Fifteen years ago, when my wife began thinking about teaching cooking classes, she asked me to help her come up with a name for her new cooking school. I asked her what she wanted to accomplish. Did she want to teach people how to cook fancy “gourmet” foods? She pondered my question and responded: “No…what […]
Food & Drink
Posted inFood & Drink
A date to change your life
Growing up, I had a wealthy, eccentric great-aunt whom I’d never met. She was a widow who lived with her eight Yorkshire Terriers in a pink mansion on the beach in Malibu. According to my grandmother, the Yorkies each had their own room and were visited regularly by a pet psychic who would convey their […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Pimp your veggies!
Every morning as the clock approaches 7 a.m. the folks in my CrossFit gym cluster in little groups to socialize for a few minutes before the workout begins. I hang out with the Fasters. We are the ones who get motivational text messages from our coach at 3:30 every morning reminding us not to eat […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Make a hit with holiday hors d’oeuvres
Looking for fresh, seasonal flavors that will add some variety to this year’s holiday soirée? These are a few of my favorite party recipes that are either very quick to prepare or can be made several days ahead of time. If you’ve been invited to a party, talk to your host first before showing up […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Start a new tradition
Most of the foods that show up every year on my family’s holiday table have origins in the culinary practices of our past generations. Our holiday table has never been a forum for innovation; it has always been a showcase for our family traditions. We always have Nana’s creamed spinach. We always have mashed potatoes […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Roast chicken like the royals
The news last week of Prince Harry’s engagement to Meghan Markle was a welcome break in a typically tenuous news cycle. During the interview in which they officially announced their engagement, the couple, clearly smitten with one another, described the culmination of their courtship as a cozy evening at home in their cottage, “just roasting […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Edible treats for holiday giving
If you were to close your eyes and envision a perfect celebratory winter holiday gathering, what would it look like? What are the traditions of your family? What are your cherished holiday memories? I grew up in a Protestant household in a middle-class suburban neighborhood and my vision would hasten back to a more idyllic, […]
Posted inFood & Drink
The after-turkey sandwich worth waiting for
Sitting around the Thanksgiving table each year, watching my family tuck into their turkey and dressing, I’m usually content to just sip Champagne and nibble on some veggies. Maybe I’ll have a bit of turkey, but by this point I have been living and breathing this meal for some time, and it feels like every […]
Posted inFood & Drink
What on earth is a Dutch Baby?
Recently I spent a week visiting a good friend and her husband, who happens to be Dutch. One morning he asked if we’d like Dutch pancakes for breakfast. “Ooh, like a Dutch Baby?” I asked. “Um, no,” he replied with a confused look on his face. “Dutch pancakes. We call them Pannenkoeken. What on earth […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Giving eggs their due
Eggs have had a tumultuous history in American cuisine. Much maligned in years past by well-meaning health professionals due to their high cholesterol content, eggs are now making a comeback. For years, we were warned against eating foods like eggs that are rich in cholesterol. Now, a large body of research is showing that dietary […]
Posted inFood & Drink
What’s a cucurbit?
While attending one of Urbana’s Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery’s Farm To Table Dinners, I asked owner Leslie Cooperband if I could “stage” (work as an unpaid apprentice) for one of their events. Guest chefs, often from Chicago, would come down to the farm to create amazing meals, eaten communally outdoors. I was hoping my […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Bread 101
Bread and I have always had a tenuous relationship. I had dreams of crusty artisan loaves and soft, pillowy rolls, but at a certain point, every attempt produced leaden bricks. It wasn’t until late one night, when I couldn’t sleep and I decided to watch old Baking with Julia Episodes on PBS that I seemed […]
