2013 Archives
Breakfast Salads

Salad for breakfast is a festive way to kick off a day, as well as to work in an extra serving or two of greens and other vegetables. I’ve set a little summer challenge for myself – therefore these (low-resolution, sorry) Instagram pics (hashtagged #breakfastsalad, add yours if you like!) – to have a salad…
Strawberry Heaven Part II: Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes

I made the almond flour biscuit recipe on Elana’s Pantry blog and they are fantastic! Perfect, in fact, for grain- and gluten-free strawberry shortcakes. I used real butter (instead of margarine) and maple syrup (instead of agave syrup) with a wonderful result. Split while hot, spread with butter, fill with lightly sweetened strawberries, top with…
Strawberry Heaven!

Strawberry time! Geez, finally, like everything in Minnesota this year, they took their sweet time ripening & readying for picking. But here they are, making everyone happy and hungry for strawberry summer treats. I received a whole flat of freshly-picked strawberries from my friend chef Scott Pampuch. After blanketing juicy slices in buttermilk pancakes for…
Clafoutis

All-American pie is always perfect, but consider warm, fruity, French clafoutis for this 4th of July celebration. For one, clafoutis is faster to pull together. Can you mix pancake batter? In a blender? Then you can make clafoutis, which is in effect a giant crepe, scattered with fruit, and eaten hot out of the oven…
White Bean Salad with Tomato & Avocado aka Power Outage Pantry Salad

Is your power back on? Hooey what a series of storms. It always breaks my heart to see grand old trees downed, especially if their falling damages homes and cars. I hope that you escaped damage and if not, that you’re back on track soon. After losing power, I’m thinking ahead to the next outage….
Avgolemono (Greek Egg Lemon Soup)

You might not think of making a pot of chicken broth on a warm summer day, but I suggest it anyhow. There are just so many fast, flavorful meals that spin out of one simple stockpot, for several days into the week, that it’s the perfect summer Sunday move. Plop a chicken in a pot,…
Quick Pasta Primavera

I raved about the simple beauty of simmering a pot of chicken broth – yes, even in the summer – above. For that post, I gushed about our family favorite Avgolemono (Greek Egg Lemon Soup), tarted up with diced seasonal vegetables and (with chicken broth at the ready) on the table in 30 minutes. This…
Browned Butter: Savory or Sweet

Browned butter (beurre noisette), is having its moment in the spotlight for good reason. Not that butter isn’t beautiful on its own, but a few minutes of carefully applied heat transforms its subtle sweet saltiness to nutty brown cheesiness, creating a rather magical sauce in the process. If you’ve ever bathed your palate in the…
Chickpea Flour Frittata

You’ve worked late, or have been chauffeuring kids all evening, or were out late with friends. You walk in the door exhausted and starving, craving something more substantial than a bowl of cereal. This hot, fast, pleasantly filling frittata is what to make, especially if you can scrounge a few vegetables from the cooler, whether…
Morel Flan

Sometimes, when the weather is dark and cold, and so is life in general, one just needs to get the hell out of town. Both circumstances were true back in April, when my lovely friend Kathy Yerich suggested a road-trip down to southern Indiana for the Brown County Morel Mushroom Festival. I’ve written about Kathy…