Preserved Lemons

Last week my neighborhood Safeway was offering Meyer lemons for $1.99/lb, so I rushed in and picked up three pounds. I was thinking about making this lemon tart, but thought better of it when I noticed the filling included one stick of butter. Yikes! (Maybe one day when I’m feeling carefree, I’ll give that a [...]

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Help! Donut Recipes Needed!

I’ve made a startling discovery: Homemade donuts are a surefire way to get on the good side of any four-year-old. Earlier this week while researching an article, I stumbled across a mini-donut pan for making cake donuts. I was reminded of one of my favorite restaurants, The Tabard Inn, which serves baskets of fresh mini [...]

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Rice Pudding

Rice pudding is one of those delicious and comforting desserts that can be easily thrown together using ingredients that are nearly always within arm’s reach. It is perfect for when you are craving something sweet, but don’t want to go to the trouble of creating a full-fledged dessert. It also makes a great, casual end [...]

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Create Your Own Sunshine – Bake Bread!

A few months ago, I went through a bread-baking binge. It was my antidote to that gray cloud of uncertainty that seemed to hang over everything. Making my own bread gave me a certain sense of self-sufficiency – even if it was largely symbolic – and the process and end result gave my spirits a [...]

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Ruby Red Grapefruit Marmalade

If summer is defined by the berry, then I’d argue that citrus is the essence of winter. I know, I know, there’s the eat local thing. But really, winter without citrus? I just can’t do it. Juicy grapefruit, lemons, key limes, oranges, Meyer lemons, and kumquats are so versatile and enliven a multitude of dishes, [...]

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Ricotta Gnocchi

Last fall, inspired by a recipe in one of the last issues of the now defunct Gourmet, I spent an afternoon making sweet potato gnocchi. I was a bit apprehensive, having experienced disaster the first time I attempted gnocchi (imagine big chewy blobs of cooked wallpaper paste), but that was back when I was an impatient [...]

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Say “I Do” to Fondue

As the parent of a four-and-a-half-year-old boy who always seems to have ants in his pants, figuring out how to get through the dinner hour can leave me on my last nerve. This is a child who literally falls out of his seat. Really. One minute he’s up, chomping away, and the next minute, boom, [...]

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The #1 Reason for an Ikea Run: Wilted Cabbage Salad

This is one of my all-time favorite salads. Seriously, it doesn’t sound like much, and truth-be-told, it doesn’t look like much either. But, wow-wee, does it taste magnificent. And when you break it down, it makes perfect sense. It’s sweet, sour and salty all rolled into one. And, oh, there’s bacon! The sweet and sour [...]

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Restaurant Review: The Columbian Cafe, Astoria, Oregon

Whenever we travel, we like to scope out new and interesting places to eat. Last week, as we planned our quick trip through to Astoria, all signs pointed to the Columbian Café. Their web page didn’t include a menu to preview, but instead boasted reviews from the Oregonian, Sunset and the New York Times. It [...]

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Yummm…Scones!

How is it that something so ubiquitous can be almost universally awful? Unfortunately, the simple scone seems to be one of those things. Masquerading scones are often served up at coffee shops; the worst offenders are the “muffin-scone” and the dreadful cardboard-tasting scones that are gummy, heavy and flavorless.  A real scone should be light, [...]

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