First: black garlic Is. Not. Fermented. It is caramelized or, I suppose, ‘aged’, where the Maillard process (think sear on meat) breaks down the sugar in garlic. The result of heat applied over time: savory, molasses-y garlic cloves, that are dark brown to black in color. Black garlic still retains the garlic flavor but it […]
I wish I had a travel memory of eating Chả Cá Lã Vọng in Hanoi but alas, this will need to go on the bucket list. We did not partake of this tasty fish dish when we visited Vietnam two lifetimes ago. Regardless, this is one of my favorites and below is my working attempt […]
A few years ago, I started making a homemade ornaments for family. This year’s ornament is a (be)dazzling canning lid ornament. It is the perfect way to reuse the inner lids (that you can reseal) and if you are anything like me, you might seems always have more of the canning rings than jars. Hmm… […]
I feel a little behind in my holiday baking this year but made some time to plan out baking to share with neighbors. A few of my favorites made the list right away (mystery cookies, Mexican wedding cakes and gingerbread). While ‘thinking’ I heard the bag of peanuts singing a song of brittle from my […]
While technically this is more of a ‘puree’ than a pâté, according to my 1981 The Good Cook: Terrines, Pâtés and Galantines book, it functions, feels and tastes like a modern, more approachable pâté or mousse. Puree is their term used for a base recipe that is then incorporated into much more elaborate recipes. This cook […]
So many adjectives! Cheesy, brunch-y fresh, easy, versatile, quick, unpretentious egg bake recipe is a great way to incorporate the vegetable bounty of your garden, CSA or grocery store. This time of year many are looking for ways to use up squash, this recipe will tackle at least four to five cups of that prolific […]
My plum trees are at it again. Thankfully this is the lighter crop year. They reliably produce a giant bumper crop every other years, well over 100 plus pounds per tree. As such, I have quite a few go to recipes to enjoy plums throughout the year. however, my favorite option is to use City […]
I have a generous Asian pear tree that each year delivers me several bushels of fruit. My go to recipes to preserve are poached, jammed, dried and sauced but I love to play with spices and flavor combinations. Last year the new jam flavors were red wine, madras curry, tandoori and rosemary. Rosemary was the […]