Holidays
Celebrate with Tajin-Bashed Potatoes, Go Plant Based for Veganuary?
Happy New Year! Wave goodbye to 2019, and start fresh in 2020, woo hoo! It's been a rocky year for me, I lost my Mother to cancer, and there have been a few other hard knocks, just show me my own strength. On the other hand, some great things have come my way,...
Get Crabby with Jackfruit-An Appealing Appetizer
Plant-Based Meats are Hot! We've been watching the world of non-meat "meats" expand and evolve over the last few years, with great anticipation. Whether you are excited about the possibility of stunningly realistic fakes, or could care less if they seem just like the...
Wow Your Guests with Purple Sweet Potato Pie
Still looking for a fun dessert for the holidays? Now that you've got Thanksgiving under your belt, so to speak, it's time to plan the coming feasts, parties and get-togethers. Why not shake it up with a technicolor purple pie? Yes, this Purple Sweet Potato Pie is...
Poached Pears Make an Elegant Dessert, For a Break from Pumpkin!
I know we are in pumpkin pie season, but really, how many pies can you eat? Dare we break away for a moment to celebrate the beauty of the pear? I've been playing around with desserts that don't have any added sugar lately, and this recipe for Poached Pears in Cherry...
Roast a Whole Stalk of Brussels Sprouts for a Showpiece Dish
We've all been there. As the family sits around a table, a roasted turkey or ham is carved into slices. It's a primal scene. It's part of some hunter-gatherer genetic memory, one that's baked into our brains. Well, I think I've found a vegetable dish that has the...
Make Valentine’s Brownie Hearts to Win Your Sweetie’s
Valentine's Day Brownie Hearts As Valentine's Day approaches, it's all about finding a chocolate treat that will woo your sweet heart. Sure, you can buy a box of chocolates, or take that special friend out to eat. But nothing says I love you like a home baked...
Celebrate Valentine’s With Brilliant Beet Handrolls
Valentine's Day Sushi! Valentine's Day always calls out for a splash of red on the plate. Crimson hearts and ruby red beets just go together. So, for a heart-healthy flash of red, try my Pickled Beet Handrolls. There is pink pickled ginger, pink tofu, and curly...
Hasselback Purple Sweet Potatoes with Sage, for a Colorful Side Dish
Hasselback is the Way to Go A plain, baked sweet potato is a pretty great thing on its own. Just sliced or mashed, adorned with a little salt or maple syrup. But when it's time to entertain, you want something with curb appeal. For a dramatic presentation, go for...
Rich, Luscious Truffles, Easy, Fast (and Vegan)
The holiday season is in full swing, and you really should have some treats planned by now. No? Well I'm here with a simple little treat that everybody will think was hard to make. I'm talking about Vegan Truffles. No Special Skills Are Needed to Make Vegan Truffles I...
Bake Some Kabocha Cornbread to Share
Looking for an easy, fast bread that goes with every meal? This tender Kabocha Cornbread is ready in minutes, and can be a breakfast, lunch, or dinner bread. You can even use the leftovers for the best stuffing EVER. I've been so busy getting ready for the holiday,...
Make Pumpkin Swirl Brownies with Ganache, for a Halloween Treat
Halloween is a candy and costume holiday. I know, I know, there is a history going back to the old country, when they carved turnips into Jack-o-lanterns to scare away the spirits. In my lifetime, it was all about being a kids, putting on a costume, and collecting as...
Autumn Vegetable Gratin Is the Peasant Food You Need Now
Autumn Vegetable Gratin, with Roots It's Autumn. The leaves are afire with brilliant colors, the mornings are briskly frosty, and the harvest has been brought in from the fields. Now is a perfect time to crank the oven and make an Autumn Vegetable Gratin. Root...
Roast Rainbow Carrots to Pour Over Wild Rice for a Colorful Meal
I've spent many hours of my life contemplating the phenomenal success of certain foods, and the seeming failure of others to break through. You might think, " well, oh, of course the winner is the most delicious, right?"It may in fact be a delicious food. But I fear...
Buy Local Strawberries and Make a Fresh Strawberry Tart, Feed Your Soul
Strawberries are the perfect metaphor for the sweet things in life. Pay attention, don't take the berries for granted, because they will pass. Change is constant, and the seasons come and go, despite our efforts to cling to what pleases us. Don't let the beautiful...
Make Blue Potato Salad with Chive Blossoms for a Quick and Colorful Meal
Does it seem that I'm obsessed with blue food? Purple sweet potatoes, purple corn and purple barley have made frequent cameos here on the blog, in all their chromatic glory. Blue Potato Salad is just the latest. I suppose my eye is drawn to the exotic, as I traipse...
