This lockdown is getting to me. As a food and travel writer, it has been challenging. I’ve been able to do lots of things like take walks, exercise with online classes, read novels, and cook interesting new dishes, but what I really need is a getaway. Best I can do at the moment is to…
A Farmhouse Soup for Your Leftovers
Often at the end of the week, I have a few leftover ingredients in the fridge that I like to turn into soup: soup that I either freeze or keep in the fridge for the following week’s lunches. This particular soup reminds me of the soups my grandmother used to make on the farm. Most…
This Simple Recipe Makes the Best Baked Potatoes You’ve Ever Eaten
To produce baked potatoes with an evenly fluffy interior, we figured out their ideal doneness temperature is 205 degrees F. And while a microwave might seem like a fast way to “bake” a potato, we found several reasons why it’s actually the worst approach. First, microwaves heat foods very unevenly, so some parts of the…
Parsley and Walnut Salad
Parsley salad—yes, parsley—is delicious and refreshing. Rinse the parsley well in a colander and only use the soft leaves for the salad, saving the stems to enhance broths or soups. Serves 4 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Juice of 1 lemon Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 cups…
Shrimp and Chickpeas With Crispy Garlic
This is a take on a classic Spanish tapa, made with a few simple ingredients that together create a sublime dish. You can also add a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes and a handful of chopped parsley, and serve the mixture on a toasted baguette. Serves 4 1/4 cup olive oil 6 garlic cloves,…
Flourless Chocolate Almond-Hazelnut Cake
If you can’t find already ground almonds or hazelnuts, you can grind your own using a coffee grinder or high-powered blender. The cake can be served with whipped cream or coffee ice cream, but frankly, it’s perfect as is. Serves 8 7 ounces high-quality dark chocolate (at least 70 percent cacao), roughly chopped 6 large…
Celebrate Artichoke Season as the Romans Do
The best thing about seasonal produce is that mother nature always provides us with excellent sources of the nutrients that our body needs at exactly the right time. Springtime calls to mind artichokes, asparagus, and fresh greens—just what our body needs to detoxify from the colder months. Artichokes in particular help us prepare our bodies…
Ham It Up for Easter
A glazed ham is an easy way to prepare a celebratory Easter dinner—or any dinner, for that matter. It’s also a gift that keeps on giving, yielding a generous portion of meat that can be shared and repurposed in sandwiches, eggs, hash, soups, and salads. Ham is so easy to prepare because you begin with…
Rice Pudding Meets Caramel Custard in a Festive Tuscan Cake
I’ve never been to Massa and Carrara, two towns in the northwest of Tuscany, wedged between Liguria and Emilia Romagna. But a few years ago during a book launch in Volterra, I met Angela, a bookshop owner whose family had moved there from Massa and Carrara. She gave me the chance to get to know…
The Healing Power of Crumpets and Tea
A few years ago, my husband and I spent two weeks visiting family in England. We spent those early days of March blissfully free of the wind and snow that seems to linger at our Pennsylvania home, enjoying blooming daffodils in public gardens and alongside country roads. One day, the weather was warm enough to…
-
Recent Posts
-
Archives
- May 2025
- April 2025
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- September 2013
- July 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- December 1
-
Meta