Last year, or maybe the year before, around Thanksgiving and I threw together a quick pilaf-type rice dish out of some leftover odds and ends I had hanging around. We LOVED it. My family eats rice almost on a daily basis, so including it for a Thanksgiving menu would not be unnatural. But we’d never done it before. After making my recipe and tweaking it a little here and there, I eventually ended up as this savory, […]
Oh my goodness! What can I say about this festive Shaved Fennel Asian Pear Salad with Pomegranate and Watercress? It’s such a mouthful of a title for such a simple salad. Just a few seasonal ingredients that are magical when combined. I actually posted this recipe several years ago and it was high time I revisited it. I’d forgotten just how much I love the array of colors, flavors, and textures. What can I say? […]
For a long time, I said that Honeycrisp apples were my very favorite. And then I had an Autumn Glory apple. Then I had another. And another. And another. And then I couldn’t stop eating them. You might be saying, “Autumn Glory? Never heard of them.” That’s because they are a new-ish variety of apple – a cross between Fuji and Golden Delicious apples, two other favorite varieties of mine. Have you ever had an […]
Years ago when I was living in New York, I discovered chia seeds. I can’t remember why I bought them, or how I’d heard about them. But in any case, I bought a bag and we started using them, and never looked back. There’s always a bag in my cupboard now. I hadn’t actually thought about that until I was whipping up this Apple Cider Chia Fresca. I couldn’t remember a time when chia seeds weren’t […]
These Gluten-Free Gingersnaps with Lemon Cream Filling are full of bright flavor. Tart lemon cream frosting is sandwiched between two gingery, chewy (or crisp, if you prefer) cookies. This is the first time I’ve actually been excited for January. Usually I’m like, “Ugh. Can we just fast forward through January, February, and March and get to the nice weather?” But then last year I fell hard for citrus of all kinds and citrus time is here […]
When I catered holiday parties in the past, the menus usually centered around appetizers and salads. Those are my favorite party foods – always. And I think after all the sweets, people crave more savory party foods. I love, love, love using cheese in appetizers, especially for the holidays, for several reasons. First, most people love cheese. Or at least like it. Second, it creates a more filling, satisfying appetizer. And third, it goes well […]
I think I have finally found the spread to beat all others – Roasted Persimmon Butter. Over on Instagram, I mentioned that I have been buying persimmons for the past few years, but I never really knew what to do with them. I admitted I felt a little intimidated by them. They are very pretty, but I honestly had no idea where to start. I feel like it’s pretty obvious what to do with say, […]
Early on in my marriage, I subscribed to Everyday Food, which sadly doesn’t exist anymore. I LOVED that little magazine so much. It made new ingredients and recipes feel more approachable as I was honing my kitchen skills. There was one issue that I had for years and years until it finally fell apart. I saved the pages – they are tucked away in an envelope somewhere in my closet. The other day I started thinking […]
Like many, I grew up with the ubiquitous pumpkin pie made from the recipe back of the pumpkin puree can. It’s not that that pie is bad, I just think I knew on some subconscious level that it could be better. Or at least I wanted it to be better. I would choke down a piece once a year and I was good for another 365 days. The thing that changed my opinion about pumpkin pie was […]
Way back in the summer, which feels like ages ago now (ha!), I made some gluten-free onion rings one night to go along with our dinner. I don’t normally do a lot of deep frying, so it’s pretty unusual for me to have a pan full of hot oil. I think we were making falafel that night, and so I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity. I know onion rings may seem like something […]