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    Need a knock-their-socks-off pretty pastry for your Thanksgiving breakfast guests? These puff pastry pinwheels fit the bill. They are exceptionally easy, too, and fast to prepare. They also give you an excuse to use your prettiest plates to serve them. My plate is…

  If you need a little humor in your life, this cute video shows children’s reactions to tasting some traditional French dishes–beef tartare, mussels, duck pate and cereal with chocolate milk, among others. Needless to say, things didn’t go well. http://mashable.com/2016/11/07/american-kids-try-french-food/#voD36PDuEkqL  

Oh, my!  Things are getting messy in the kitchen. http://www.eater.com/2016/11/1/13486164/christopher-kimball-lawsuit-americas-test-kitchen-milk-street

The plan was for Juliet, a scary and wicked witch last year, to be Juliet Sparrow, the brave pirate, this year, but, blimey!, we had to scuttle that plan. All the pirate hats were way too big. Halloween Plan B: Here’s Juliet, the Sweet Sea…

I love fall. I love the crisp cool edge that creeps into the mornings. I love the changing colors of the leaves on my Japanese Maple. I love the songs of autumn.  If you need a little fall “fix,” here is a great rendition of…

    Cutting the lemon the knife leaves a little cathedral: alcoves unguessed by the eye that open acidulous glass to the light; topazes riding the droplets, altars, aromatic facades.                     –Pablo Neruda   I’ve always…

  Carrots improve your eyesight. Right? Therefore, if you are going to have a sweet, decadent dessert, you are somewhat forgiven for eating carrot cake. It’s a health food, for heaven’s sake! This line of argument works for me. If carrot desserts seem odd to…

  Today is my friend Norma’s birthday. You go, Norma! Norma is a talented gourd artist whose gourd dolls and masks have consistently won ribbons at the Orange County Fair. Her jewelry is exquisite, too. She is one creative lady! Norma also is an excellent cook.…

Does your food smile? Superstar (and perfectionist) chef Yotam Ottolenghi has been known to empty shelves displaying food in his delis because of the smile factor (actually, the no smile factor). In Ottolenghi’s food world, you have to be able to taste the food before…