It is too easy for me when cooking regularly to fall into familiar food choices. This week I decided to go Japanese, a cuisine I don’t usually prepare. I came across a delightful blog by Namiko Chen, a young Japanese cookbook author and recipe curator whose mission was to preserve the recipes her mother taught […]

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My garden plants are a little behind, but have begun producing and soon I will be picking… if the birds don’t beat me to it. In the meantime, I am still dependent on flavorful Campari tomatoes and ripe grape tomatoes, because what is summer weather without tomatoes? This long-awaited warm weather allows for dining on […]

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We did have a few pretty days recently, but not many. They were enough for me to get some gardening underway, but I had to bring some new plants into the house to protect them from the incessant wind. Most survived and are now securely potted, so I can look forward to some fresh herbs […]

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  This column is the result of a project that began last fall, but it is so timely, that I am submitting it now as a tribute to the people of Ukraine and all of Eastern Europe. When I was in Pennsylvania last fall, I came across some lovely oval-shaped purple plums that were new […]

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Recently, I have found myself in the personally strange position of having to prepare three meals a day! Not only do they need to be healthy, but they also need to boost weight loss following major surgery. For breakfast, I can always revert to an old standby. Good granola loaded with dried fruit and nuts […]

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One of the joys of the holiday season is spending time in the kitchen lovingly preparing special treats for friends. This year, with no parties to plan or to attend, no bazaar to contribute to, and no visitors expected, it seemed especially important to remind people they are remembered and loved. I am a fan […]

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I have been feeding corn and apples to a few deer, and enjoying their company, on an almost daily basis. There are five who are “regulars” now: a doe and her twin fawns, and two young bucks. Often the mama and twins come together, but not always, and the bucks usually come separately, often after […]

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I imagine most people have their family traditions for holiday meals, especially Thanksgiving, so I am not writing about that special dinner. Instead, I am highlighting the warm and earthy flavors of the harvest season, fresh from the farm, via friends and farmers’ markets. When a friend appeared on the porch with just-picked shitake mushrooms […]

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I have a confession. While I celebrate and promote the foods of the South, I do so with a bias. I am a northern girl, fond of all that means, who has studiously adapted to this environment. While I revel in the glory of a Hatteras Island October, I pine for the colors, scents, and […]

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