Having already submitted strong opinions about a variety of sandwiches, it should be of no surprise that I have a certain mindset when it comes to the BLT. The beauty of this classic sandwich is that it is unassailably straightforward: bread, mayo, bacon, lettuce, tomato. One night a few years ago, I came home to […]
When June rolls around, I am often filled with a longing for the summers of my youth, spent swimming at the nearby pool, riding my bike, or reading a book. Today I watch the kids I know, in homes where I work, or those of friends and family, grow healthy and sun kissed and worn out […]
When I was a kid I was always made to dress up for occasions that seemed entirely without cause for any formality, like going shopping downtown or a meal with my grandparents. I resented such efforts vehemently, partially because I didn’t understand how a dressed-up Maggie made any difference to the shoppers at Elder-Beerman’s or […]
Here in San Francisco, we require functioning furnaces throughout the summer months, when fog and gusty winds surround the hills of the city and make for some cool weeks. While our temperatures certainly aren’t freezing, they do mean that despite the abundance of tomatoes, sweet corn, wax beans, and fresh stone fruit of all kinds, […]
Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise: cassoulet is merely another version of what we in America call baked beans. And like baked beans, cassoulet is a humble dish at heart: beans simmered and then baked with odd bits of pork, maybe a piece of mutton, likely some duck. A few sausages never hurt anything. Don’t […]
There are those among us who like brussels sprouts, a fact that has confounded me for some time. I was certain that these hideous vegetables were beyond redemption and put on earth to torture kids who were required to clean their plates. Eventually I began to regard them with a little less disdain. Friends ordered them in restaurants or […]
When I was quite small, maybe 6 or 7 years old, one of my favorite things was getting a good whiff of the jar of fresh nutmeg my Mom kept on the counter. It didn’t get used all that often, so this was a treat: a heady, spicy, citrusy scent that I absolutely loved. (Nutmeg […]
There are few things more satisfying than a bowl of long-simmered beans, drizzled with a little olive oil and grated parmigiano-reggiano, and served with a few slices of crusty bread for dipping. On a cold night this will take away a deep chill; and for a drained and despondent soul, this will soothe and nourish. […]
Cabbage is a modest vegetable with a long history of keeping people fed. China, India and Russia are its top producers, though Russians are off the charts in their 44-pound per-person consumption of this vegetable. (Americans consume only about 8-1/2 pounds per person.) In the U.S. men apparently eat 25% more cabbage than women do, […]
Because the last six weeks or so have been largely consumed with work, I’ve had little opportunity for either inspiration or writing. The fact that I’ve been absent from my new blog has been weighing on me, so I am here to say hello and give you what I’ve got from the last six weeks […]
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