My sage plants are about to flower, which is not what I plant them for. So, I’ve been out in the garden pruning them back, which left me with a lot of sage. Sage is tricky. I love it, but it is very strong. That’s why the sage available is the store is rubbed not… Continue reading Preserving Sage and Brown Butter
Potato pancakes have always been a family favorite of ours. As a child, my mother would make them every Fat Tuesday. And with my kids, it was always a pantry favorite, what to eat when we were low on food.I think that everyone should know a few tricks to transform a few potatoes, and staples… Continue reading Potato Pancakes
I like to have different waffle recipes for different seasons. Some of my favorites are fall and winter waffles, like pumpkin waffles or buckwheat waffles with a maple pecan cream cheese/butter spread. But, this morning, I made oatmeal waffles with cinnamon apples. Oatmeal Waffles with Cinnamon Apples – serves 4 For the waffle batter: 1… Continue reading Oatmeal Waffles with Cinnamon Apples
I have a number of kind of dishes that I remake with what I have available, using a template, so to speak. Scalloped whatever is one of them. My general guidelines are a 9 x 9 pan will serve 6, and requires 1 cup of liquid, a 13 x 9 pan will serve 12 and… Continue reading Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Sage and Bacon
I’m not really a fan of beef. I have a few recipes that I really like, but, other than those, I find it very mediocre. This is one of my favorites. It’s quite simple, but requires premium ingredients. Beef tenderloin strips, wild mushrooms, cream and beef stock are the main ingredients, so they must be… Continue reading Beef Stroganoff
I love leeks, but they are a pain, and, if you are buying them, they are expensive. So, I grow them. I am a big proponent of growing expensive and/or unusual produce, especially, if you have limited space. Eventually, I am hoping to almost all my own food. But, I currently don’t have the space… Continue reading Melted Leeks
I’m finally able to get mandarins from the U.S. again. I would love to be able to grow them, but they prefer a little warmer weather than we get in the Bay Area. We can grow some lovely citrus, like my own Meyer lemons, but oranges & mandarins tend to not ripen quick enough, so… Continue reading Fennel-Orange Salad
Everywhere you look, the Great Breading Lie is repeated, magazines, cookbooks, online recipes. “Flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs.” Let me be clear, there is no reason to flour before egg. Not only is it not necessary, but it hinders the whole process. Flour is hydrophobic, meaning that water or the water in the egg, is… Continue reading Hazelnut Chicken and the Great Breading Lie
My mom brought over more pineapple guavas, and, not needing more jam, I decided to make a syrup. I received a steam juicer as a Christmas gift last year, and I love it. If you are at all interested in jellies or syrups, this is the equipment for you. So little prep is needed, just… Continue reading Pineapple Guava and Rose Syrup
This is one of my favorite pasta dishes. It’s baked, like a lasagne, but uses vermicelli, or another thin spaghetti like pasta, bound together with butter, eggs and parmesan. It’s based on a recipe that I found 20+ years ago, and I have long forgotten from where. But over the years, I’ve tweaked this and… Continue reading Pasta Pie
squash blossoms and beet greens 