I wrote my Mom a card on Tuesday. It said, “Each year, writing this card, I have no trouble finding ways to tell you how amazing you are. I have no trouble year after year recognizing some new way that you inspire Katie and Alec – my brother and sister […]
I lived alone for the first time in the summer of 1993, the summer when I turned 20 years-old. My cousin, Tony, who would turn 20 eight days after me – and to this day makes a phone call on my birthday to tell me I’m an old man – also lived alone […]
Bacon Fried Mushrooms and Potatoes Serves 4-6 You can’t serve brunch without potatoes! Bacon and mushrooms just make it better! With earthy, savory notes from the herbs and a creamy texture created as the stock reduces and is thickened by the potato starch, these aren’t your average hash browns. Serve […]
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. As the air fills your lungs imagine it tasting of mountain balsams or a fresh, cool breeze off the ocean. Feel warm, not-yet-hot sun shining on your face, your eyes protected by impossibly fashionable sunglasses. As you exhale feel every care leaving your […]
I’ve been feeling a little down. I blame it on Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes. Thanksgiving is the Superbowl of cooking. I’ve nailed turkey, and taken satisfaction from thick rich gravy. Traditional sides like perfect mashed potatoes, and my grandmother’s basic bread stuffing deliver comfort. However, each year I seek fresh […]
Norman Rockwell drew an illustration for the Mass Mutual insurance company titled “Cookout.” As mothers and children set the picnic table, fathers hover around the grill. Nowhere is there any food. But imagine, give me your very best Family Feud guess as to what will appear on those quintessential American […]
I blame bacon. Amish bacon. You see, until last week, I was living in a beautiful fantasy world where people came to my Eastern Market demos each week to taste new, farm-fresh, seasonal ingredients. We were learning new foods, new recipes and new techniques together. But it was all a […]
The first year I served Christmas dinner, I began with a celery consommé. It delighted my Mom, who felt it was the perfect start to a heavy holiday meal. It was light and clean, and the distilled herbal, grassy taste of celery woke up your tastebuds ahead of the numbing […]
I took over Christmas dinner from my Mom in 1996. She is one of seven children, and every year Mom prepared two back-to-back meals: one for our immediate family of five on the 25th, and another for our extended family of 35 on the 26th. I asked her if the […]
