Am I the last one to discover these? Apparently, they’re at Target so I’m hoping that you’ve all snagged a bag on your way to the dryer-sheet aisle. If not, do so. Because now that I’ve found them, these Sahale Snacks, these little bags of flavorful nut blends, I am not letting go. In fact, … Read more
Enough about the heat. But first. It’s hard to write about food when you have no appetite. Heat, humidity and the lot drive away my desires to eat. A perfect hell. I had a salad for dinner last night, and even the dressing seemed too thick and heavy. Maybe it’s all the water I’m guzzling, … Read more
It is a drear thought that if you can remember the Pudding Shop on the north side of Divan Yolu in Istanbul you must be well into middle age. “Those were the days, my friend,” the Seekers sang, “We thought they’d never end, we would be young for ever and a day.” As the Roman … Read more
Right beneath our noses, an underground clutch of vintage appliance enthusiasts is quietly buying up all of the redeemable old stoves and classic refrigerators. To the uninitiated, it looks like a hobby, not unlike repairing and collecting classic cars. But some of the new converts to the vintage appliance game aren’t buying them because they … Read more
I had a German grandmother who could cook, but she lived in Michigan. During our summer and holiday visits, this silly American girl didn’t know how to appreciate her cooking. I thought meat wrapped in pancake was weird and wondered why the potato salad was pink. When I finally realized what I could have learned, … Read more
I have an apple tree in my yard. This astonishing discovery came only a short while ago. We’ve lived here for six years. This tree sits in the back corner of the yard and has never been pretty or fragrant or useful in any way. Too low for a good climb, too spindly for a … Read more
Heirloom Tomato Names That I Fancy Green Zebra Hillbilly Mortgage Lifter Mr. Stripey Cosmonaut Volkov Isis Candy Jaune Flamme Ivory Egg Stump of the World Tappy’s Finest Wapsipinicon Peach Blondkopchen Bloody Butcher Dingwall Scotty Hank Purple Calabash
The problem with blazing through life with eyes strictly forward, is that often I forget to reconnect to people with whom I’ve shared good days. Life takes work, and sometimes there doesn’t seem to be enough time or energy to reboil old friendships. And then there’s the fear that the connection leads only to a … Read more
four and twenty blackbirds … Pie. Apple pie, lemon pie, pumpkin pie, shoofly pie, humble pie, pot pie, mincemeat pie, sugar pie. Pies have been around since the ancient Egyptians. In older times, the crust was not eaten. Referred to as the “coffyn”, the crust was merely a means of holding the warm filling together. … Read more
Last night I ate at Mission American Kitchen with a bunch of friends/business people. We were an odd lot. One end of the table was heavy with work conversation and Blackberry buzzing, the other end, my end, was thick with laughter, The Macallan, and housemade potato chips. Our server handled it perfectly. He worked his … Read more