• Food Stories

    Snack Attack

    This is the time of year when a lot of us are trying to trim some of those holiday pounds. But come mid-day, we’re often wishing for something to munch on that will satisfy a hunger craving without also contributing…

  • Food Stories

    For Vegetables, Try Pickling

    For about 4,000 years, humans have been pickling their food. Before refrigerators and freezers, we needed a means to preserve vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, so we added a preservation medium to prevent bacteria and enzymes from spoiling them. Typically,…

  • Food Stories

    What’s For Lunch?

    A long-time Farmboy reader wants some ideas for lunch. She’s often at home during the day, and she wants a lunch that’s satisfying, but doesn’t take a lot of time to prepare. Something other than canned soup. She’s like a…

  • Food Stories

    Bring Me Some Figgy Pudding!

    You have to love a tradition that’s based on a six-century-old recipe. On Thanksgiving Friday, Mrs. Farmboy happily continued one of her own holiday rituals (suspended last year): creation of her Christmas plum pudding. It’s the Christmas tradition that was…

  • Food Stories

    The Pie’s the Thing

    Pies have always been my favorite dessert. But even though I grew up watching my mother and grandmother make pies, I don’t think I have the skills necessary to make a great pie. It’s all in the crust. However, I…

  • Food Stories

    C Is for Chilly – and Chowder

    It’s chowder season here in New England. After years of cooking here, I’ve come to appreciate our local specialty. The Oxford Companion to Food points out that chowder was first cooked up in the early 1700s and is likely derived…