We all have foods that we associate with certain individuals. Sometimes the name of that person is part of the name of the item and widely known, but maybe the person with whom it was originally associated is unknown. Think: Reuben sandwich. I’ve named cookies after people. The cookies that I call Mini Teacakes have … More j’s Cookies n Cream: Carol’s Butter Cookies n Raspberry Ice Cream
Two sourdough starters in the fridge need regular tending, so with a bit of this and that in the fridge I decided to bake three items. The sourdough flatbread was first spread with warm, just-caramelized yellow onions, a bit of ham pieces and crumbled cheddar-jack left from one of the protein snacks. Notice the attention … More Sourdough Saturday: Flatbread & Walnut Sticks
Early in the week I sustained some type of trauma to my achilles tendon making it very difficult to navigate, especially up and down stairs. It has ultimately led to more creativity in the kitchen since trips to the grocery store require use of the stairs, I’m wary of further injury and avoiding stairs until … More Shredded Wheat Muffins with Oats, Fruits and Nuts
In the city of Seattle, food waste is not allowed in the rubbish nor are recyclable items. Food waste joins lawn and garden waste in a big plastic bin collected every week on the same day as the rubbish, in a separate truck and for a different destination. Seattle composts, mostly citywide, but there are … More Composting: A Rant
This speaks for itself, a collaborative gift from my daughter on Father’s Day. She took it from idea to the web in a few hours using an ancient laptop and her excellent project management. I wanted to put the song up online today since I have it stored on my computer, but do not have … More Daddy Blues, Not What One Might Expect
Using ripe bananas in baked goods = nothing new, and in my family, the “normal” recipe for banana-nut bread does not include whole wheat flour. My late Aunt Dorothy made a version with whole wheat flour and I prefer it. I use white whole wheat plus unbleached wheat flour, replace castor sugar with brown sugar, … More Aunt Dorothy’s Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread
Friday night dinner was meant to be leanest ground beef with chili seasonings and black beans with accoutrements to make a taco-ish type of salad. I’d already popped the chipotle-cheese potatoes and red bells into the oven, caramelized the onions in the cast iron pan, browned and seasoned the meat when I discovered there were no … More Chili Garbanzo, Long Meal Friday
Doesn’t it look delicious? Somebodies had their plates full making these gardens for people to appreciate. I do not like to garden, but I’m a devoted appreciator. I just eat it up, bless the people who did all the work, and, if I can, give them a little something in return for the pleasure I’ve … More Garden Art as Food
“Spice against what ails ya,” said Tony, a family friend who had a well-loved pizza parlor over on the Kitsap side of Puget Sound, as he put hot peppers all over his slice, folded it in half and ate it. Many times since then I’ve followed his advice for prevention, palliation and, some would say, … More Eggplant and Potato Korma
Just so happened that I had an appropriate ribbon for a tin with five types of my cookies inside on their merry way to somebody with a birthday tomorrow. I had no clue — when I baked a fresh batch this morning of Chewy Walnut & Fruit Bars and four Ginger Snicks with Molasses Caramel … More Cookies and Cats: A Love Story
Ms Chef in Seattle 