This soup is five years in the making. No, really. I created and tested the initial recipe five years ago, and then it wasn’t published. It needed something to polish it off — something to take it from good to great. That yogurt drizzle? Totally did it. Let me back up a little bit....
Read more →A little over a year ago, Shawn, the kids and several of our friends were on the Cape (Cape Cod, that is) for a wedding. One evening, we got takeout from a little place in Orleans, Massachusetts called Sir Crickets. We all ordered something different — fried clams, fried oysters (mmm!), clam chowder, fish...
Read more →When you plan your meals ahead of time, the evening goes much smoother. It becomes simpler to just finish up whatever you need to (work, laundry, whatever) and then move into a speedy dinner prep. Unfortunately, I fell back into bad habits recently and wasn’t planning dinners. Heck, I wasn’t even thinking about dinner...
Read more →Last weekend, I was thinking up new recipes to work on when this idea for a veggie-filled chili came to mind. I’d almost call it a girl’s chili, but I truly hate when people refer to certain dishes as “man food,” so I surely shouldn’t be hypocritical and call this “girl food.” It’s anyone...
Read more →Ok. Maybe Split Pea Soup isn’t just for spring, but I do associate it with it, especially because I make it using a leftover ham bone (did you save one from Easter? I did … and I have one in the freezer too). But really it’s perfect for any time of year, especially if...
Read more →Earlier this week, a farm in our town started their preliminary work for the growing season. They begin by readying their greenhouse and planting seeds for their crops (and they sell some of the started plants too). In a month or so, the first crops will be planted in the fields, and their garden...
Read more →Once upon a time, what feels like a bazillion years ago, I interviewed for a job at Taunton Press, publishers of Fine Cooking. But the job wasn’t for that fabulous magazine, it was for another of their great enthusiast titles – Fine Woodworking. I’ll pause for a second while those that know me personally...
Read more →When Will came home from school today, my house smelled incredible. The the lingering scent of slow-cooking beef mixed with red wine, garlic and more was mouthwatering and hit me as soon as we stepped through the door. I couldn’t wait until dinnertime. The stew, which the kids both ate a lot of, was...
Read more →Whenever anyone asks what my favorite recipe is, my recipe Potato Leek Soup is one of the first to come to mind. It’s ridiculously easy — just a few ingredients — and it can be made pretty swiftly with minimal hands-on work. And while simple, this unassuming soup is flavorful and warm — perfect...
Read more →There’s a picture of Will on my desk from his first year in preschool. He’s got this infectious smile, like he was laughing at the time. And he looks so dapper in his striped Oxford shirt. That’s the little boy who’s now a kindergartner. He’s five now, and learning to read and write. Where...
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