just skew it, twice
We are now in that time of year when I will grill – or at least, try to – almost anything. But when using skewers, some food just isn't toothsome enough to really grab hold, making the flipping of the skewers into a tormenting game of spin the food. Here's a little...
to kale with it
I threw my hands up in the air and said "to kale with it" for a couple reasons this week. First, I had gone to the farmer's market and I was lured in by the seduction of all that gorgeous fresh produce. Clearly my eyes were bigger than what we could eat this week. In...
supergrain. super tasty.
You can't swing a magazine that includes recipes these days without hitting an article about quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah). Bon Appétit had an article on grains in their June edition as did Fine Cooking. And certainly for good reason. Don't let the tiny size fool you...
when life hands me cherries
For me, it's a sure sign that summer has arrived when fresh, local cherries hit the fruit stands. Not only is this a defining moment, it's a tasty one too. So it couldn't have been more appropriate when my husband showed up with three big bags, fresh from the orchards...
perfecting the perfect food
Not long ago I posted about making my own Greek yogurt – about keeping food whole, knowing what's in it, and rising to a culinary challenge – basically embracing my inner control-freak. Well, this post certainly falls right in that same category. Tacos are perhaps the...
not just for astronauts anymore
Recently I helped throw a 60's beach party-themed celebration for a 50th birthday. It was fun researching all the foods that made their grand debut during this time (think spray cheese and Doritos) but one thing I was struggling with was the cocktail. Sure, the...
greek to me
I'm a bit of a control freak – ok, a lot of a control freak – and that definitely extends into my relationship with food. But part of that is being a purist too. And the best way to keep my food as pure as possible is to use quality ingredients, as close to whole...
not-so-plain-jane vanilla
Those that consider vanilla to be the ugly stepsister to flavors like chocolate and strawberry have clearly never had good vanilla – whether it be the ice cream or the extract. It's amazing what a splash of really good vanilla can do to a recipe – everything from...
blueberry strawberry pasta salad
Recently I wrote about the graduation Top Chef-esque challenge I had in Traverse City, Michigan for my husband's daughter's high school graduation party. She had given me a list of foods that I was attempting to incorporate into the menu, amongst which was fresh fruit...
me + asparagus k-i-s-s (-i-n-g)
I've had an on again, off again relationship with asparagus. When I was a toddler, I am told that I couldn't jam it in fast enough. Had to have it in both hands to keep the incoming stream steady. Then as my mom tells it, one day I actually took a breath and looked...
t.c. graduation challenge
So "T.C." in this case could stand for either Traverse City or for Top Chef. Actually it stands for both. My husband's daughter, Alexa, graduated from high school last weekend from the really freaking awesome Interlochen Academy (seriously, if I could find that...
ginger + vodka = tasty storage
I really like to use fresh ginger and would love to keep some on hand but as history goes, I buy a piece for a specific recipe, use a little and then throw the rest into the crisper only to find the shriveled little chunk weeks later when purging the fridge. Then I...