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Gorgonzola Pasta

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:04:30 +0000

Seriously people, this Gorgonzola Pasta could not be easier to make. It's all done in the time it takes to boil the pasta - with some time leftover to toss a salad.

Carrot Sunchoke Soup

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 07:19:34 +0000

Sweet carrots and nutty sunchokes make a sublimely delicious Carrot Sunchoke Soup that comes together in a snap. Perfect for a winter weeknight.

Hello Canada!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:49:54 +0000

Project Canada 2012 soldiers on with Seasonal Produce Guides for the Canadian Provinces.

Homemade Cheese

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 07:46:54 +0000

Cheese sounds like it would be really difficult to make. It's not. At least not a simple farmers cheese. This fresh cheese is great used as ricotta - on salads, in pastas, or, best of all, with just a sprinkle of salt or fresh herbs on a thin slice of bread. Seriously, it's an easy little project. See for yourself with How to Make Homemade Cheese.

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Good News for Strawberry Lovers

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 07:50:26 +0000

Strawberries are one of those foods that I always buy organic. First, I've seen conventional strawberry fields and I've seen organic strawberry fields, and the organic ones suit me better. Second, I know how quickly strawberries soak up liquid in the kitchen, so I can only imagine what happens when they are "sprayed" with chemicals.

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Where's My Belgian Endive Bouquet?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:48:27 +0000

I just realized what my Valentine's Day was missing. For a few years there I was the happy recipient of a Belgian endive bouquet, complete with a big red satin ribbon tied in a bow, from the California endive growers. It was the kind of crazy, kitchy marketing move that I found rather endearing, and since I love the bitter, bitter leaves of endive, I always made good use of the many endive heads in the bouquet. One year I won a food trivia contest. Among the many available prizes I managed to score the giant box of endives. I was beyond thrilled.

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Happy Valentine's Day

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 06:18:35 +0000

I will admit to mixed feelings, at best, about this holiday. It seems a bit designed to make single people feel bad. That said, I wish those who are celebrating it a very happy one -- I've even pulled together these seasonal Valentine's Day menu ideas. My philosophy for a romantic meal? Keep it simple (there is nothing romantic about an exhausted cook) and keep it light (that "stuffed" feeling is not romantic by any stretch of the imagination).

Pink Salads For Your Valentine!

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:34:07 +0000

A pink salad is a fun twist on the lamb chops, oysters, and chocolate so typical of Valentine's Day. Raddichio (as in this Radicchio Salad) is one option. Beets salads (as in one of these 10 Fabulous Beet Salads), are another way to go. The bright magenta creation to the left? That's a surprisingly delicious Beet Yogurt Salad.

Tapioca Pudding

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:08:28 +0000

Tapioca Pudding may well be my ultimate comfort food. It is so cozy and sweet and lovely. I really crave it this time of year, when the cold winds blow and the nights still get dark a bit earlier than I'd like. It comes in handy when trying to shut out the world, when you want to just get snuggly on the couch and read or watch a movie and stay in. Tapioca may not be available form local sources, but this Tapioca Pudding Recipe makes excellent use of the fine local eggs and milk I manage to procure.

Soft, Pillowy Marshmallows

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 07:40:43 +0000

Chocolate may be the traditional Valentine's Day dessert, but I vastly prefer a platter of wonderfully tender homemade marshmallows. It's true! You can make marshmallows! And, like so many things, they are so much better than what you can buy. It's a great weekend baking project, especially if your sweetie will appreciate the sweets that result. I've broken it down, with plenty of pictures to guide your way, in How to Make Marshmallows.