Kitchen Witch

It really was my fault, but I blame it on the potato. Preparations for a Memorial Day get-together with friends were sailing along. I was embroiled in side-dish duty and dessert detail; he was working on a rack of ribs. We were both in a kitchen groove, staying out of each other’s way, listening to […]

Every May, there’s a big homecoming in Alaska, and everyone and his mother in the lower 48 wants an invitation. From now until the kids go back to school, the cold waters of the Copper River are chockfull of returning salmon preparing for their upstream spawning and egg-laying ritual. Meanwhile, we mere mortals in places […]

Years ago the only places Americans ate outdoors were in back yards, picnic areas, fairgrounds, and campsites. To eat and drink at an outdoor cafe or restaurant, you had to cross an ocean. Al fresco dining was foreign, exotic, romantic, and oh so sophisticated. That’s exactly why I was determined to experience it on my […]

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise, but somehow it always does. The first seasonal local produce arrives, and the intensity of its flavor shows us just what pale substitutes we’ve been settling for. Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad such things as lettuce, scallions (a.k.a. green onions), radishes, and fresh herbs are available at […]

As summer makes its debut, cowboy wannabes across America are pulling out their grills, great and small, for a season of smoke, fire, and, alas, the same old underwhelming steaks. Why must we turn to the same cuts of cow every time? To paraphrase my pal Ralph Waldo Emerson, foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of […]

My kids tell me I’m a food snob, and it’s an accusation to which I cheerfully plead guilty. But my snobbishness isn’t about exotic ingredients or fancy preparations — either when I’m cooking at home or dining out. Sure, I enjoy those things; I love Michael Higgins’ carefully crafted dishes containing seasonal local ingredients at […]

It was the summer of 1988, and it was stinking hot in Philadelphia. My pal El and I were brand-spanking-new college graduates and had no idea what we wanted to be when we grew up. Although we both were working in the food biz — she as a waitress, I as a gourmet-shop cashier — […]

We marked the first day of autumn just last week, but plenty of signs of the new season have been appearing — not the least of which the fact that the local Starbucks is featuring pumpkin-spice lattes. The number of vendors at the downtown farmer’s market is dwindling. Tables that featured fragrant white peaches and […]

My friend Joyce, who now lives in Dallas, recently requested two food items during a visit to her hometown of Springfield: a Vose’s corn dog and a D’Arcy’s horseshoe, not necessarily in that order. Joyce isn’t the only one who knows that D’Arcy’s Pint has made a name for itself by serving some of the […]

Springfield offers dozens of places to grab a bite — from hot dogs on a stick to Eurasian bistros. Sure, we have all your favorite chain restaurants, but there are plenty of places that are unique to the capital city. Here’s a selection of some favorites. If you see the symbol by a restaurant’s name, […]