Sea Scallops with Herbed Lentils, Champagne-Butter Sauce and Roasted Walnuts Many dishes are enhanced with contrast – elements of hot and cold, sweet and sour or bitter. A well-known example pairs foods from the land and sea- surf and turf, lobster and steak. My expression of a the land and sea idea came about when […]
Fill Your Plate with Red and Green
December 18, 2014 by 1 Comment
Double Pomegranate Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Walnuts Look around – December colors are red and green. We decorate our houses, inside and out with shades of these colors, and they dominate party attire at holiday gatherings. With this salad you can take red and green to your holiday table. Salad is essential to […]
Get the Party Started
November 24, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Oysters = Celebration Baked Oysters – Italian Style There’s no better way to launch the holidays than with a platter of succulent oysters. The season starts early at my house with my husband’s birthday in early November. A couple dozen Italian-style roasted oysters is always on the menu. Fresh oysters are always within […]
Peak-Season Pears
October 25, 2014 by 1 Comment
Northwest Pear Pistachio Salad Dressing & Spicy Roasted Pears The season for garden-fresh tomatoes is behind us, opening a door for other ways to make salads shine. Inspiration came with autumn’s offering of Northwest pears and a recipe for Pear Vinaigrette from my friend Braiden Rex-Johnson’s book Inside the Pike Place Market, Sasquatch Books, […]
End of Summer Gazpacho
September 9, 2014 by 3 Comments
It is Gazpacho season in many parts of the world and last week it came to Seattle. In nearly 20 years of Northwest living I’ve served cold soup twice – once last Saturday. The thermometer was crawling into the 80s, toasty for my soon-to-arrive guests. I seized the opportunity to capture the essence of end-of-summer […]
Blueberries Will Travel
August 28, 2014 by 5 Comments
Finally, blueberries are ready for the road. A sample of Naturipe® blueberry packets arrived on my doorstep just in time. We’re entering the fall frenzy when over-tasked schedules challenge healthy eating efforts. Ideal for back-to-school lunches and snacks, I tried an “extended usage” of these ready-to-eat blueberries. Into my blender went an entire […]
Preserved Lemons for a Burst of Flavor
July 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment
Preserved Lemon Tapenade I first tasted preserved lemons as a teenager, cooking my way through the world of Moroccan foods and flavors with Couscous and Other Good Food From Morocco by Paula Wolfert, © 1973. At the time, harissa paste, bisteeya, tajines, couscous and the pungent condiment “preserved lemons” were very exotic. Today […]
Brownie Taste Test: Mix, Scratch or Light?
July 14, 2014 by 1 Comment
Is it worth the trouble to make brownies from scratch? If so, should you bother with a “lighter” brownie? I decided to find out. Brownies are an all-American favorite, perfect for the 4th of July party I was headed to the day of my tests. I set aside the morning of the party to test […]
Summer=Salmon
June 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment
White or Red? I simply can’t get enough of wild Alaskan salmon. On a recent shopping excursion I faced two choices, typical rose-colored filets and ghost-white filets called “Ivory” salmon. I lunged for the Ivory, a rare find with unique buttery flavor. When another shopper asked about my choice, I assured her it was succulent […]
Sweet Signs of Spring
June 10, 2014 by 1 Comment
Roasted Spiced Rhubarb with Fresh Strawberries A display of rhubarb at the farmer’s market in Carnation, Washington triggered fond memories of my Nana’s stewed rhubarb; she canned every spring and served as a breakfast treat. Nana grew up on a farm in Minnesota where a hearty breakfast, including a fruit dessert, was the norm. Far […]
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