According to Wikipedia, Pope Gelasius I* established the feast of St. Valentine on February 14 in the year 496. He listed St. Valentine amongst those saints “… whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose acts are known only to God.” In other words, they didn’t know a thing about […]
Pork Chops with Roasted Strawberries Serves 4 Roasting strawberries is the secret to the intense fruit flavor in ice cream. With a little balsamic they are savory enough to top pork chops and sweet enough to keep that bland morning bowl of oatmeal interesting. Ingredients: 1 pint strawberries, hulled and […]
Savory Salmon Asparagus and Chive Kugel Serves 8 Rich and filling, this savory dish is a star at brunch and reheats perfectly for dinner – if it lasts that long! Salmon can be smoked either hot or cold. Hot smoked salmon – firm and flaky – stands up to the […]
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 was 32 years-old before I celebrated Valentine’s Day with a lover. I had dated before then, but through accidents of timing I was always single when Valentine’s Day rolled around. However, while I would join friends in joking about “Romantic Crap Day,” it never felt empty to me. Growing […]
The DC public library system has hired me to give two cooking demos this fall for Hispanic Heritage Month. As my father’s last name, Bardzik, and my mother’s maiden name, Forgiel, might have let on, it’s unlikely that there is any Hispanic blood flowing through my veins. I got to thinking, what’s […]
Five years ago,standing in a swimming pool, at sunset, drinking one too many fruity rum cocktails, I made a promise I had no intention of keeping. It’s a vacation tradition for my husband Jason, and I. Enjoying the final glow of our final day, we begin making promises like “When we […]
Mom gets a lot of attention in my culinary storytelling. This post, however, is about Dad. His advice has shaped my life, usually for the better. (Just kidding. Totally a “Dad joke.”) Over the past two months, I’ve reflected often on Dad’s frequent advice. Not, not “people in hell want ice […]
Last year my Mexican husband gave me workout clothes for my birthday. I think that this year, with a really good recipe for his favorite dish, tacos al pastor, I can get jewelry. Can you help? – Colleen I was intrigued. First, I had never met Colleen, the coworker of my […]
