Few seasonal foods make a locavore’s heart go pitter-patter as quickly as ramps. Ramps — the word is spoken in hushed, reverential tones — are a foraged food that hits the markets in early spring. Their appearance marks the definitive end of winter and the beginning of the… Read More
Most of you who follow this blog know that for the past couple of years I have been a regular competitor in a series of cook-offs here in NYC known as The Takedowns. However, it occurred to me the other day that for all of my blog… Read More
I have inherited a lot from my mother. In addition to her dry sense of humor, her sarcasm, and her sly potty mouth, I am also the beneficiary of her glossy hair and poreless, flawless skin — which she reminds me, while comparing the four… Read More
“Nigella does what?!” Steve from Gourmandistan shook his head incredulously and made a face. “She tells you to put all the fresh herbs in the foot of a nylon stocking and to leave the whole thing in simmering stock for an hour!” “Doesn’t it melt?!” “Yeah. You… Read More
On a hot and sticky mid-August night several years ago, I boarded an overnight train from Paris to Milan. The cabin was filled with two sets of bunk-beds that were meant to accommodate four people. Instead, we were five because the couple sharing the cabin… Read More
What’s a girl to do when faced with too much kale and too little time? Make pesto! When it comes to something like pesto, it’s hard to say that anyone has proprietary claims to any one recipe. I did look at this recipe on Tastespotting and… Read More
I am finally getting to the end of the massive amount of green garlic that I bought at the Greenmarket. Whew! It has been a very delicious process, but it still feels good to polish it off. With the last three bulbs, I decided to… Read More
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you were amazed at how busy your schedule was, yet surprised at how little you seemed to get done? That was last week for me and the blitz of activity left me little time to cook,… Read More
Already I can see that the beginning of the new year is going to be a tug-of-war between the wanting-to-detox me, and the part of me that thinks that butter and cheese are inalienable rights to be defended Minutemen-style with muskets and bayonets. I know… Read More
I have a new love: Jersey Farms Crushed Tomatoes. I can eat them straight out of the can. Seriously. They just taste so rich and, well, tomatoey. All of the tomatoes come from just 6 cooperative farms in New Jersey. Once picked, they are canned within… Read More