Celebrate St Pat’s with Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes with Greens
As St Pat's rolls around, are you a traditionalist, who craves the same Irish-inspired dishes year after year? Or are you just in it for the green beer? I'm more interested in tweaking the usual fare, to avoid boredom. That's why I made Rosemary-Garlic Hasselback...
Can a Valentine’s Dessert Be Decadent AND Light? Crispy Pastry Nests with Aquafaba Mousse and Berries are!
Have you planned your Valentine's Day yet? Forget about going out, it's much snugglier to stay in and have your own private menu. The most important part of the meal is, of course, the Valentine's Dessert. It must be sensuous, it must be chocolate, and if you can make...
Make Mini Holiday Tarts in Six Flavors for a Delicious Dilemma
Do you wrestle with the decision of which pies to make at the holidays? Pumpkin, pear, apple, or even pecan sound so good, but do you really need four whole pies? This time, I'm making six different holiday tarts, each one designed to generously serve one person. This...
Roasted Veggies Get Sexy with Pomegranate Glaze and Pistachios
Pomegranate Makes It Beautiful! Are you planning a big holiday meal? Looking through pinterest for recipes, or digging out your folder of Grandma's hand-written favorites?Can I put in a plug for good old fashioned cookbooks, too? And of course, pomegranate. This month...
Bake Some Cranberry Sweet Potato Scones for Wintry Breakfasts
Not Just For Holidays Anymore Did you know that Wisconsin is the biggest producer of cranberries? Take that California, with your sunny, temperate weather. The snowy Midwest is the source of 60% of the bright red berries that we eat by the bushel at the holidays. As...
Feed America with “Goya Gives” Coconut Milk and Dig into Jamaican Rice and Peas
Goya Gives Back 'Tis the season! This fast-moving month between Thanksgiving and the end of the year can be a flurry of shopping, cooking, and family togetherness. To make life just a little easier, I'm thrilled to bring you a chance to give a gift, simply by buying...
Try Sushi for Thanksgiving-With Wild Rice, Sweet Potatoes, and Apple!
Try Thanksgiving Sushi, Really Last week, I posted an updated Shepherd's Pie, with a few delicious tweaks that made it oh so delicious. This week, I'm giving you a Thanksgiving option that might seem a little bit radical. Are you ready for Thanksgiving Sushi? Before...
Try Roasted Garlic Parsnip Spinach Pie With Your Holiday Sides
Thanksgiving is all about Thanksgiving Sides Has your search for the perfect Thanksgiving menu started yet? I won't decide on the final picks until it's time to shop, but I like to let some ideas percolate in my mind for a few weeks prior. The days fly by, and it's...
Make a Mindful Moment with Homemade Chai
Get Mindful with Hot Chai Are you busy? Do you feel a little stressed? You're never too busy to find a moment to be mindful. I promise. We're all busy. Any time I ask someone how she is, invariably, she's a little overwhelmed, a little stretched, and just plain...
Spread Some Spice with Squash Butter
Oh yes, It's full on squash season. I'm teaching squash cookery classes, gawking at the gorgeous displays of squash at the market, and of course, cooking with squash. Like you, though, I am pressed for time. That's why I made this spiced squash butter. I just threw it...
Warm, Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for Fall
Fall is Sweet Potato Time Maybe it's the falling leaves, or the chill creeping into the morning air, but for some reason, I'm craving sweetness. The Halloween candy displays have been up in stores for weeks, promising sugary oblivion. This is a good time to bake up a...
Matcha Pistachio Halvah “Eggs” For Easter or Anytime
My Halvah Surprise The last thing that I thought I would rediscover in Amsterdam would have to be halvah. On my recent trip to the city of Canals and VanGogh, I was wandering from shop to shop, just checking things out, when I happened into a place called Sum Sum....
A Valentine’s Treat With Aphrodisiac Magic
Valentine's Day Meets Aquafaba Perhaps Valentine's Day comes along in February for good reason. Winter has been with us a little past its welcome, and we need a little motivation to get convivial. Give the sweatpants and hoodie a rest and at least make an effort to...
Hoppin’ Happy New Year with Black-Eyed Peas for New Years Day
Happy New Year 2017! The passing of the year is seen as a moment when change is possible. Around the world, people are throwing New Years Eve parties, and marking the moment that the calendar rolls over with toasts and revelry. But don't dismiss January first as just...
Party with Smoky Almond Butter Popcorn and Mandarin Chocolate “Shots”
Holiday entertaining is so fun, so necessary, and too often, so stressful. I know, I know, you have enough to do without having to clean the house and make food for a bunch of people. But I promise you, it's worth it. This is the end of the year, the big holiday...