Party Food and Entertaining

Tropical Tart with Homemade Cajeta

May 9, 2013
Thumbnail image for Tropical Tart with Homemade Cajeta

It’s been busy around here. Recipe testing takes place twice a week and right after the last dish is washed, I’m up in my office writing writing writing. The book is taking shape and feeling real. The last few days have been incredibly productive and satisfying. I now have two assistants to wash dishes help [...]

Read complete article…

good food, good friends, giving thanks

November 20, 2012
Thumbnail image for good food, good friends, giving thanks

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, which is probably common for people who love to cook. It’s a giant stage on which we do a soliloquy, expressing ourselves with burnished birds and burbling pies and happy bellies. This year, I’m particularly aware of the “thanks” part, and wish to focus on the “giving.” Too late, I’m [...]

Read complete article…

come to tepoztlan

October 25, 2012
Thumbnail image for come to tepoztlan

All summer I was getting emails from my dear friend Janet. She lives in a small town in Mexico called Tepoztlan. It’s beautiful, mountainous, and very ancient. The indigenous Tepoztecans don’t consider anyone native unless their family has been there for several hundred years. For many years, Tepoztlan has been the weekend retreat for Mexico [...]

Read complete article…

aubergine is just a fancy name for eggplant

September 11, 2012
Thumbnail image for aubergine is just a fancy name for eggplant

Really, isn’t aubergine a great word? It’s sexy. Much hotter than eggplant, which just sounds like a bad idea. When you offer your family aubergine with buttermilk dressing, za’atar and pomegranate (from the fantastic cookbook, Plenty) you will be a superstar. Ask if they want eggplant for dinner, and the reception might not be so [...]

Read complete article…

habanero, apricot and honey jelly with cheese, please

August 27, 2012
Thumbnail image for habanero, apricot and honey jelly with cheese, please

It’s a spectacular year for chiles of all sorts. The markets have everything from sweet Italian peppers, perfect for salsa or pickle relish, to jalapenos, serranos, and incendiary Thai bird chiles. I’ve made a few batches of hot sauce, using this brilliant Sriracha-style recipe from Food52. I use cherry bombs to make Sriracha, easier to [...]

Read complete article…

there’s always next year

April 5, 2012
Thumbnail image for there’s always next year

Passover is Friday night. Tomorrow. I haven’t planned a seder and I’m a little sad. But it reminds me to do what I encourage everyone to do. Plan a get together. While holidays are great reason to gather, other days are worthy, as well. Celebrate friends and family. My cousins Laura and Lizzy and I [...]

Read complete article…

when in doubt, bake sticky buns

February 22, 2012
Thumbnail image for when in doubt, bake sticky buns

I’ve been busy. It’s that time of year, isn’t it? Head down, trying to make a dent in the perpetual to do list. There has been a lot of cooking, but nothing of any particular interest. Just the old favorites, pantry friendly, quick meals that satisfy and don’t demand. It’s also the time of year [...]

Read complete article…

super bowl snacks

January 30, 2012
Thumbnail image for super bowl snacks

It’s time for a huge confession. I’m not a sports fan. I watched football for a few years, when I lived in Pittsburgh, where being ignorant of the details of the Steelers game made for awkward water cooler moments.  The Immaculate Reception was decades ago, and in the intervening years, when the sounds of crowd [...]

Read complete article…

savory tarts for this, or any, time of year

December 30, 2011
Thumbnail image for savory tarts for this, or any, time of year

We are coming to the end of party season. The time of year when we invite friends and neighbors into our homes, cook like crazy, add a little more butter, cream, bacon to our meals. I love this time of year for all the excuses there are to celebrate and I’m resolving as of today [...]

Read complete article…
Page 1 of 5
1
2
3
4
5