Fruitcake!!
If you grew up hating fruitcake like I did, maybe it's time to recalibrate. We've heard the horror stories of fruitcake being used for doorstops, or regifted from year to year through the generations. This isn't your grandmother's fruitcake. And while this recipe is a...
Homemade Vanilla Extract (for Gifts)
gift
Loaves and Fishes: We Can Be the Miracle
Sunday morning before Church I decided to stop by Twitter, where I saw this tweet from Grist: Can you have kids and still be a good person? The solutions like this one and would love to see it implemented all over. At the same time, giving the poor access to healthy...
Coquilles St. Jacques on St. James’ Feast Day
It's St. James' Feast Day, so this is what we had for dinner. It's the classic Coquilles St. Jacques, simmered briefly in vermouth and then enrobed in sauce and browned briefly in the broiler. A green salad, some bread, and perhaps some white wine to round off the...
Black Bean Salad
Another flexible recipe that will adjust to whatever you have on hand, but as always, the more colorful, the better-looking (for your eyes) and the better for your health. After you’ve got all that up there done, the rest is easy. Just toss, adjust seasonings, and...
Boca Negra, or Black Mouth
This, besides black forest cake, is my oldest child's favorite cake. I've only made it twice because she's actually allergic to eggs, so as you might understand, when I do make it, she savors every mouthful. And for good reason -- it's rich, and yet light, and...
Addicted to Ayran
Ayran is my go-to drink this summer. It goes so well with Mediterranean food, or you can try it with Mexican or anything that has a bit of a kick or bite to it. Ayran is easy to make too, just three ingredients: yogurt ice water salt I start out with a 1:1 ratio with...
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Fresh Figs
Was getting a bit tired of our usual veggie salads, and needed more vegetarian ideas, specifically those with more of a Mediterranean bent, so I got me Yotam Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook. I cannot wait to try ALL the recipes. Okay, maybe 99%. I’m not a leg-o-lamb...
Shrimp Pad Thai
This is the dish I turn to when I need some Thai comfort food. I've adapted it from Chez Pim's recipe from years ago. It was the first pad thai recipe I tried that actually worked for me and so I've kept it as part of my regular arsenal and whip it out when cooking...
Fresh Spring Rolls
It's spring!! The perfect time to make spring rolls! These can be made vegetarian simply by omitting the shrimp or substituting tofu. Or, you can add on more meat like barbecued pork, grilled chicken breast, and the like. The vegetables also are very flexible. What...
Fried Mini Spring Rolls (Gluten-Free)
There are many many recipes for spring rolls, fresh and fried. This is a simple one I prepare for the kids when they are craving something small and crunchy. I like eating these wrapped in lettuce leaves and dipped in nuoc cham. It can be served with other dishes as...
John Lillis and Lifeboat Coffee
Typing this on a (still!) chilly spring morning while sipping John Lillis' Lifeboat Coffee. Yum!! I first heard about Lifeboat Coffee through Facebook friends, and as we're always on the look-out for pro-life businesses to support, I added Lifeboat to my shopping...
Ddeokguk / Tteokguk / Korean Rice Cake Soup
This soup is one of my go-to Korean dishes that the whole family loves. If you're gluten-free, look for the rice cakes/ovalettes that are made without wheat. They look like this and usually come vacuum-packaged in the refrigerated section of your Korean or Asian...
Basic Hummus
With all the listeria hysteria last week caused by hummus, I thought I'd share a very basic recipe for making it at home. It really is that simple and it really is that good. Many of the store-bought hummus available in our area have additional things like red peppers...
Ingredient Spotlight: Black Fungus / Cloud Ears / Wood Ears / Tree Ears (Auricularia Polytricha)
Auricularia polytricha, or black fungus, is a jelly fungus that grows on trees. It is also known as cloud ear, wood ear, or tree ear, the last two being particularly appropriate because it grows on wood trunks and makes trees look like they have ears. It is tasteless,...