food detective
This summer while my youngest was hiking through Norway she face-timed me to say, “Mom, why don’t you come over to Europe so the two of us can do a trip together.” I thought- how can I drop everything to fly over to Europe to be with her. Then I thought- how can I not drop everything to go on a one-on-one adventure with my baby girl. In the coming
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food detective
Summertime in southern Ohio it’s easy to believe that sweet corn will always be around. But as the dog days of summer come to a close, so will corn’s window. It’s always a sad moment when I drive by the farm stand on Stroop Road and their wooden cart is bare. Because once the corn is gone, it’s gone for good. But while it’s still here, I am
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making it for two
Forget the take-out. Here’s an off the chart Vietnamese noodle dish that is incredibly bright and fresh. The best part, it’s a cinch to make in-home. And with a few tweaks to the ingredients it’s as easy to shop for as it is to prepare. If you live in LA or NYC fabulous ethnic food is within reach. But for the majority of us take-out often means a
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making it for two
How often do you find a great recipe only to discover it’s scaled for a crowd? In this next series entitled “making it for two” I am going to pare down not only the ingredients but also the prep time so that cooking for two won’t take an eternity. Leaving you more time to spend time with the one you love. My sweet husband has an incredible sweet
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food detective
Being active in my local and national garden club has many benefits. One that always thrills and delights me is when we are invited to lunch. I rarely go to lunch. Since I retired from teaching, my noon day fare is usually something I can piece together out of the frig or a bite on the road. So, when an invitation to a proper lunch comes my way I
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food detective
Many of you will be reading this on June 13th, the day my bi-monthly email blast goes out and wonder what the heck is she doing making cheesecake when her daughter is getting married in three days! I assure you I didn’t wake up at 5 AM to make these little bites. I made them the week before. Experimenting in the kitchen is one of the ways I unwind
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food detective
I came of age at a time when it was considered chic to dine on quiche and crepes. There were entire restaurants devoted to this fare. I loved the savory creamed chicken crepes, the studded quiche with its flaky crust, and the crocks of cheese capped French onion soup. But just as jumpsuits and wide-collared shirts went out of fashion, quiche seemed
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food detective
I pulled into my desert house right after my 26-year-old daughter and her friends had driven off after a little Cinco de Mayo girls’ weekend. I was truly impressed that they had left the house just as they had found it. And even more elated when I opened the freezer to find a large bottle of top shelf tequila chilling on its side. Let’s get serious
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entertaining with style- making it work for you
There are so many things to love about Trader Joe’s. They always have a beautiful array of fresh vegetables. There’s their convenience items like steamed and peeled baby beets or ready to serve lentils. Affordable finds such as creamy burrata. I’m simply mad about their pita crackers. And then there are the flowers. No one has an excuse not to have
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perfecting the "done before they arrive" party- a work in progress
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It’s April 17th and I woke to my flower beds covered in a blanket of snow. As I put on my boots and hat and mittens to take my dog Willie out, we were greeted with frigid winds and pelting hail. I don’t know about you but I’m ready for a weather change. And while we can’t do a thing to influence Mother Nature, here's a way to bring a little
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Wherever I find myself, I’m happiest with a full dining room table. As a former professional chef and caterer I want to share what I’ve learned over the past three decades of entertaining. On this site you’ll find tricks of the trade to help even the most harried of you pull off a seemingly seamless fête. Come join the conversation! read more →