kitchen adventures
We’ve been home from vacation for a few weeks, now. I’ve been making a LOT of bread from the wheat we brought back from Montana, including this no-knead bread. I’ve marked this particular post “Local Harvest” – while the wheat wasn’t grown in Michigan, we were 20 miles from the farm when
We were driving across I-90 in Montana – a seemingly endless road – and spotted a billboard advertising a bakery and deli. “Brownies!” we thought, and pulled off the road for a snack. The brownies were great. We found a lot more to like, too. Wheat Montana in Three Forks is
Tomato beef is one of those summer dishes that uses garden produce and what’s on hand. It’s a fake stir-fry: things are cooked one layer at a time, bundled into a large bowl, then mixed and served. Don’t be alarmed by the length of the recipe – it’s all chop
Everybody loves fresh bread, right? It tastes amazing. Now imagine really fresh bread made with freshly ground flour – flour that you grind yourself. And imagine it being easier than you ever dreamed of. I was offered a Mockmill to work with – and of course I said YES, and I’m going to tell
It all started with a vision: a nice round loaf of country French bread, full of flavor and goodness. With the Mockmill attachment, I finally had the means to grind my own grain. I wanted to make bread in a fairly simple way – no sourdough and no four day procedure here! I
This blog focuses on what’s local and in season. I do make some exceptions, though: my wheat and flour do not come from local growers. I like bananas, avocados, and ginger, none of which grow anywhere nearby. And I love peaches from the Peach Truck – glorious peaches, trucked from
Sometimes you want a small cake: just enough to serve one or two friends. Make a small-batch vanilla cake! I use a 6-inch round cake pan, and the finished cake fits perfectly on a luncheon plate. This cake can be ‘dressed up’ in a lot of ways: split and layered with whipped
Pasta with asparagus and mint – is this a combination you’ve ever thought of? Here’s a nice little vegetarian supper for two. It is a quick dish, with a few tricks to enhance the flavor. The asparagus is chopped small, to cook quickly for freshest flavor. The cream is heated
There are times when you absolutely require chocolate just as soon as possible. There are also times when you need just a few cookies, not a big batch. We’ve got you covered here for both: chocolate coconut macaroons in a small batch. These delightfully shaggy macaroons are made from ordinary pantry ingredients:
Tapas – are you a fan? I am. Tapas are little snacks, appetizers, or small plates – hot or cold, spicy or not, savory or sweet. Who could resist? My favorite are roasted spiced almonds. In Spain, one can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. They’re
I like to eat with the season. For me, strawberries in January are, well, weird – strawberries are for early summer (unless I froze some!) I prefer to eat local produce; especially for vegetables, I like food that hasn’t been shipped and warehoused. For several years, I’ve been a member of
Sometimes, you want a lovely dessert, without fuss or bother. Something easy, of course, but not something that looks easy, if you know what I mean. It should look impressive as all get out, but be simple to put together. I’ve got your back on this one – try these super
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.