[M]ove over peanut butter and jelly. Apples and cheese go together almost as well, maybe even better. I’ve long revered this pairing, whether on a simple fruit and cheese board, or a melted wedge of golden cheddar atop warm apple pie. It just works…the cold, tart, crisp sweetness of the […]
Author: rahoward
Aligning against odds with Baked Alaska
“[O]n a table cluttered with empty cups stands a small typewriter with a sheet of pink paper stuck in the roller. Although at the moment the page is utterly blank, I am convinced that someday, there will be a message for me there. I am waiting.†— Jean-Dominique Bauby, “The […]
Ripening the palate with gazpacho
[T]he tomatoes have been long-coming this year. It’s typical in this climate, which tends to be cooler than tomatoes would like. Still, we want our tomatoes. We plant them and wait, and long months later, we begin to see red. With anticipation comes longing. As I waited out my slow-growing […]
Bread of the Month: Hushing a craving
[E]ver get a hankering? We all have those moments where a thought of something is not only drool-worthy, but urging enough to send us hunting down said object of our drool. That being, for me occasionally, a hush puppy (more than one, most likely). It is not the cod basket […]
Handling pies of petite proportions
[A]s stone fruits, berries and even apples come into season (their true season), one realizes it is also the dawning of pie season. We tend to link pies to Thanksgiving most often, but it is the heart of summertime that pies, made bursting with fresh fruit in season, are at […]
Bread of the Month: Grating the grand zuke
[S]ome of us don’t — and shouldn’t — forget those wonderful souls from our childhood who saw us as more than mere children, who recognized our BEING, which included our promise, our talents, our abilities. Who gave us hope and encouragement beyond the usual pats on the head or behavioral […]
Lifting the senses with lavender
[W]e all know of lavender’s aromatherapeutic and cosmetic advantages. Try pulling yourself away from a lavender-scented candle or just dare yourself to be stressed out when you have the soothing fragrance of lavender on your skin. It’s heavenly. But if you have never tried eating lavender in some form, now’s […]
Bread of the Month: Flipping for crepes
[W]hat does it say about the world we live in that each time I have typed the word “crepes,†my computerized autocorrect wants to change it to “creepsâ€? I realize that crepes are not on the radar very often — how could they be? I made these decadent little creatures […]
Marveling at simple tortilla espanola
[P]robably the most curious item I’ve ever seen brought to a potluck was a tortilla espanola. It was served in a basket, wrapped in a towel…a potato and onion omelette, so firm it was cut in wedges and could be eaten by hand. Having consumed more eggs over my years […]
Bread of the Month: Weighing in on fluffy buns
[I]ts appearance is simple; its diminutive texture, light as air. Yet the hot cross bun carries a lot of symbolic weight. Originally a little tea roll created to celebrate spring, it was adorned with a cross and — if eaten during the Easter season, usually on Good Friday — has […]