Recipe inspiration comes from many sources. A dish enjoyed at at restaurant. A glistening bowl of spicy roasted vegetables glimpsed in a magazine. A revamp of a vintage recipe from my trove of family cookbooks.
Two very important words : local, and asparagus. Placed together, an item that is at the top of your farmer’s market shopping list. You must enjoy local asparagus during its short run at the markets, because the taste, and the color, and the texture is superior to any asparagus purchased at your grocer’s. Unless, of course, your neighborhood grocer carries local.
Ever open a carton of cherry ice cream thinking “Oooh…cherries!”, only to find vanilla ice cream with a few paltry specks of cherry? This ice cream is not like that.
After you’ve carved the Easter ham to your satisfaction, you’re likely to have some tasty leftovers. One can only eat so many sliced ham sandwiches, so I’m offering a spicy ham spread that’s nothing like the canned versions you had in your formative years.
During this week’s Saint Patrick celebration (why just one day?), some folks enjoyed green beer. Here is a recipe for broccoli apple ale soup that provides your serving of greens in a more natural manner, with locally brewed beer for good measure.
updated march 2, 2021
Lemon bars were one of the first things I cooked as a kiddie baker, and when the call was put out for school bake sale goods, I delivered. Yep, I was the kid who cooked homemade lemon bars for the bake sale. My parents both worked and I could never imagine burdening them with baking tasks, much less taking something store-bought to the sale.
We have been waiting patiently in Richmond for the first snow of the season. Not flurries, but real snow with accumulation and temperatures that ensure it will remain beyond a fleeting moment. Wishes came true this week with a magical snowfall of half a foot, making kids and grownups alike giddy with the prospect of play followed by snuggling by the fire enjoying comforting meals and hot beverages.
Sometimes I think proponents of the Paleo Diet are on to something. These folks eat the way our hunter-gatherer ancestors purportedly did, grain and dairy free, with a diet mostly composed of animals proteins, vegetables and fruits. There is no sugar, and therefore no wine or alcohol, and no legumes, thus no beans, lentils or peanuts. Bummer. I am simplifying things a bit, but if you want a good read, Wikipedia is a good place to start. Also no coffee. Double bummer.
It’s not always easy to eat “clean” in chain restaurants. Even relatively upscale chains may offer foods that are pre-breaded or bathed in a flavor enhanced sauce, or chopped in a distant city and transported in brine to your town. In short, chains are often loaded with processed foods.
When there is a chilly bite in the air, it’s time for winter citrus. I enjoy lemon in my summertime tea, and lime juice in warm weather salsas and salads, but winter is when the perfume of pink grapefruits, tangerines, Meyer lemons and blood oranges is at peak and best enjoyed.