Friday Food Quote

June 24, 2016

Self-explanantory and, we hope, a weekly event. Today, thinking of our friends across the pond, we bring you the very English Elizabeth David. From Summer Cooking: A chicken slow-roasted in the morning, left to cool, and eaten cold at lunch time can be a true treat. Kept until the next day…

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Vietnamese Beef Salad

June 23, 2016

Shopping list: port coffee scallions sugar green tea okra garlic limes tomatillos black beans from bulk bin lemongrass!!! A few days ago I found myself staring at my shopping list, bemused. Okra? Tomatillos? Port? Lemongrass? When did I become a person urgently in need of lemongrass? Not so long ago…

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When people think of assistive animals, dogs invariably come to mind. And while it’s true that service felines are few, we who are owned by cats know better. Lucy, for instance, helps John dress every morning. Those of you not cohabitating with wheelchair users likely have devoted little thought to…

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Mussels in Vermouth

June 13, 2016

Many food blogs avoid discussing news. It’s easier to avoid politically fraught issues (oh, I can see the Facebook posts now….) and just leap to the recipe. Leaping was never my forte. Over at the Huffington Post, there’s a partial list of the dead. The single most shocking thing about these people–apart…

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Plum Liqueur

June 7, 2016

So, plum liqueur. I know, we just made cherry bounce. Why more booze? What gives? Do we have a problem? Well, yes. We have many problems. Who doesn’t? But this is a food blog, and we’re discussing the steeping of fruits in alcohol, not our various woes. Why so many?…

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Grilled Peppers

June 2, 2016

Lulu scorns the barbaric habit of turning peppers over a gas flame to blister the skins and holding them beneath running water to rub the skins off. Richard Olney, Lulu’s Provençal Table Since discovering roasted peppers–and realizing how easy it is to prepare them–I’ve gotten addicted. Sometimes I just roast…

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Cherry Bounce

May 27, 2016

As Memorial Day draws nigh, I may be the only American blogger who isn’t discussing grilling, dining al fresco, or nattering on about the joys of summertime eating. Not that there’s anything wrong with grilling or the foods of summer. But if you’re hankering for yet another rib recipe, or…

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Wait a minute…didn’t we already discuss wonton ravioli? Well, yes, we did, back in February. But that was a different ravioli. And midway through Sunday’s filling and folding marathon, I happened on a new and, to my thinking, improved fill n’ fold method that saves time, energy, and wontonnage. Doubling…

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Tell people you preserve food–specifically, can it–and get a mixed response. People never know how to react to this information. Are you an adherent of some strange religion? Do you belong to a cult awaiting the end of days? Does a trapdoor in your yard lead to a bunker stocked with glittering…

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On Canning

May 15, 2016

A few words on safe canning practices might be useful as we move into spring. Today’s post is an overview, as a comprehensive lesson would be overwhelmingly long. As it is, this post is already too long. Sorry for that. But I had a post on cherry jam all ready to go,…

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