As I stumble out of the Grand Street subway station, I am immediately caught and taken away by the crowds of people, each grasping flimsy plastic bags holding ingredients, ready for cooking. This is Chinatown, a place so teeming with people I often wonder where they all come from. The shops each specialize in their […]

Well, it is officially spring on the east coast. (But just watch, as soon as I post this, we will be floating away, and stomping the moisture out of our boots due to a fabled Nor’easter.) Spring has sprung, actually with summer hot on its heels, and it was hot and beautiful in New York […]

In college, I used to live with a vegetarian. A strict vegetarian. No leather shoes. She wouldn’t eat non-vegan cheese. There were no marshmallows floating around our apartment. She certainly didn’t slurp down any jiggly Jell-O desserts (they were made with gelatin, a no-no). So when I cooked, you can imagine I wasn’t grilling up […]

There is something almost magical about a beet. Dirty, ruddy, and altogether blah on the outside, but crimson (if you’re using red beets), shiny, sparkling little orbs on the inside. When cooked and peeled they are like a sanguine surprise just waiting to be eaten. I eat beets in all sorts of ways, but I […]

I love a good scavenger hunt. Following a well-marked yet cryptic list to find hidden treasures around the neighborhood was my idea of a good time when I was young. It was almost too much for me to bear, the surprise that might be found, the race to find it in time, and the end […]

Give me your poor, your misunderstood, your strong-flavored or your dark and leafies. It doesn’t really matter to me, if it’s a vegetable, I will pretty much eat it. Oh sure, there are some vegetables that I like more than others. I could eat aspargus by the spindly dozen, and cauliflower, give it to me […]

It’s been cold here. Really cold. It’s the kind of bone-chilling, nose-numbing weather that makes me want to hole up inside, wearing my latest gift from the in-laws, and hibernate until the chill wears off. But even I get bored by simply lounging around, and I begin to look for something to occupy my time. […]

It is true, in my past, leftovers were not my friends. I just was particular about what foods I would consume day in, day out. Eating for lunch the same items that I had prepared for dinner the night before was a less-than-attractive proposition. So, I would pile all of my leftovers onto Brian, and […]

And I don’t mean eat lots of dark and leafy greens, although they can be delicious, and hearty. I mean, why don’t you make a bit of tomatillo salsa to have in the fridge? My condiment of choice this week has been this salsa, to have on top of just about anything. Sure, we all […]

Happy New Year! I must say that come January 2, gifts passed around, ornaments strewn about, and merry friends seen, I am happy to get back to the real world…at least for awhile. My New Year’s Eve was a quiet one, dinner with good friends, a little sake and some good conversation. But come New […]