The Brou-ha-ha Over Foie Gras

Brian Unger of NPR is the latest to weigh in on Wolfgang Puck’s decision to make his restaurants “cruelty-free,” including no longer serving foie gras, and his commentary is the most sensible yet. With all this concern about the eaten, he asks, what about the eater? Restaurant patrons mocked by waiters for ordering tap water, [...]

Anniversary Flowers & Church Lady Cooking

It was my second wedding anniversary this week. My husband, who does many things right, remembered to send me irises, my wedding flower. We took the day off from work to spend together, finishing with a memorable dinner and a fantabulous crème brulée at what has been dubbed, even in its first year, the [...]

How to Make Risotto

I don’t understand why risotto is considered by so many to be an up-scale, complicated dish. When I see a big bowl of creamy, cheesy grains, I think “comfort food.” That’s exactly what risotto is: warm, comforting and satisfying. It is really only a few steps removed from the Asian breakfast dish congee or even [...]

What’s in Season? Asparagus

I won’t say that I’ve been eating enough asparagus lately to make my pee smell (because I’m a lady and I don’t talk about that sort of thing), but I have been eating a lot of asparagus.* Asparagus is the quintessential spring vegetable, in my opinion. It even looks like a bud on a stem, [...]

In Honor of My Grandmother

My grandmother passed away last week at the age of 90. She was a great cook in the best Southern tradition, and a lot of my family’s remembrances of her revolved around food and meals. Many of my favorite comfort foods have her as a source: deviled eggs liberally sprinkled with paprika; creamy mashed potatoes; [...]

Best Buttermilk Biscuits

These are truly the best biscuits I have ever made. They epitomize what I look for in a good Southern-style biscuit. They are buttery, fluffy, golden in color and definitely not wimpy — equally able to pair with fried chicken for dinner or form the foundation of a scrambled egg sandwich for breakfast. I tell [...]

Updated Classic: Carrot & Apple Salad

Even though I made up this salad this week, I think it would be best for fall, when both apples and carrots are in season. But I happened to have an apple on hand, plus some grated carrots, and the dish naturally came together. Perhaps you might recognize that the classic Waldorf Salad is in [...]

Spring Is Coming!

Not cooking-related, but I am excited to see these first bulbs appear like magic from underneath the mulch and pine straw, heralding that spring is on its way. Even with such a warm winter as we had, it is welcome.

Simple Is Satisfying — Chicken Roasted with Salsa

The more I cook, the more I come to believe that the simplest dishes are the most satisfying both to make and to eat. Of course, I have tried those recipes that seem to have a million steps, or that ask you to stuff something or roll something or layer something, or that require a [...]

One-Hour Marinara Sauce

Was it possible? Had I actually found a way to make a thick and hearty marinara sauce, reminiscent of the sauce in my favorite Italian restaurant, in just one hour? Now, I’m not going to claim that this sauce will ever surpass my husband’s slow-simmered, Sunday afternoon marinara. But it was so hearty, thick and [...]