When my parents were starting out, they did things differently than when I came around nearly 10 years after they were married. They BBQ’ed turkeys, made homemade beef jerkey, and even made their own fruit rolls for my sister to snack on. It was the early ’70′s, food dehydrators were all of the rage, and […]

Each season I get excited about the gobs of fresh, seasonal produce that abound at the market. Although it is true that in this day in age you can get peaches virtually year round thanks to Chile (though they probably taste like a brick much of the time), and apples are available throughout the year, […]

Halloween is almost here, and that means jack o’ lanterns. And what do all jack o’ lanterns, big or small, jolly or frightful, traditional or bourgie, have in common? Pumpkin Seeds. If you’re anything like me, you only eat them once a year; they are a flavorful treat that tells me Halloween has begun and […]

I have problems with the ordinary tuna fish sandwich. It is as if all of my food taboos come crashing together in one hand-held mass. Traditional tuna fish can be a globulous, mushy, mayo-filled nightmare, and I just won’t have it! It’s true, I have a problem with mayonnaise. Maybe it’s the Jew in me. […]

After my latest delectable baking experience, I was left with a conundrum of vast proportions. What to do with the scraps of cake left behind when cutting the diminutive babycakes from the sheet-cake sized pan? The cake was moist, delightfully sunny in color, toasty brown on the edges, and simply crying out for something to […]

My uncle used to be a chef. He worked for a catering company in the 80′s. On his last visit, we were chatting about the work he used to do, hors d’oeuvre de riguer, and monstrous brides. Somewhere in this same conversation we were discussing wedding cakes, and he mentioned that apricot buttercream was all […]

It’s October. A wonderful month, when you can actually see the change of seasons as fallen leaves crunch beneath your feet. The scarf that is hanging on the hook by the front door beckons you to grab it, and tie it snuggly around your neck, and the end of the month with all of its […]

I never knew how easy it is to make English Muffins for yourself, perhaps even easier (or at least less rising time is called for) than when you are making a loaf of bread. Recently I brought out my sourdough starter, a few hours later, and a after bit of muscle-building kneading, I had a […]

I’m having a sweet, delicious, and greasy doughnut makin’ party this weekend, and I have been racking my brain about the beverage situation. What is the ideal beverage to serve along aside doughnuts? The answer of course is coffee. But how do you make coffee alcoholic, thus making it appropriate for a soiree? Kahlua of […]

I have always loved figs. I have just loved them in varying degrees. When I was young I used to stand at the kitchen sink with my mother, turning each fresh fig inside out, gazing at the hundreds of greasy eyeballs that were the flesh staring back at me, then scraping this flesh clean with […]