A couple weeks ago we went on an incredible sailing trip with six friends in the British Virgin Islands. And for me, what is most memorable is not the beautiful sunsets, the free-flowing Pina Coladas, or the listerine-colored water. The highlight of the trip is that I did not have my phone or the internet

A few weeks back I was pleasantly stunned to read that meat consumption is down 12% since 2007. No one’s sure if it’s just the economy or whether Meatless Mondays is starting to have an impact, but meat consumption is clearly down. I’d like to think it’s all the meatless delicious recipes we’re starting to

Last year we ran a version of this tart entitled Summer Fruit Galettes. Since then I can vouch this tart works equally well with fall and winter fruits like apples and pears. Now that spring’s here, I’m happy to report it’s extraordinary with the classic strawberry-rhubarb combo. When the tart last ran I suggested using refrigerated

Last summer Sharon posted a recipe for zucchini and yellow squash “ribbon” salad. Since then I’ve started shaving all sorts of vegetables–Brussels sprouts just a few weeks ago, carrots, mushrooms. And now that we’re in spring, it occurred to me that asparagus was perfect for ribboning too. I first envisioned this salad as a mound

Obligatory old school photo of mom, Sharon, and me. I don’t care what my future children look like so long as they have Sharon’s legs.  Please pardon our delay in announcing a winner. Maggy’s been on vacation and I’ve been in FL helping my parents move from their home of 35 years to a retirement

Cornmeal-Scallion Waffles with Caramel Corn and Maple Syrup I developed this waffle recipe for my third book, CookSmart, back in 2002. My perfect waffle was light, flavorful and crisp.  And since waffles can only be made one at a time, I also wanted to figure out a way for everyone to enjoy them together. The

These cookies have many names. Besides Melting Moments, they’re also known as Mexican Wedding Cookies or Lime Coolers. Add walnuts to the mix, and you’ve got Snowballs. Whatever you call them, I love them–their sweet-tart, melt-in-your-mouth texture; the powdered sugar residue you get to lick from your lips after the cookie’s gone; that they’re small

Pardon our delay in announcing a winner. Maggy’s been on vacation, and I’ve been helping my parents move to a retirement facility from their home of 35 years. Our winner is Yvonne D. Congrats! Last Friday I was invited to visit Redwood Hill Farm, a family-owned and operated goat farm in Western Sonoma County, California.

I’m ready to declare Brussels sprouts “the new asparagus.” I’ve always bought them in cute little paper cups or sometimes on the stalk, so I was surprised last Friday to see them in a factory-sealed two-pound cellophane bag in a mainstream grocery store’s produce department. Clearly someone’s noticed we consumers are starting to warm up

I debated about what to post this Good Friday. Buckwheat Blini Bites with Smoked Salmon and Crème Fraîche felt a little extravagant, but I ultimately decided they were a good choice. As many of you know, my husband David is an Episcopal minister. I don’t fast on Good Friday, but David does–at least until after the

Except for when Maggy and Sharon were sick, I never made jello, and I didn’t go to a college where jello shots were a regular on the weekend menu. All of that changed a few days ago when I was planning the menu for a nice dinner party and decided to include a palate cleanser,

This recipe comes from Mom’s latest book, Cook without a Book: Meatless Meals which I have been cooking from several nights a week since the fall. It was at that time that I first started watching films like Forks Over Knives, Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, Food Inc, and Robyn O’Brien’s 2011 TED Talk about the link

I got this green bean casserole recipe from my chef friend, Michelle Bernstein last Thanksgiving, but there just wasn’t enough time to run it back then. But with Easter next week,  I realized this is the perfect holiday side dish to that ham or lamb many of us are planning to serve. I also wanted

A couple weeks ago, we were at the International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago. I snapped some photos of things that I really loved, so I thought I’d share them with you here. We spent a long time at Emile Henry booth. We were taken with the simple design and beautiful colors. Bright and vibrant,