kitchen adventures
Happy Thanksgiving to all those celebrating the U.S. holiday – and for those who just plain like foods of the autumn harvest. I’m not likely to post for a few days, as I have my own kitchen preparations to make: not only for a day with family and friends, but […]
When you want to bake fast, use self-rising flour. This is flour that’s already mixed with baking powder and salt, and I like to keep it on hand. These quick tea cakes with jam show you how fast baking can be: it took 57 minutes from the time I turned on the oven and began […]
Being an inquisitive person, and adventurous in the kitchen, I wanted to settle the issue for myself: do I prefer frying chicken, or roasting chicken? Is my “House Chicken” roasted or fried? Here’s a comparison (note: these are standard recipes; you probably have several in your collection. I’m just going to talk about […]
Why make caramelized onions in a slow cooker when it takes so long? Well, have you ever caramelized onions on the stovetop? First you melt butter in a big heavy pan, then you add a bunch of onions, and stand there, stirring and cooking, for an hour or more. Stand […]
Rustic is such a helpful word. Much of what I do in the kitchen is rustic: that is, homely, simple, cheerfully imperfect. I make rustic tarts because they’re quick, easy, and delicious, and because they don’t have to be neat and tidy. They have all the goodness of a fancy […]
Some folks say that lemon is the best flavor for dessert, especially in the summer. I adore lemon meringue pie but rarely bake it myself. When a friend let me know about a lemon pie sensation I just had to try, I leapt at the chance. Sharyl, you were so right! Bill Smith, chef at […]
Tangy and sweet, bread & butter pickles are an old-fashioned favorite best made with largish (4 inches or so) pickling (Kirby) cucumbers. If these are not available, use regular cucumbers of the smallest size you can find: you want a cucumber with the fewest seeds possible. It’s been a cool […]
How long has it been since you had a homemade biscuit? Maybe your grandmother made ’em and served them with honey butter or jam? Now you can make ’em too, and they’re EASY! Really and truly, they’re not hard at all: and they’re quick, too. Easiest Biscuits Ever makes 12 biscuits 2 cups […]
Traditional basil pesto is made by hand with a mortar and pestle, and is thick and silky smooth. My everyday pesto is a much easier rustic version that is unashamedly chunkier. It’s still fabulous! Summer isn’t summer for my family without basil pesto. It goes on pasta, chicken, cheese sandwiches, […]
The calendar is no help this year; as a gardener and cook, I need to look outside to what’s actually happening. And my herb patch is showing signs of life. The first bits of green in my garden are hardy perennials: sage, mint, and sorrel. Just when we’re getting tired of […]
Need a dessert, but finding it too hot to bake? Nanaimo Bars are the answer! Common in Canada, they are delicious refrigerated three-layer bars that permit tons of variations. Perfect for hot weather, they require no baking at all. No one seems to know just who invented them, though they’re […]
I know that many people think that cream and mushroom soup, and fried onions from a can, make a great casserole. And maybe they’re right, but it’s not the right size for a serves two feast! I adapted this from Alton Brown and from Smitten Kitchen, to whom I am […]