Incredible edible flowers
When my husband put in two elevated garden boxes a few years ago, we jokingly said they were “his” and “hers” and entered into a friendly growing competition. It has become apparent that I may not have a green thumb, or maybe it’s patience I’m short on, but I’ve tried a variety of herbs such as basil, cilantro and oregano. My basil always dies. The cilantro bolts. My sage, rosemary and thyme are in the ground, so they are good. (Yes, I know I’m missing the parsley.) They say mint is impossible to kill, but I think I have. Really it just got too big for the pot and I didn’t tend to it in time. My chives are planted in the ground and besides looking pretty, the lavender-colored sphere-shaped flowers make lovely garnishes. Through all of this, I’ve determined that I like to grow pretty little fragrant food garnishes and flavorings that are accessible only a few steps off my patio to decorate a dish or garnish a dessert. Last summer I decided I needed some edible flowers and planted chamomile, pansies and violas in my garden box. The latter of which are just starting to pop up again to say hello.
Tie-Dye Easter Eggs
Most of us associate tie-dye and tie-dye apparel with the hippies of the 60s. However, tie-dye was part of American culture in the roaring 20s, and the 80s decade is when tie-dye hit a high point in fashion. Tie-dye continues to come back in style every few years. During the pandemic, tie-dye made a massive comeback and was a hot quarantine fashion trend especially in the form of stay-at-home lounge sets. Most of us have tried our hand at tie-dyeing t-shirts or other clothing items at least once. I remember my sister making tie-dye shirts with my kids in the 90s (outside on the patio). Granted it can be a messy undertaking. But who doesn’t love a good tie-dye? When I saw tie-dye eggs pop up on my Instagram feed from Grossy Pelosi — using shaving cream or whipping cream —I knew that was definitely more my tie-dye speed. I’m here to tell you it worked magically and to share pics of my groovy eggs!
Frosted Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
If you lived in Eugene, Oregon or went to college in Eugene during the 80s and into the 90s, I’m betting you remember The Cookie Cottage in Valley River Center (VRC) shopping mall. And if you were not in the vicinity of Eugene during this time, you’ll wish you were once you see the cookies I’m about to tell you about. The Cookie Cottage featured a black pot-bellied stove and they sold several warm cookie varieties — but their specialty (or the most original) was a large chocolate cookie covered in chocolate frosting with a marshmallow filling. They were on the south end of the mall outside of Meier & Frank (where I happened to work during college). Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any information on the internet to confirm which years they were at the mall. I do know that when I was in college, and not naming names, we would make a special trip to Valley River for one of these cookies. Several of my sorority sisters (and my own three sisters) still talk about the renowned chocolate marshmallow cookies. In the words of one of my favorite sisters in the bond, they were “a fine product.”
Challah bread ups your morning toast game
Avocado & Egg Toast | Overnight Crème Brûlée French Toast
There aren’t many things better than the smell of warm bread baking in the oven. Well except for eating that warm bread with a big slab of melty butter smeared on top. Bread is one of the world’s oldest foods. In fact, Egyptians were buried with loaves of bread to provide sustenance in the afterlife. (Hmm, perhaps one can live by bread alone.) Most of us probably remember our moms or grandmas baking bread; and depending on your age, you may remember bread machines being a big trend in the 90s. But chances are you may have never made your own bread. Well, now is the time. Baking bread has been extremely popular during the pandemic. The act of making bread with your own two hands provides the ultimate fulfillment. It’s comforting, relaxing and provides a form of creative expression. Plus, the end result is delicious and makes everyone in the house happy. I recently made my first challah bread that beyond just giving us thick slices to enjoy, lent itself to a breakfast of avocado and egg toast one morning, followed by a custardy blueberry French toast the next. (And I think my husband snuck in an afternoon BLT.)
How the pandemic deepened my connection with food
It’s been quite a year. All of us have experienced some degree of loss when it comes to normalcy and sense of time. Others less fortunate have lost jobs, security, and sadly, loved ones. It feels like the longest-shortest year ever. In my home state of Washington, the governor issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 23, 2020. To me that’s the marker of when this all began. While we had no idea what we were really in for, fear of the unknown was real and many of us went into a hunter-gatherer mode. In reality, my immediate circle of friends and family were lucky. We had warm roofs over our heads, running hot water, Wi-Fi, Netflix and access to enough food to fill us up. It may not have always been what we wanted to eat, but we certainly weren’t going hungry. In fact, throughout the stress and monotony, food has brought us together, allowed us to virtually travel, and provided a sense of comfort and connection. For me, this has been especially true.
