I love soup in all its forms and varieties. I make soup regularly and make up recipes for soup almost as often. Soup is just good stuff in a broth, so anything goes. And when it’s cool or cold (and let’s be real, sometimes in the middle of the summer, […]
Well, good bye to 2025. It was a mess of a year in so many ways. I look forward to a more compassionate, purposeful year in 2026. I owe it to myself and to you hearty souls who read these things to be more focused, and more regular in my […]
My mother found a version of this recipe in a magazine in the early 1970s and we had it every year at the holidays, along with date nut bread. It really isn’t the season to me without one or both of these old school treats being on the table. I […]
This is obviously my favorite holiday: the whole point is friends and family gathered around a table groaning under the weight of too much delicious. I love cooking for a big table full of folks, so this is just great! We trade off hosting with a group of friends, and […]
Had some friends over for a Saturday dinner a couple weeks back. That means I had the day to cook, so I went a little bit overboard. Based on who was coming over, we decided on a Turkish feast for this dinner. Hence, afiyet olsun — enjoy your meal in […]
Rome: A Culinary History, Cookbook, and Field Guide to the Flavors that Built a City Katie Parla. Parla Publishing, 2025. ISBN 979-8-9869976-5-0. Confession: I am a major fanboy. Nonetheless, here is an unbiased and honest review of the new book: Go. Buy. It. Now. Katie Parla has been in Rome, […]
Cold nights call out for a stew. So we had Guinness stew with Irish soda bread. Nostalgic for me — so many cold fall nights as a kid, something like this would be a welcome, warming, and fun dinner. The stew is pretty simple — beef, potatoes, carrots, onions, and […]
I have gone underground these past few weeks. Have no fear, I am still cooking and thinking way more than is healthy about food…. But the furlough has affected me — it dislocated my planning for everything, and threw me way off my game. I am slowly restoring some sense […]
Oh my. Sometimes a recipe just looks too good and you just have to make it. We saw cardamom buns on some TV show a few years back, and the NY Times had a recipe. I have made them every few months since. I am not a super confident baker, […]