Leeks, onions, shallots and scallions make up the core of Creamy five lilies soup. PHOTO BY NICK KOON/MCT It’s that time of year again. Whether or not there’s a specific diet in your immediate future, if you’re like me, you’re ready for some lighter fare after holiday indulgences. There’s just one problem. When cold winds […]
Food columns
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What to eat for a lucky New Year
“Ushers hurriedly passed tiny baskets of yellow grapes. A loud solemn gong began booming. Each head bent, gobbling their grapes. All around me I heard sputtering and choking. [Edmundo] was frantically consumed in the effort, swallowing even pits and stems. [He] turned to me, planting a damp kiss on both my cheeks. ‘Feliz año Nuevo, […]
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Getting ready for Christmas
Finely grating the rinds of two lemons for lemon pecan pound cake. PHOTO BY TOM WALLACE/MCT “God invented Christmas as a trial for women,” a friend said to me many years ago. I laughed – it was funny – but I also felt a little sad that she was so cynical. But every year since […]
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Turkey tales
“The heavenly aroma still hung in the house. But it was gone, all gone! No turkey! No turkey sandwiches! No turkey salad! No turkey gravy! Turkey hash! Turkey à la king! Or gallons of turkey soup! Gone, all gone!” – Ralphie Parker in the movie A Christmas Story When the Bumpuses’ dogs sneaked in and […]
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Roasting turkey
Since I first wrote about them in 2009, I’ve had several requests for two techniques I use when preparing roast turkey and dressing: brining and an unusual method of cutting up the turkey prior to roasting. By popular request here they are again. For many home cooks, preparing roast turkey and dressing is the most […]
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Warming way to start the day
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA I am not a lover of hot weather. Others may mourn the passing of summer, but I’m always happy to welcome autumn’s crisp cool temperatures. There’s one exception, though: the frigid mornings in late fall when the last glorious leaves have fallen from the trees, skies are overcast and chill winds blow. […]
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Trick-or-treating country style
PHOTO BY METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION Trick-or-treating is different when you’re a country kid. But when I was very young, I wasn’t aware of any difference. After supper, I’d put on my costume and head out with my mom in the car. These days, North Cotton Hill Road is a different scene, with subdivisions galore, but […]
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France meets Italy
Fish soup and honey-dashed, wine-glazed fruits intermingle French and Italian cuisine. PHOTO BY JOE COPLEY Two weeks ago, I wrote about banh mi, the wonderful sandwich that resulted from France’s colonization of Southeast Asia, and the outstanding banh mi served at Springfield’s new Jujobee Café. But the comingling of France and Vietnamese cuisines is not […]
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Jujobee café
Tuyen and Hau Nguyen have brought authentic Vietnamese banh mi to Springfield. PHOTO BY JOE COPLEY It’s taking America by storm. The banh mi, essentially a Vietnamese submarine, inspires articles like “Are banh mi becoming America’s favorite sandwich?” in major food publications. The New York Times prints a piece rating NYC’s best banh mi shops […]
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Spaulding Orchard memories
Every fall I remember what it was like to come as a child to this place that has been my home for 30 years. My husband and I live in the old Spaulding Orchard farmhouse. It’s the first home we bought, and likely will be our last. It wasn’t our first choice, but after being […]
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Hardy chard
I love greens. Greens in all forms. Salad greens, for sure, but what I’m talking about here are sturdier greens that lend themselves well to cooking, from quick stir-fries to long-cooked, Southern-style braised greens. (Although I should note that the French make delectably delicate soups utilizing cooked lettuce.) My all-time favorite remains spinach, largely because […]
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It ain’t over till it’s over
It happens every year. Every vendor at every farmers market will tell you the same thing: business drops off after Labor Day. Maybe it’s because parents are preoccupied with getting their kids back in school. Maybe it’s because even adults who don’t have school-aged children participate in organizations and activities that start their year’s calendar […]
