7 TINY CHANGES THAT WILL MAKE YOU A BETTER COOK.
These 7 steps will not only make you a better cook, but they will help reduce stress. When I discovered that cooking didn’t have to be overwhelming, I started to enjoy the process and the food I made improved. The better the food got, the more I cooked. Practice makes perfect; well maybe not perfect, but you will taste . . .
WE CAN'T FORGET
Today is September 11th and I couldn’t let it go by. There is so much to remember, so many people who lost their lives and so many who did all they could to help. And so many of those helpers, those angels, are still losing their lives for their efforts. I don’t want to forget or pretend that nineteen years is a . . .
LE KITCHEN COOKBOOK—THE COUNTDOWN IS ON
Why did I write a cookbook? When I was learning to cook, I looked for a book that would explain procedures in a way that would teach me to do more than just follow a recipe. I wanted to understand basic techniques and what made some dishes exceptionally good and others not so much. There were plenty of cookbooks that...
TENDER AND JUICY MAGIC MARINADE FOR CHICKEN
A few weeks ago, we barbecued chicken thighs that we marinated in mayonnaise. I’m not a big fan of mayonnaise, so to be honest, I thought it sounded awful. Yet when I thought about it, mayonnaise is just egg yolks, olive oil, and a little lemon juice. Nothing that wouldn’t taste good when grilled. Our inspiration...
THE RIGHT TO VOTE—A RIGHT DUE EVERY HUMAN BEING
In 2017 my mother was 97, I took her to vote in the French elections in Mamaroneck, NY. She believed she wasn’t registered. I didn’t think she was correct but knowing the French Consulate, it could have been. The French consulate, before it was computerized, was chaotic. So much so, we did everything to avoid going...
THIS WEEK, IT’S ABOUT THE CORN
Back to the farmers market to gather some more produce for the rest of the year. This week it’s corn. The sweetness of August corn tops any frozen or canned corn that is available. Freezing corn is amazingly simple. The hardest part is removing the corn from the husk. But I’ve found a simple way to do it. It works even...
FINDING STRENGTH IN SUPPLENESS
Isaias, the storm that went up the East coast of the United States, left a mess in its wake. Hunkered down in my house, I watched as the trees bent every which way, and I was amazed at their flexibility and praying for them to withhold the gusts that picked up, and threw their tops into a tussle, and just as quickly...
MORE WAYS TO PRESERVE SUMMER
There is nothing quite as special as a sun-ripened tomato, hanging on the vine, so full that it drops off the stalk into your hand. Sliced and seasoned with a little salt and eaten without pause—the experience is pure hedonism. And this is the season to indulge. But when the season is over, you don’t have to ...
SURPRISES CAN HAPPEN & THAT’S A GOOD THING!
I love the smell of lemon verbena. It floods me with memories of my childhood in Provence where it would fill the garden air. I remember how I'd brush up against it, wallowing in the explosion of a citrusy smell that was so intense I would stay and rub my hands over it. A few years ago, while wandering through...
SAVING THE SUMMER’S BOUNTY FOR CHILLIER TIMES
It’s mid-July and the farmers' markets are bursting with this summer's bounty. The colors are vibrant, the aromas heady, and the flavors begging to be appreciated. But the season will come to an end and all this wonder will be just a memory.
Except, that is, if . . .
THE COUNTRY IS IN FLUX, SO WHAT DO WE DO?
We are social beings, so when we were asked to isolate there had to be a good reason. The coronavirus was a good one. The problem is that there is no clarity in what we are presently being asked to do: Isolate, don’t isolate; wear masks, don’t wear masks, start living your life again, no don’t! Not only are these . . .
LITTLE BUT POWERFUL
There are so many little things that make life easier. It’s the word "little" that is the point here. Whether it is in the kitchen, garden, or when you're entertaining, I find it’s those little tricks you discover or someone shares with you that make life simpler. Those are the things that, once discovered, make me...
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