making life delicious blog
Nutella Day isn’t until February, but it’s never too early or late to celebrate. We reserve Nutella as a special treat once a month because, frankly, it’s too hard to resist. We’ll open a jar and before you know it there are deep canals in it from spoons and Monkey Boy’s fingers, though we do [...]
Peanut soup is something I’ve always wanted to try, so when we visited my parents in South Carolina, I picked up two bags of raw peanuts in the shells and had a fun afternoon shelling with the boys. I set out a half-sheet baking pan and gave each of the boys a pie pan, and [...]
Last spring we planted an asparagus bed, and it has really taken off. At first we only saw small tips peeping up from the soil, then they shot up to tall spears almost overnight. Now the wispy fern sways in the breeze on long thin stems and will stay around for the summer. Asparagus needs [...]
My first experience in an Asian grocery store was on the island of Saipan back in 1989. I was still new to the small island and its mix of cultures, and Asian ingredients were not part of my vocabulary, so browsing through a bewildering array of soy sauces left my head spinning and I couldn’t [...]
Peanut butter is a snack and sandwich staple around our house, whether for toast, sandwiches, crackers, celery, or just on a spoon the old-fashioned way. Our boys are particularly fond of peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole wheat bread. Peanut butter is very easy to make at home, and there is a tremendous difference [...]
If you asked me to choose my favorite pecan dessert, I would have a really difficult time because I love pecan pie, but these pralines would be in the running. Crunchy pralines may technically be more authentic New Orleans style, but I can’t resist the creamy version. I use real cream—no evaporated milk—because I believe [...]
It’s a shame that fruitcake has earned such a horrible reputation. When I was growing up I didn’t like them, I think because the flavor seemed strong to my kid-size palette, but now I love a good moist fruitcake with plenty of real dried fruits and a dash of rum or other baking alcohol. Michael’s [...]
Our oldest son, Builder Guy, started reading at an early age and since he was a toddler has taken his favorite books everywhere we go. One of his current favorite books is Mouse Cookies and More: A Treasury. The book contains four stories: If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Mouse [...]
It’s that time of year, time for me to dust off my Irish genes—which are mingled with Scottish, a bit of Cherokee Indian, as well as a few others that I’m not sure about—and enjoy a bit of my family heritage. We’ll have some Irish stew, Irish soda bread, and at least one dessert with [...]
It's spring in the U.S. and the following foods may be in season in your area:
artichokes, fennel, fiddleheads, radishes, broccoli, rhubarb, kale, cresses, spinach, spring lettuces, chard, cabbages, chives, cilantro, collards, tatsoi, mustard greens, spring onions, asparagus, rosemary, wild garlic, ramps, strawberries, blueberries, cherries
Eat fresh seasonal produce to stay healthy and help your food budget.Learn more about seasonal and sustainable cooking at Sustainable Table - In the Kitchen.
