kitchen adventures
Here in SE Michigan, we’ve just begun the season for local produce. Think that’s late? Where I live, the frost free date is May 29 – so I count myself lucky to get local produce any time in May. This year we’ve joined a CSA from Dancing Meadows Homestead in Cottrellville,
Are you staying safe at home? We are under Stay At Home orders (see news of novel coronavirus), and we’re not going out to the shops. There are a lot of us in this situation, so I thought I’d talk about cooking from the pantry. What does your pantry cupboard
I get it, really I do: we’re busy. We’ve just survived September, which for families with kids often means getting used to new schedules, new carpooling arrangements, and new homework struggles. The weather is changing, too: crisp and chilly one day and hot the next. It’s hard to plan ahead
It’s a constant challenge for the home cook: making supper with what you happen to have in the house. This quick baked apricot orange glazed chicken uses the end of a jar of jam, vinegar, and orange juice to create a first-rate dinner, all within about half an hour. It’s flexible,
Do you love oatmeal? Do you love bread? Try this leftover oatmeal bread, which is the best way I know of to use up the last bits of oatmeal from a cold-weather family breakfast. This is actually a very flexible recipe – use whatever amount of oatmeal you have, and
Tomato gratin is an old-fashioned dish – why was this ever forgotten? It can make even supermarket tomatoes taste good, but when made with dead-ripe garden tomatoes, it’s sublime. Layers of garlicky toasted bread crumbs absorb juice and provide a nice crunch. This is an unapologetically summer dish, as it
Let’s talk about comfort food – the stuff that you turn to when you’re dead tired, hungry and cranky. You want a one-pot meal, something that is simple and quick to put together. I’ve got just the dish. This is gyudon, which is short for gyuniku donburi, or Japanese beef bowl
Best-ever cheese muffins? Really? Yes, really. I don’t use the term “Best Ever” lightly. These are, truly, the best cheese muffins I’ve ever made. They’re quick, dependable, and gloriously cheesy. They go well with soups or stews, work as a standalone snack, or make an irresistible breakfast. I usually make these muffins with a bowl,
There’s a family history about Granny Smith’s Meatloafies. My mother loved the outsides of meats – the outside cut of the roast, the edges on a good meatloaf – so when I made meatloaf for her, I made individual-sized “loafies” so she could have more of the tasty crust. Along the way,
Oatmeal wheat bread: fragrant and hearty. Great for toast, sandwiches, or just plain eating.
So far this month, we’ve had cold & grey weather – gloomy, but no rain or snow. According to the weather forecasters, that’s about to change. We’ll have a chance to put on our snow boots, test out the new electric snow thrower, and, best of all, warm up with
January is a time when I return to the simple in my kitchen. After 6 weeks of feasts, cookies, pies, more feasts, and all the glitter of the holidays, it’s time to simplify. This month I want to eat down the freezer, use up the pantry supplies, and, in general,
I’m Maurita Plouff, and I write about cooking and preserving the local harvest in Southeast Michigan. Any recipe you find here is something I have cooked myself, and enjoyed, and think you might like too. I invite you to try the recipes, and leave comments.