Food, Photography and Bons Mots
What does it take for quinoa to get a little respect? There is a strong case to be made for quinoa. The United Nations, after all, proclaimed 2013 “The Year of Quinoa.” Nutritionists extol quinoa’s nutritional virtues. It’s a complete protein and…
Pythagoras was so convinced that beans had souls that their consumption was forbidden among his followers. Don’t get me wrong. I love beans, but I’m not so sure about the soul part. Tiny little bean hearts, maybe. Truth be told, however you fix ’em, I…
Nana was my grandmother. When I was a little girl, I would spend long happy weekends at her house. She always had a stack of books for me to read–young reader mysteries, as I recall. Sometimes she would take me to the tiny beauty shop improbably…
Virginia Woolf said of soup: ” Soup is cuisine’s kindest course.” That is certainly the way I feel about soup. I confess that I enjoy making soup often and find comfort in eating it. I almost always begin a dinner party–even a casual one– with…
Today’s plat du jour on my table is ratatouille, a classic French vegetable stew that is a specialty of cooks in Provence and Nice. Apparently, a lot of other Mediterranean countries claim some version of this dish, too, so you may have encountered ratatouille under…
This tart is so super rich I suspect it got a big tax cut! (OK. I am bitter.) It’s easy, too! And, it makes a pretty impressive presentation. (Who among your guests needs to know that it was a cinch to make?) The richness…
Quick! Hand me a jar of my neighbor Sarah’s etherial tangerine marmalade. I have two warm-from-the-oven loaves of sourdough bread sitting on my kitchen counter. Warm sourdough bread. Bitter-ish marmalade. It doesn’t get better than that. As you may know if you regularly read…
This healthy Middle Eastern soup is wonderful. It’s spicy–flavored with a robust harissa paste. It’s full of flavorful and protein-rich Rancho Gordo Marcella white beans. It’s filled with good-for-you greens. It’s just what you need to warm your soul–whether you are caught in…
I ate my first B’stilla years ago in Casablanca. I fell in love. (Cue the music: As time Goes By.) We had travelled to Spain to visit Jim Shelton, a teacher friend who had moved to Alicante. Then, on a romantic whim, we booked…
I’m late to the party. (What’s new? I know.) To be honest, I didn’t even know I liked soft polenta, but it is pretty wonderful, particularly mixed with generous amounts of butter and grated asiago (or parmesan) cheese. In this dish, the polenta is topped…
