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The Quest for Protein: Making a Meal of Vegetables
What a great time for vegetable lovers, compared to the situation when I was growing up. Back then, vegetables were mostly an afterthought in meals. Many times, they were canned versions, although my mother took advantage of the locally available…
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A Family Tradition: Real Sonoran Chili
Here’s a story in honor of our mothers and grandmothers who taught us how to cook. It all started with tacos. When they were young, my children Jamie and Ben preferred tacos above most other foods, especially Ben. But they…
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There’s Always Room for (Somebody’s) Jell-O
Just when I thought we’d heard the last of gelatin desserts and Jell-O, along comes an Epicurious e-mail last week enthusing about the Gelatina de Mosaico by chef Esteban Castillo. The headline trumpeted: “Looks Like Terazzo, Tastes Like a Dream.” …
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Don’t Dessert the Rhubarb!
Rhubarb season has begun. If you’re like me, you don’t necessarily choose rhubarb with all the other choices available. On the farm, we had a small patch of rhubarb when I was growing up, and my mother would occasionally dispatch…
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My Mom’s Favorites from a Depression-Era Childhood
I’ve recently written about the foods that I missed from my childhood, and that led me to think about other people and other times. My 95-year-old mother, Ginny Kettleson, was an obvious choice. That’s Mom on her wedding day in…
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Cooking Together, Separately: A Recipe for Sharing
Staying in touch with friends and work comrades has been a challenge this past year, but four ladies in Germany have managed a weekly work-around that allows them to cook, chat, and dine together. When confronted with the lockdowns a year…
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Modernizing Classic 1950s Farm Recipes
On a rainy spring day, I’m musing about some of the recipes that I miss from my wastrel youth, and I’m thinking that some of those out-of-favor dishes deserve a second, modern look. I’m not talking about tuna noodle casserole,…
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In Spring, the Asparagus Is Always Greener
Thank heavens for the lowly shoot of the lily family plant known by the Persian word for sprout, “asparag.” The British, for a brief period in the 18th century, called it sparrow grass. Too many of us today think of…
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Party Time! It’s Asian New Year
For our Asian friends, this is the season to celebrate the new year, the most important and festive annual holiday, with big feasts, family gatherings, and fun traditions. Many traditions are based on an ancient myth of a monster named…
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Eating Spring Greens from the Woods
It’s not just crocus and daffodils poking through the ground. Early spring vegetables are soon to be here. Already at some of the local farm stands, you’ll see early greens: lettuces, kale, and spinach, but also broccolini, asparagus, and spring…
