Monthly Archives: April 2009

What’s Cooking in May

Posted on 30 April 2009 by

Lately, I have been doing more improvisational cooking — cooking based on what I have available to me rather than a set recipe. Usually, I freely adapt a recipe I want to make to use of what I’ve got, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking | 1 Comment

Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Posted on 29 April 2009 by

Just as there are five basic plots in literature*, I believe there are five basic pasta sauces. They are garlic and oil, butter, white sauce, vegetable sauce and tomato sauce. But for each of these sauces, there are endless variations. … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Light Green Frittata for Spring

Posted on 28 April 2009 by

Usually, when I make frittata, it’s a last-minute dinner designed to minimize cooking while using up the odds and ends in the vegetable crisper. But last night, I decided to make a frittata that celebrates the bounty of fresh herbs … Continue reading →

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Herb purees: Preserving a bounty of herbs

Posted on 27 April 2009 by

Image by shannon_turlington via Flickr Last week I blogged about an unexpected find in our garden: gigantic cilantro and parsley plants that had overwintered and needed to be harvested before we could condition the soil for spring planting. I put … Continue reading →

Posted in Basics, Recipes, Techniques | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Gardening Notes: So what happened to spring?

Posted on 26 April 2009 by

So what happened to spring? I have no idea, but I feel gypped. Last week it was still rainy and in the 50s. Now it’s sunny and pushing 90. No transition. To make matters worse, our air conditioner is broken, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | 2 Comments

Review: Food Matters

Posted on 21 April 2009 by

Cover via Amazon Food Matters by Mark Bittman (2009) In Mark Bittman’s latest book, he claims he has discovered a method of eating that can help you lose weight, improve your health, save money and stop global warming. It sounds … Continue reading →

Posted in Cookbooks, Food | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Garden Notes: First Real Spring Weekend

Posted on 19 April 2009 by

Image by shannon_turlington via Flickr Here it is, mid-April, and for the first time we had a Saturday that wasn’t rainy and chilly. Spring was late-coming this year, and it still doesn’t seem to have fully arrived, judging from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening | 6 Comments

How to Reheat Food Without a Microwave

Posted on 16 April 2009 by

I am thinking about getting rid of our microwave. I know it seems uheard of, but the darn thing takes up so much counter space. I dream of what I could do with that counter space. And it appears to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, HowTo, Techniques | 25 Comments

Fun Blogs for Foodies

Posted on 14 April 2009 by

I just have to take a moment to call attention to a couple of my favorite food-related blogs. First, there’s Cake Wrecks. You’re probably already reading this, but if you’re not, you should be. It’s surprising how entertaining photos of … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Fun | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Emergency Dinner Guests? Pesto Vinaigrette!

Posted on 10 April 2009 by

Not too long ago, I blogged about the five things I always have in my fridge, freezer and pantry to ensure that I can put together a delicious meal anytime. I didn’t put pesto on that list, but I probably … Continue reading →

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