the beauty of an ordinary life
Comfort food: Potato chips. Ice cream. A jar of peanut butter and a spoon. Mac ‘n cheese. Grits. Meatloaf. Mashed potatoes. Or maybe: Chicken pot pie. Warm banana bread. Poached eggs on buttered toast. Rice pudding. Or maybe none of that, which is why we're here on Monday instead of Sunday, as promised. This post … Continue reading The complicated problem of “comfort food.”
Yes, every post in January will be about food and cooking. "Mom," my daughter said, one night a few weeks ago. "My friend made this dish, and it was really good, and I think you've made it before, and I didn't think I liked it then but now I do." What was this magic dish, … Continue reading Sunday supper potatoes.
Let’s keep this simple: Butternut squash is in season, as I’ve already mentioned. But perhaps you are not yet on team butternut squash and need another nudge. That hard-on-the-outside, uniquely shaped squash is one of my favorite things to cook. It strikes the perfect sweet-salty balance when prepared simply; it’s versatile; it’s good for you. … Continue reading Butternut.
Eight years ago, almost to the day, I had what remains the most incredible dining experience of my life, topping even a private dinner at a tango club in Buenos Aires - and no, I'm not making that up. The winning event? Outstanding in the Field. (More on this, below - and there's a pâté … Continue reading Something outstanding.
The thing I remember most clearly is the feeling of terrible surprise. If I'd lived in the middle of things instead of five hours away, of course, I would be remembering, and writing, an entirely different story - if I'd been lucky enough to live to write the story. But I was in Memphis, close … Continue reading Something about oceans.
She arrived at the door with a big paper grocery sack, handed off the goods, and left promptly, knowing full well what life was like with a toddler and a new baby at home. In the grocery sack were three Ziploc bags: Wide noodles; sauce; chopped Romaine (freshly chopped from a real head of lettuce, … Continue reading Something sentimental.
It's Saturday; let's not make this complicated. We'll start with some (possibly boring) background, hit the main point, and then get on with recipes and menu suggestions, the way Saturdays used to go around here. Fair enough? OK: At the market this morning, I went first to the butter and egg man (too late, eggs … Continue reading Something predictable.
The impetus for the experiment was a note from my friend Frank, who will be surprised, I suspect, by this news, mostly because he sent the note more than two years ago, but also because he will be generally surprised (though, I hope, not annoyed) to find himself mentioned here. Frank lives mostly on the … Continue reading The good earth.
jenny's lark 