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Getting some crispy chewy

“What I really miss are crispy things, chewy things,” sighs my sister-in-law. “Things like pizza or pancakes. Kris is a former model. Now in her 50s, she’s still drop-dead gorgeous. She lives in a warehouse-turned-studio/event venue/home with her (also drop-dead gorgeous) children and photographer husband. It’s directly across from Oprah’s studio, on a strip of […]

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The goodness of young garlic

Recipes that call for lots of garlic are always best when they’re made with new crop garlic, which is making its first appearance at farm stands and local farmers markets. New crop garlic’s flavor is intense but sweeter and less harsh (especially when raw) than that of garlic available in late winter. I don’t have […]

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Bananas gone wild

“You have never heard of Banoffee pie?” asked my daughter Ashley. “I thought everyone knew about Banoffee pie!” Four years at Lincoln University in New Zealand taught Ashley many things. Most importantly was that she didn’t want to make wine or grow wine grapes as a profession, the careers that her major in viticulture and […]

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Land Connection Play

A play? Really? I’ve known about and admired The Land Connection – a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting farmland, training sustainable and organic farmers, and promoting a vibrant local food system – for years, especially its executive director, Terra Brockman. I’ve attended Land Connection events, some at Henry’s Farm in Congerville, where Brockman’s brother Henry […]

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Spring in betweens

This time of year it can be hot or cold – or anywhere in between. It’s amazing to look at our yard and think of our daughter Ashley’s wedding there last year. Everything was green and blooming, and there were wildflowers everywhere; guests were amazed at the lush stand of ferns we inherited from the […]

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Ham or lamb it up

For many Americans, ham is the traditional centerpiece of their Easter dinner. In other homes – ours included – it’s roast leg of lamb. Lamb’s natural association with spring makes it a favorite this time of year with people of many beliefs and cultures. Sadly, many folks have only experienced roast lamb that’s overdone and […]

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Get creative with leftovers

I’ll never again be able to make some of the best things I’ve created in my kitchen. Not because they were complicated and/or expensive, although I’ve made a few of those, too. It’s because those creations – they couldn’t accurately be called recipes – were concocted from bits of leftovers or things that would spoil […]

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