A few weeks ago, my granddaughter, Edie, asked if I would help her plan a garden-party lunch to celebrate her 24^th birthday. The meal would be served alfresco, so she asked if I’d help her with a summery tablescape as well as consult on the menu. It took only seconds for me to answer to count me in.

We began by going to Target and Michaels (a craft store, part of a large chain) to look for paper plates, tablecloths and napkins, plus candles and plastic cutlery. We spent over an hour choosing items in “garden” colors of sage green, rose, and sky blue. We then discussed her food choices. The young hostess wanted to begin with a salad, continue with a mixed grill of chicken, swordfish, and sausages. Baked Provencal vegetables as well as focaccia would round out the offerings, while a Berry Chantilly cake from Whole Foods would be her dessert choice. Her dad, an excellent cook and champion griller, offered to prepare the grilled foods and vegetable gratin.  She would purchase the focaccia at a local bakery and pick up the birthday cake at Whole Foods. That left only the salad; this is where I came in.

Edie asked if I could create a light, colorful salad so I suggested one of oakleaf lettuce with peaches, cherry tomatoes, and melon, tossed in in a lemon vinaigrette and sprinkled with crumbled feta. The sweetness of the peaches and cherry tomatoes, the refreshing accent of the melon, and the salty accent of the cheese paired with crispy greens turned out to be a winning combination. Apparently, there were zero leftovers of this salad and all the other dishes!

My husband never met a grilled chicken wing he didn’t like. As it turns out, the members of my book club—all foodies in addition to being passionate readers– also couldn’t turn down this homey favorite! I found this out when I hosted the monthly meeting for our group this week and included a platter of grilled wings coated with an apricot lime glaze. Many of my pals went back for seconds, and some for thirds, of these golden wings garnished with lime wedges.

Our son, Mike, an expert griller, created this recipe, sharing it with me a few years ago. The wings, Continue reading →

 June has arrived and with it the appearance of our first local strawberries. Cooks in western Massachusetts where I live have been on the lookout for these crimson berries for the past few days. Recently, a friend reported that they were finally here. She had seen baskets of them in a nearby food coop. I’m looking forward to using these seasonal gems for individual strawberry tiramisus, a luscious dessert I recently created.

These summertime tiramisus are prepared by filling old fashioned glasses or large wine glasses with Continue reading →

May brings many occasions for us to celebrate. Think Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day to mention a few. For me, though, the most important date of this month is the one when the first local asparagus appear in our groceries. I live in western Massachusetts in an area called Pioneer Valley close to the town of Hadley known to many as “the asparagus capital of the country.” In May our supermarkets, roadside vegetable stands, and farmers’ markets proudly display beautiful Hadley spears with signs that read “Local Asparagus!”  Each year I pick up a bundle and head home to cook them. This year I plan to use those sleek green spears for a delicious asparagus salad seasoned Continue reading →

As some of you know, for the past three months I’ve been recovering from a broken hip. When I first returned to my kitchen a few weeks after my fall, I needed a walker. Several weeks later I graduated to a cane, and this month I’m thrilled to be sautéing and grilling on my own two feet! I’m limiting my repertoire to simple dishes that do not require a lot of time, but that both look and taste delicious. Sesame Coated Salmon with an Asian Noodle Salad certainly falls into this category. It’s a quick, stylish entrée (which I featured in a newspaper column quite a few years ago) and it still has its panache. Continue reading →

Although our son and daughter-in-law typically host Easter lunch for our family, this year they had far too many commitments on their calendar and asked if we might like to prepare this special meal. It didn’t take me long to say yes! I love this holiday which usually falls in early spring when everyone is ready for lighter fare prepared with seasonal produce. To anchor our menu, I found a recipe for Farfalle with Mascarpone, Roasted Asparagus, and Hazelnuts, that I had created over two decades ago for an April issue of Bon Appétit magazine. Recently when I retested this dish, it proved just as good as I remembered. Continue reading →

As I was checking out at the orthopedist’s office a few days ago, I made my next appointment for mid-April. Before I could even confirm the date, the seasoned receptionist looked up and said, “Maybe by then the snow will be gone!”  He continued, telling me that he had lived in western New England all his life (for 64 years), and that this winter of 2026 was the worst he’d ever experienced. Just about everyone I know shares his view! To stave off the bitter cold and snow-filled days, I’ve been making hearty soups to anchor many of our suppers. One such recipe for Winter Tomato Soup with Parmesan Continue reading →

In New England where I live, we’ve had bitter cold temperatures since early January, along with what seems like countless snowfalls. I’ve become used to waking up to a new coat of snow on our driveway and to temperatures that hover around zero. As a result, my husband and I have kept our outings to a minimum—we go to the supermarket to stock up on staples and try not to miss doctors’ appointments.  Due to this mercurial weather, we’ve decided to have a Valentine  Day dinner at home next Saturday night, February 14^th .

I’m planning a simple meal that will include boiled artichokes served with a lemon vinaigrette for Continue reading →