Ashley Meyer

It’s rare these days to buy anything that will truly last 100 years, much less generations. Cast-iron cookware, when properly cared for, can last indefinitely. I have a set of cast-iron skillets that are true workhorses of my kitchen. Some I found at garage sales and the others I inherited from my great-grandmother. I cherish […]

Spring has sprung! Brightly colored bulb flowers are beginning to bloom and the cheeky chatter of songbirds fills the air. Winter is officially behind us. Unfortunately, the flu season has not completely melted away like the snow and ice. Everywhere I turn it seems another friend has been struck down with the virus. Indeed the […]

Diet fads and gimmicks generally don’t interest me. I’m immediately suspicious of any diet that suggests removal of an entire food group, and I tend to steer clear of low-fat or reduced-calorie versions of foods that are inherently rich and delicious. I made a personal decision long ago that a life without bread, pasta, cheese […]

Like many Americans, every year I looked forward to my St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage. And every year, my mother loved to remind us that if we really wanted to enjoy a traditional Irish feast, we should be having mussels instead. Indeed, mussels are a common meal on that rocky emerald isle in […]

Spend a few minutes perusing popular food blogs for health-conscious recipes and one thing begins to become clear – cauliflower is the new “it” vegetable. Thanks to popular diet trends such as a Paleo and Whole 30, health-conscious cooks and food bloggers have been developing creative and nourishing substitutes for our favorite starchy foods like […]

Turmeric is a spice rack regular in my kitchen. I use the deep orange powder when cooking Indian or Southeast Asian cuisine, and usually throw a pinch in when I’m making deviled eggs for more vividly colored yolks. It was never a spice that I gave much consideration though: often it is used as part […]

Champagne is a classic choice for Valentine’s Day, and it, along with other sparkling wines like cava, prosecco and moscato d’Asti, are some of the most versatile wines to enjoy and pair with food. If I had to choose one “desert island wine” for the rest of my life, I would choose Champagne, or méthode […]

Few dishes are more aptly suited to counter the effects of the bracing February wind than hot borscht. I remember the first time it was served to me as a young child. My family was in Chicago for the weekend, and it was a typically frigid winter day. After seeking refuge in the Art Institute […]

After weeks of rich wintery fare, nature has a way of offering her own elixir. Citrus fruits are in peak season now through early spring, arriving just in time to pull us out of our butter-laden holiday haze. Bright, refreshing and packed with nutrients, these sunny fruits liven up savory and sweet dishes alike. The […]

We know that eating fresh, simple, home-cooked food is one of the best ways to foster our health and overall well-being. Many of you, like me, will be entering the New Year with a renewed commitment to health and to improving order and efficiency in our lives and households. As you well know, it’s typically […]

I’ve always been a morning person. As a child, this meant that I was left to my own devices on weekends until about 9:30, when the rest of the house would finally begin to stir. I grew up learning to cook at my mother’s elbow, but it was in these quiet early mornings that I […]

’Tis the season for braising! This hands-off cooking method, in which foods are covered and slow-cooked at a lower temperature with a small amount of liquid, transforms tough, cheaper cuts of meat and hard, fiber-rich vegetables into sumptuous one-pot meals. Not only do these dishes pair well with a blustery December night, they can be […]