Vegetables

A Marriage Made In Heaven: Polenta Lasagna

A Marriage Made In Heaven: Polenta Lasagna

So…if polenta and lasagna had a baby… …it would be this glorious polenta lasagna. (Or, is it lasagna polenta?) What’s not to love here? There is gooey mozzarella, creamy ricotta, piquant marinara and the delightful texture (and flavor) of Parmesan-infused buttery polenta. Did I mention…

Portobello Mushroom Steaks And Butter Bean Mash

Portobello Mushroom Steaks And Butter Bean Mash

Portobellos are gourmet mushrooms. Right? Actually…no. Portobellos are poseurs. They are just your common Agaricus bisporus (button) mushroom with good PR. Who knew? It turns out that until the 1980s,  those big beefy mushrooms we now call portobellos were the overly-mature culls that more often…

No Kidding! Hummus With Chipotle Chile, Black Beans and Tomato Salsa

No Kidding! Hummus With Chipotle Chile, Black Beans and Tomato Salsa

Stop me if you’ve heard this one:  Hummus With Chipotle Chile, Black Beans and Tomato Salsa. Pretty funny. Right?  As it turns out, this international mix-up makes for a pretty wonderful appetizer. The smooth and flat-flavored hummus contrasts beautifully against the fiery black bean spread.…

Breaking Up With Instacart and Chilled Avocado Soup With Crispy Garlic Oil

Breaking Up With Instacart and Chilled Avocado Soup With Crispy Garlic Oil

Oh Instacart! It’s not you, it’s me.  Well…actually…it’s you. How did we lose that beautiful thing that  we had? We’ve been so close since March. Whatever I’ve needed, you were there. Wine? You’ve always given my glass a generous pour. Ripe tomatoes? You’ve searched for them…

Oldies But Goodies: Tamales

Oldies But Goodies: Tamales

Need a tamale fix for New Year’s Eve?  Why order out? These homemade tamales rock. Too hard? If Sarah and I could make them at home, it can be done.  Here is a holiday (or any day) recipe for tamales. This recipe is from Blue…

Instant Pot Italian Chickpea Stew With Pesto

Instant Pot Italian Chickpea Stew With Pesto

You’ve got to give it to those wild and crazy Gauls of yore. Apparently, party games didn’t get a lot more classy than throwing chickpeas into a crowd and watching people dive to catch them. Hilarious! Right? (On the other hand, maybe that was fun…

Sweet and Savory Corn Fritters

Sweet and Savory Corn Fritters

  I’ve always enjoyed the Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald take on the Gershwin tune “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” particularly the riff on “you say potato and I say poTATo.”  (Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off) I was reminded of that thin bit…

Popeye and Spinach Soup

Popeye and Spinach Soup

I was reminiscing with some friends the other day about childhood memories and our conversation turned to games, cartoons and children’s shows. You know: Uncle Wiggily and the decidedly unsavory Pipsisewah, Shari Lewis and sweet little Lamb Chop, Engineer Bill and the milk drinking game…

A Green Formica Table and Memories of Mushroom Soup

A Green Formica Table and Memories of Mushroom Soup

“Women are like tea bags. You never know how strong they are until they are in hot water.”                                –Eleanor Roosevelt   When I was growing up, I often spent weekends…

Autumn Leaves, Eva Cassidy, and Beans and Lentils

Autumn Leaves, Eva Cassidy, and Beans and Lentils

The leaves are turning. The mornings are crisp and cold. It’s autumn—bean weather.   Need some music to get you in that autumn state of mind? Put on a warm sweater, grab a steaming cup of Darjeeling tea (stirred with a cinnamon stick, of course)…