 1st, (well not every year – there was that 14-year stretch when there weren’t any kids around.) But for the past three Christmases, the Christmas Elf has come to visit on December 1st. During my childhood he would usually leave
December 16, 2010
Short URL12 days of christmas, baking, christmas, cooking, dinner, family, food, frosting, recipes, seasonalDinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Lunch, Recipes, Seasonality, Winter
I’m a sucker for a traditional English tea. Maybe it’s all of those classic novels I was forced, (yet now read by choice) to analyze in high school. Maybe it’s the fact that my mom – although born in California – exhibits oddly English behavior. (Although to be fair, she’s read the same novels I
December 14, 2010
Short URL12 days of christmas, baking, christmas, cookies, family, food, inspiration, seasonal, teaIngredients, Inspirations, Seasonality
This past Sunday I had the entire house to myself. The weather was a little chilly, (for Southern CA at least) and I felt like cooking. Knowing that we had a busy week of holiday-oriented activities on the calendar, I decided to make all of the dinners for the week which was relatively easy (I
December 9, 2010
Short URL12 days of christmas, bread, christmas, cooking, dinner, family, flour, food, ingredients, inspiration, local, menu planning, protein, recipes, seasonal, starch, vegetableDinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Recipes, Seasonality, Winter
This is actually the first year I’ve experienced my town’s Christmas Parade and let me tell you – it’s everything you would expect from a small town parade. The whole town lined Main Street (yes, it really is called Main Street) and I think there were at least 12 fire trucks, 10 marching bands, every
December 8, 2010
Short URL12 days of christmas, christmas, cooking, family, food, menu planning, protein, recipes, roasting, seasonal, side dishes, starch, vegetablesDinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Recipes, Seasonality, Winter
Alright, I know most of us have already moved on to Christmas shopping/decorating/light hanging, etc. And, I totally meant to post this on Friday, but I was still nursing a serious pie-hangover. But, I made the family wait to eat until each dish had been photographed and if I don’t use the pictures they will
November 29, 2010
Short URLbaking, cooking, dinner, family, food, roasting, seasonal, success and disaster, ThanksgivingIn the Kitchen, Ingredients, Seasonality
Yesterday I waxed poetic about the similarities between the Super Bowl and Thanksgiving. And as much as I would really love to create another analogy for my Thanksgiving feast, I really just want to get on the road. We’re taking Madison to Knott’s Berry Farm for her first time today. But, I also don’t want
November 23, 2010
Short URLcooking, dessert, dinner, drinks, family, food, ingredients, menu planning, seasonal, side dishes, Thanksgiving, vegetableAutumn, Beverages, Dessert, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Ingredients, Menu Planning, Recipes, Seasonality
It dawned on me as I spent hours combing through cookbooks, blogs, tweets and websites that Thanksgiving – more than any other holiday – could be considered the Super Bowl for cooks. Like a championship quarterback, cooks exert a lot of energy just preparing for the big day. We spend hours imagining the perfect menu.
November 22, 2010
Short URLbaking, cooking, dinner, family, food, menu planning, recipes, roasting, seasonal, side dishes, starch, Thanksgiving, vegetablesAutumn, Dessert, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Menu Planning, Recipes, Seasonality
Well. My answer is kinda neither. And sorta both. Let me explain. I think when it comes to making smart, healthy and sustainable food choices people should consider not only organic or local, but seasonal as well. This explanation could get a little long, but bear with me – I swear you’ll look at how
November 9, 2010
Short URLfood, Food Issues and Politics, ingredients, local, menu planning, organic, seasonalFood Issues and Politics, Ingredients, Seasonality
About ten years ago I threw a party for a bunch of my twenty-something friends. We met at my place for dinner, pumpkin carving and a pinata. (Hey, who doesn’t love a pinata?) Anyway, I cooked my first-ever Shepherd’s Pie and I was hooked. I didn’t exactly follow the recipe, but it still turned out
October 26, 2010
Short URLcooking, dinner, family, food, recipes, seasonalAutumn, Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Seasonality
Cooking For Madison 