One of my favorite aspects of cooking is the unexpected surprises. The dishes that don’t sound particularly delicious, but turn out to be fantastic… seductive… sublime. You know exactly what I’m saying. This is my latest entry into that category. Paulo and I had been working around the house, and suddenly found ourselves hungry. The hunger that sneaks Read entire post
I love a culinary surprise. A new ingredient. An unusual flavor. An exotic fragrance rising from the stove, filling the kitchen, permeating the entire house with the lure of simmering promise. Surprises sometimes come in familiar packages, though. A combination of standard items that I never before had imagined juxtaposing together. This recipe, the instant I read it, sounded Read entire post
I must say, I love August. Not for the heat. Not for the humidity. Not for the dried, brittle grass that crunches underfoot. Nope, I love August for one wonderful reason. Tomatoes. Gorgeous, plump fruits that smell of sunshine. Fat, juicy orbs of pure luscious goodness. I am not, of course, talking about tomatoes found in grocery stores, not Read entire post
Ahhhhhh, baked goods. There is nothing much better. Homemade baked goods, that is, fresh from the oven. Not the bland bakery items that can be found in too many stores, dry and overly sweet, lacking in both flavor and texture. No, I’ve always craved the baked goods that I make myself. Crisply chewy cookies, richly moist Read entire post
Paulo and I recently returned from a lovely and relaxing vacation in the Colorado mountains. There is something about the air out there, 9000 feet up amidst endless pine trees, beneath a blue sky that is somehow both soft and brilliant, something that makes every sight and scent and taste resonate with crystalline clarity. There is no other place Read entire post
This is Madhur Jaffrey’s version of a traditional Bengali dish. Or, should I say, it is nearly her version. Because you see, dear readers, I admit to you here and now that I have an addiction to coconut milk. And not a small addiction. Not the kind that emerges every so often, becomes readily satisfied with just a few Read entire post
This is a lightening fast post for a lightening fast curry. Now that spring is here, Paulo and I have been working diligently on the yard and the house, getting them both into good order for the coming summer. With little spare time, we want to eat good meals, as always, but meals that can be made quickly and Read entire post
This is the first time in 2012 we’ve been able to eat dinner out on the patio! Happy spring evening. The sun slanted low but bright on the horizon (as you can see in the photo). Laughter from playing children drifted across the yard. Lawn mowers hummed in the distance. The scents of freshness, newness, of verdant growth suffused Read entire post
This is a great big bowl of smooth green freshness. Half an hour from start to finish, and you will have before you a soup that is perfect whatever the season. Hot in winter, chilled in summer, or room temperature anytime, preferably consumed with big hunks of bread. I’ve been making this soup for years. It combines two Read entire post
First, I must say that I’m thrilled my internet service provider has fixed its connectivity problems. Able to post again, finally! Second, I am very happy to share this wonderful rice pudding with you. As mentioned previously, in quite a few posts, I’m always amazed when a few simple ingredients produce a dish that is so good that it seems Read entire post
I was in the mood for a curry. A luscious, beautiful curry bursting with flavor and color, and with just enough heat to faintly sear the edge of the lips. A book by the inimitable Simon Hopkinson suggested a recipe that seemed to fit the requirements perfectly. Spices, jeweled vegetables, and subtle red lentils, all bound together by the creaminess of coconut milk, and offset Read entire post
I read recipes. Many of them. Nearly every day. To me they are as alluring as a good suspense novel, though I can’t explain exactly why. Perhaps it is the pleasure of visualizing a dish from black and white words, or maybe it is the latent potentiality of tastiness inherent in a mere slip of paper. Whatever the reason, I am compelled, Read entire post
It is March. Yesterday was cold and rainy, today is warm and sunny, and tomorrow snow lurks about the forecast. This is the time of year for comfort food, and I was going to talk about that, about the pleasure of preparing a big pot of thick and steaming stew to be consumed indoors on a murky day, or outside Read entire post
Curries of any kind make me very happy. Whether they be made with the fragrant curry powders of southern Asia, the freshly ground curry pastes of southeast Asia, or any of the other wonderful curry bases found on that side of the world, they are all delicious, each and every one. They have such a layered warmth of flavor, both Read entire post
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