You can pretty much count on at least one version showing up in at least one cooking periodical every July: a white dessert decorated with blueberries and red raspberries or strawberries, or both. It’s not hard to figure out why. Blueberries are one of the few ways to have blue food that don’t involve food […]
Julianne Glatz
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 […]
It’s the time of the season for summer seasonings
For me, summer cooking is about taking it easy – at least until I begin preserving some of the season’s bounty by canning, freezing, etc. Beautiful local produce, locally raised meats and seasonally available fish (think wild salmon) are at their best simply grilled or lightly sautéed to showcase their deliciousness. That said, I like […]
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 […]
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 […]
Happy birthday, King’s Daughters, with an apology
The King’s Daughters Organization celebrates its 120th birthday this year. Actually, their celebration began last fall with the long-awaited publication of their cookbook, Dining with the Daughters. I wrote about KDO and the cookbook back then. Normally I don’t revisit topics so soon, but I have good reason to do so in this instance: I […]
The goodness of granola
It used to be “the lumpy woolen sweater of the food world” according to an article in the New York Times last February. It’s true that for those of us who can remember the 1960s and 70s, it can still have a vague whiff of counterculture. And it’s still regarded as inherently healthy, although these […]
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 […]
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 […]
Frontier, FedEx and Gary
My FedEx delivery guy’s name is Gary. I hadn’t known his name until a couple days after the blizzard that dumped 18 inches of snow on central Illinois last week. In fact, I hadn’t even realized he was my regular FedEx delivery guy or that I even had a regular delivery person. But Gary has […]
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 […]
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 […]
