It’s All In The Skillet!

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My husband says that I am a “messy” cook. What he means is that I use far more pots and pans when cooking than he thinks is necessary, especially since he’s the chief dishwasher at our house. My quick response goes something like this. “If you want boring food, I can be neat in the kitchen!”  Typically the conversation winds down after that.
Well, the following recipe will definitely please my spouse (and dishwashers everywhere!). As the name implies, a single pan is all you need to prepare it. Continue reading →

Time to Tap the Maples!

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In New England where I live the maple- tapping season begins around mid- February and lasts four to six weeks. People come from miles away to visit farms with maple groves where buckets hang from tree trunks to catch the sap. When this liquid is boiled down, it turns into a rich, golden syrup.       
The tapping season always inspires me take advantage of this beautiful “liquid gold.”  I love to drizzle pure maple syrup over a stack of pancakes, a plate of waffles, or a platter of French toast.  But, I also use this delicious syrup in less traditional ways. Instead of sugar it makes a fine sweetener for whipped cream to serve with a slice of apple pie, or it can be combined with fresh lime juice to enhance mashed sweet potatoes or butternut squash. Continue reading →

Hermès, Paris, France

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Hermès on Paris’s Left Bank 17, rue de Sèvres, Paris 6 01-42-22-80-83

Although I own only two Hermès items–scarves that were gifts from students—I couldn’t wait to visit the new Hermès shop on the Left Bank in Paris. The just-opened (November 2010) flagship emporium, in the 6th arrondissement on the rue de Sèvres, boasts stunning interior architecture. This three-level boutique has tall (more than 25 feet) sculptural, latticed wood cages that enclose home furnishings. A stairway with massive curved wooden sides is a sculptural marvel. Almost half of the store is dedicated to home items, including arts for the table. There’s a bookstore, with art and design tomes, as well as a flower shop, Baptiste, right at the entrance, that displays some of Paris’s most beautiful blooms. I was only looking, but enjoyed every minute of my stroll through this special addition to Paris’s shopping scene.

A New Flour Delivers Delicious Healthy Flavor to Waffles

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A few weeks ago, I was working on a recipe for waffles made with whole wheat and white flours when one of my talented assistants asked, “Why don’t you use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat Flour?”  She took me totally off guard. I was not aware of this product and looked it up on line. It turns out that this flour has all the nutritional benefits of whole-wheat flour, but is surprisingly light in both color and taste. 
Continue reading →

As Always, Julia – The Letters of Julia Child and Avis Devoto by Joan Reardon

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A collection of letters written in the 1950s between Julia Child and her pen pal, Avis Devoto, this book reveals a fascinating correspondence between two women, both avid fans of French cooking, living on opposite sides of the Atlantic. Julia was in France when she read an article on knives in Harper’s magazine by Bernard Devoto (Avis’s journalist/ historian husband who taught at Harvard). In his piece he was crusading for American women to find good carbon steel kitchen knives, and Julia responded by sending him a French “couteau.” Avis wrote the thank you for her spouse, and the long correspondence began. A well connected book reviewer in the Boston area, Avis became Julia’s champion, Continue reading →

Irish Coffee, Of Course

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If you’re planning to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, what could be better than to toast your friends with a cup of steaming coffee scented with Irish whiskey and topped with a floating cloud of whipped cream?
 
Irish coffee has an interesting history that starts in Ireland and finishes on the west coast of the U.S.  As the story goes, this special java drink was created in the Shannon airport in the mid-twentieth century where it was a restorative offering served to weary passengers. The recipe was brought to the States by a San Franciscan who shared it with his hometown’s Buena Vista Bar. The hot, strong coffee infused with Irish whiskey became the signature drink of that California bar, and eventually its popularity spread throughout the U.S. and around the globe. The following version is my favorite.
 
1/4 cup good quality Irish whiskey (Jameson’s works well.)
8 teaspoons sugar
1 1/3 cups or more brewed hot coffee, preferably strong, dark French roast
1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream, whipped softly
 
Place 1 tablespoon of whiskey and 2 teaspoons of sugar in each of four 8-ounce glasses or cups. Stir with a spoon until sugar dissolves. Pour enough hot coffee into each glass or cup to fill it about 3/4 full.
 
Hold a tablespoon (with the back of the spoon facing you) over the coffee in one cup, and ladle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the whipped cream over the spoon so that it gently falls into the coffee. Adding the cream this way will help it float on top of coffee instead of sinking immediately to the bottom. Repeat with the 3 other servings. Serve immediately.
 
Serves  4

Fast, Delicious, Healthy – A Great Weeknight Meal

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A few weeks ago, my son, who does all the cooking in his family, emailed me a recipe that he claimed had become his salvation on hectic weeknights. He explained that it was an all-in-one main course that featured cod fillets on a bed of spinach, tomatoes, garlic, and olives, all conveniently layered on a large baking sheet. The dish took only about 15 minutes to assemble, then 25 minutes in the oven. When roasted, the fish, scented with an accent of lemon, was moist, and the mélange of vegetables melded into a tempting softness.
But here’s the best part: a quick trip to the supermarket is all that is needed to put this entrée together. Waltz through the produce aisle; put bags of pre-washed spinach and some tomatoes in your cart; walk by the salad bar and pick up pitted Kalamatas and roasted garlic; and finally make a quick stop at the fish department. Continue reading →