If I had to choose a favorite comfort food, I would nominate the meatball. Every cuisine seems to have a version of a meatball, whether it’s a truly meaty meatball packed with ground beef, pork, or poultry; a pescatarian-friendly fish ball or patty; or a vegetarian version jumbled together with beans or legumes. No matter…
A Curried Holiday Timeout
Do you need a holiday timeout? When we are in the eye of the storm, aka the lull between Thanksgiving and December celebrations, it helps to step off the conveyor belt of planning, cooking, baking and entertaining. Take a break and fix something easy, healthy, and decidedly not holiday-inspired. Make a fragrant warming curry and…
A Candlelit Tradition
If you celebrate Christmas, when do you get your tree? We wait until the week before Christmas to get ours. It’s important that our tree is fresh and not dry for the holiday, because we celebrate Christmas Danish-style: by lighting live candles on the branches. Live candles are traditional on Nordic Christmas trees. It may…
This Sweet, Sour, Spiced, and Boozy Cranberry Chutney Will Carry You Through the Holidays
Tradition has it that a Thanksgiving turkey dinner is not complete without cranberry sauce. Tradition also has it that every November, I find myself scratching my head, trying to reimagine cranberry sauce. I have nothing against cranberries, mind you—nor a sauce, for that matter. I couldn’t imagine the holiday table without a heaping bowl of…
Good Fat for the Holidays: How to Make Duck Rilletes
The holidays are approaching, and cheese and charcuterie boards are a great way to entertain. Look to France for inspiration and add duck rillettes to your charcuterie board. Rillettes are potted jars and terrines of shredded meat confit, traditionally prepared with duck as well as goose, game, and pork. Confit is the French term for…
Why I Cook
You might agree when I say that life feels uncertain right now. There is a new normal replacing many assumptions and expectations we had taken for granted. Some of this is organic: We evolve, kids grow, parents age, and paradigms shift. Some of this is external: Our world as we know it changes, affecting jobs,…
Back to Banana Basics
Are you in the mood for a prepackaged healthy snack? Or how about a slice of quick bread to accompany your morning cup of coffee? Look no further than the ubiquitous banana. Bananas are naturally sweet and nutritious, high in fiber, and rich in potassium, magnesium, and B and C vitamins. Best of all, bananas…
Unearthing the Lentil
Don’t underestimate the lentil. These tiny pebblelike legumes may be a tad frumpy in appearance, but any perceived drabness or lumpiness shouldn’t deter you from eating them. Lentils are rich in plant-based protein and fiber and are an excellent source of B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium. Not only that, but they are remarkably satisfying and…
A Quick Pickle Fix: Turn Your Summer Garden Bounty Into Crunchy, Tangy, Almost-Instant Pickles
I do like my pickles, but I’m a lazy preserver. My solution is a speedy fix that omits the bother of canning: I make quick pickles. Quick-pickling is for impatient types like me, with (nearly) instantly gratifying results. No time is better for pickling than summer, which yields more vegetables than you can shake a…
-
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