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Giving Those Underappreciated Vegetables Another Try
We’re entering the season of garden bounty when locally grown vegetables of all shapes and sizes are available from nearby farm stands and even from our own gardens. String beans, lettuce, cucumbers, and soon sweet corn will be ripe for…
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On a Quest to Concoct the Best BBQ Sauce
I was a born carnivore, but lately I’ve found that I can do without meat in a number of meals. Usually, four or five of our weekly main meals are vegetarian, and the others include fish or chicken, not red…
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Better Than Baked: Cowboy Beans
It’s official: summer! Now we’re into June and grilling season. Rather than opine on burgers or barbecue, I thought, how about a blog on my latest side dish? What are we having that’s different? In my case, it’s cowboy beans. I…
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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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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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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…
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Cooking in a Small City Kitchen
Some things we take for granted. I’m lucky to have a decent kitchen setup with enough space for storage and food preparation, close to the sink and the stove. Plus, we have an assortment of great appliances and tools including…
