It proved to be no easy task selecting my favorite recipes from among the more than 2,500 posts on this blog from the past ten years, but I've done it. And I've made a real, hold-in-your-hands, scribble-on-the-pages cookbook for you. It's a quirky selection, to be sure: much more savory than sweet, recipes that my family enjoys and that are good for entertaining and for everyday. Some recipes use the slow cooker or pressure cooker. Some are vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free. All are easy to make, with your well-stocked pantry. Some of my favorite recipes appear in my e-books, so they're not in this collection. You can find those books on my Amazon.com author page. Order your copy of The Very Best Recipes From The... Read more →
What's next? When Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was challenging but whose moral compass always guided him, retired from politics, he became a champion for Habitat for Humanity, continuing to build housing for low-income families well into his 90s. His wife, Rosalynn, worked alongside him, wielding a hammer and leading with grace. When Audrey Hepburn stopped making movies, she shined her light on UNICEF, drawing attention to the world's neediest children as a goodwill ambassador. Sometimes, a person's second act has more impact than the first. The time has come for my own second act. After years of writing and editing for nonprofit organizations, and then food writing, and now food blogging, I'm moving on. Let me explain why, and why now. 1: A few months... Read more →
Here in Boston, tomato season passes in the blink of an eye. For a few weeks in August and early September, we overdose on tomatoes from the garden, tomatoes at the farmers markets, tomatoes from generous friends. For the rest of the year, we face the choice of buying plastic tomatoes in the supermarket, or moving to California. Most of our summer tomatoes go into salads, or on top of toasted bread with a slather of mayonnaise. Some morph into slow-roasted tomatoes to freeze and enjoy during the winter. Here are some of our favorite ways to savor tomatoes in all of their glory. When tomatoes are at their absolute peak, you need not do more than slice them, and savor them, in the world's... Read more →
We haven't actually gone fishing, like these folks we saw on a recent walk around Pleasure Bay in Boston, but we're taking Saturdays off for the month of August. See you in September with a new Saturday fun feature! Read more →
In my next life, I will marry a carpenter. Look at the wonderful shelving in Lili's Minnesota Pantry #74! I have shelf envy. Visit the original post to see more photos of these storage ideas, as well as more cubby holes, and more slots, and more drawers. Then, come back and let us know: do you love Pantry #74 as much as I do? Read more →
I'm a total sucker for creative spice storage, and for turquoise kitchens, so you can imagine how excited and inspired I was, way back in February 2008, to peek into Pantry #3 from Rachel, in Baltimore. Visit the original post to see more photos of Pantry #3. More turquoise! More storage solutions! Then, come back and let us know: do you love Pantry #3 as much as I do? Read more →
Many of my favorite pantries involve adaptive, creative reuse of standard or recycled materials. Grace did just that in her West Virginia pantry #113. Visit the original post to see what's behind these doors. Then, come back and let us know: do you love Pantry #113 as much as I do? Read more →