My husband Jason and my brother Alec are allies. Each the youngest of three, they speak a common language, one I’m not too sure I approve of. In addition to their inability to find humor in the harmless practical jokes I may have played on Alec when we were kids […]
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 […]
No matter how simple or gourmet your holiday dinner, there is one sauce you’ll serve this Thanksgiving that makes all the difference: thick, rich gravy. Great gravy is created through layer upon layer of flavor, and though complexity is the end result, eating is simple comfort. The Foundation: Homemade stock […]
Jane Forgiel is my Mom’s mom, my grandmother. She grew up in Maryland, met my grandfather, a young doctor, while working as a nurse, and moved with him to Rhode Island, where she raised seven children. Unlike the Polish recipes of my other three grandparents, the dishes Gram was best known for […]
Every year, about a week before Christmas, my family gathers in Aunt Terry’s kitchen to make several hundred pierogi in preparation for Wigilia (pronounced vee-geel-ya), the Polish celebration on Christmas Eve. My Dad rolls out the elastic dough, rounds are cut out with a drinking glass and then filled with potato and cheese, sauerkraut or […]
With all due respect to my Mom’s version of Gram’s stuffing, Auntie’s Rum Chiffon pie and Aunt Jane’s coffeecake, it was Aunt Ali’s cranberry mold that made Thanksgiving dinner exceptional. The meal, shared at a table that eventually held more than 30 Forgiel aunts, uncles and cousins, along with Auntie […]
Every time I cook for an audience, someone leans over the table and whispers in my ear. “I hate Brussels sprouts,” they’ll say, or maybe it’s asparagus, fennel or squash. Then, conspiratorially, they share, “but I love what you just cooked.” These are my proudest moments. Cooking vegetables crisp-tender, lightly […]
There’s a picture of my parents at a cider pressing party in the early 70’s. They look impossibly hip, my Dad in his thick rimmed glasses and thick, curly hair, my Mom in a fabulous sweater, her hair nearly white-blonde. It’s New England in the fall, the press is a […]
What is a parsnip? It looks like a thick, white carrot. They taste like one too – like a carrot, just a bit sweeter. With a slightly bitter bite, their flavor lies somewhere between a carrot and a turnip. Once you peel the tough skin, and cut into them, you’ll […]
My husband, Jason, first met my extended family at my sister’s wedding. My mom is one of seven, all married with children.My dad is one of three. In total, there were more than 50 family members present. I love Jason’s retelling of this first meeting. “I was waiting for a […]