Mini Shepherd’s Pies and Shamrock Ice Cream Tartlets
When March 17 comes around each year, we think of leprechauns, four-leaf clovers and green beer. As kids, it was all about spotting people who weren’t wearing green and giving them a pinch. I remember my own kids watching “The Luck of the Irish” movie a hundred times. In reality, Americans created most of what we associate with St. Patrick’s Day – Green beer, Shamrock Shakes and even corned beef and cabbage. As the saying goes, everybody's Irish on St. Paddy’s Day! I have a special affinity for green, having lived in the Seattle area, which has used "The Emerald City" as its official nickname since 1982; and born and raised in Eugene, Oregon, which is also referred to as the Emerald City. As such (and not a fan of corned beef) I couldn’t let the day pass without sharing recipes for Shepherd’s Pie and a mint chip ice cream dessert.
Spring forward with Pi(e)
It was 64 degrees in the foothills outside of Seattle yesterday. I think spring has sprang or sprung … anyway, it’s here! Unless you live in the Northwest, you may not realize how much we anticipate the first few days of temperatures above 60 degrees. The fleece layer comes off and it’s time for much-welcomed short sleeves and bare ankles. I took one for the team and sat in my Adirondack chair on the front porch and soaked up a good-sized dose of vitamin D. The sunshine was just enough to remind us that yes, sunnier days lie ahead. In the early morning hours of today, March 14, we sprang forward for daylight savings and it’s also Pi Day. How convenient. The convergence of all three of these things definitely warrants some pie. To celebrate, I made my signature Candy Bar Pie, the one I take requests for and am known for in certain circles (you know who you are). And just because it was such a beautiful day, I made a vibrant spring green pizza pie for dinner.
One yolk. One white. The perfect baker’s dozen.
Just another exciting night sitting at home during the pandemic mindlessly scrolling through all the food on my Instagram feed, and a post from @buttermilkbysam jumped out at me. What’s that, you can make a “small batch” of cookies? Who knew? Somehow making a “small batch” lessened my guilt factor or at least there would be a finite amount to devour in one sitting. (This same idea must have been on the mind of whoever it was that decided it would be a good thing to sell a block of pre-scored cookie dough squares. I mean, who hasn’t bought these in a weak moment?) But sitting at home on this particular evening all cozy with no intent of venturing out, the idea of One Yolk, Six Perfect Chocolate Chunk Cookies hooked me. I was in. Time to whip up a small batch. But wait. As I read further, I discovered I could also make One Egg White, Seven Salted Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies. It was brilliant. The perfect baker’s dozen. So perfect, I need to share it with you.
In a Shrimp State of Mind
The promise of spring is just around the corner. My daffodils are pushing themselves up through the soil, the birds have been chirping like crazy and the days are getting noticeably longer. But just to keep us guessing, last week Mother Nature gave us a fresh dusting of snow one morning and a mid-afternoon wintry mix on another day. I want to tell her, it’s too late, you had your chance. I’m ready for summer! This time last year we were lucky enough to be in Cabo taking in magnificent sunrises and sunsets from the same spot on the beach. Our hotel bar made great piña coladas and wherever we went, the shrimp was plentiful. While I wait for warmer days to come, I’ll just have to reminisce with shrimp for dinner. If you’re like me and can’t wait for summer, then try the Jerk Shrimp and Mango Salsa Rice Bowls. If you’re a patient anticipator of spring, try my adaptation of Korean Shrimp Bowls; and if you’ve still got one foot in winter and your idea of a good March day is on the slopes, Shrimp with Cauliflower “Grits” and Arugula is the dish for you.
Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting
My mom was a “lunch lady” for 20 years. She was the resident baker (as opposed to what I envision as the much-less-glamorous salad maker) at River Road Elementary for half this time. Her responsibilities included regularly making huge batches of rolls and cinnamon rolls. Rumor has it that more than one custodian or teacher would sneak into the cafeteria in the early morning hours to procure a freshly baked cinnamon roll. I can’t imagine anyone being able to resist that yeasty, buttery, cinnamon aroma wafting down the school corridors. It’s not surprising that my mom’s cinnamon rolls were in high demand, as her proficiency with cinnamon rolls began long before the school cafeteria. Cinnamon rolls covered in maple frosting are forever imprinted in my four siblings’ and my childhood memories. On the days when my mom would make bread, she would spend what seemed like all day in the kitchen rolling dough, punching it down, and forming pans of dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls. I remember this being one of my favorite dinners—buttery (in those days it was Nucoa) rolls with a pot of homemade chili. We would wait patiently all day for the decadent cinnamon rolls to come out of the oven for dessert. With seven of us, they went quickly, but I remember enjoying them even more for breakfast the next day.
Chicken Avocado Melt with Black Bean & Corn Salsa
Chicken. It’s what’s for dinner more often than any other meat in the United States. Over the years, this has been true at our house as well. We’ve never been big fans of pork. (Well except for bacon, because duh, it’s bacon.) We’ve limited our red meat intake and eaten more seafood ever since moving back to the Pacific Northwest. But chicken remains a staple. It’s easy to defrost and lends itself to so many different recipes. These days I look for high-quality, pastured chicken with local being even better. I’ve also been seeing air-chilled chicken more often at my local grocer. I buy it on sale and then we divide it up and vacuum seal into dinner portions for easy defrosting. There are so many ways to cook chicken, yet I’m always looking for new ideas. Once or twice a year, I pull the recipe for Chicken Avocado Melt out of my archives. It remains one of my husband’s favorite dinners. I recently served this topped with a black bean and corn salsa and a side of cilantro lime rice with candied cumin. ¡Fiesta!
Share the love: Valentine’s Day gifting
February is the month of love. Do as the lyrics to Love is All Around tell us: “Let it show!” We may think about sharing expressions of love with our sweetheart, children or bestie, ahh, but it’s also a nice time to just be nice. We could all use a little pick-me-up about right now whether you’re tired of the weather, bored from staying home, missing your family or bummed about no warm beach vacation. Share a little love with someone who may not expect it. Let your co-worker or a neighbor know they matter. Drop off homemade or classroom-style valentines on porches in your neighborhood. Package up some red, white and pink goodies in a jar. Read on for suggestions, recipes and kitchenistic gift ideas.
Twist and Shout: Pretzels and Dips for Super Bowl Sunday
When I think of soft pretzels, I envision days past when my young kids would ask for a cinnamon sugar pretzel at the mall, which always turned into a disaster as I frantically searched for enough napkins, wetting them with water from my water bottle to clean the cinnamon sugar mixture that went from ear-to-ear on their little faces all while instructing them to “not touch anything.” If it was just me at the mall, I would opt for grabbing a pepperoni pretzel because shopping took precedent over taking time to sit down and eat. We visited Wetzel’s Pretzels when we lived in Arizona and later Auntie Anne’s, but our pretzel days disappeared as the kids got older. On a business trip to Nuremberg, Germany a few years ago, everywhere I looked there were warm authentic pretzels calling my name. Then the other day my sister sent me a picture of the pretzels her 14-year-old son begged her to make. I decided to give it a whirl and determined that these easy-to-make pretzels would be a fun game day snack (or what the heck, dinner) for Super Bowl Sunday.
Blueberry therapy: Baked Oatmeal and Homemade Pop Tarts
Now is about the time of year when I’m ready for summer again. I know it’s not rational, but I always feel like winter should be over after Christmas. Yet we have at least three months before it starts getting warm enough for me. I find myself dreaming about sunnier days and drafting my summer bucket list. One activity that’s always on the list is blueberry picking. Every year we visit (a number of times) Bybee Nims Farms for fresh blueberries. We pack our freezer full so that in the middle of the winter we can treat ourselves to some blueberry therapy. Blueberry pancakes and muffins are a given, but when I saw Karista Bennett's recipe for Oregon Blueberry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal, I decided Washington Blueberry Cardamom Baked Oatmeal needed to happen! Once the blueberry discussion started, my slightly blueberry-obsessed husband suggested that I make homemade blueberry pop tarts. That’s the only nudge I needed.
Orange you glad it’s citrus season?
One of my favorite bright spots in the wintertime is all the beautiful citrus fruit. Oranges are actually the largest citrus crop in the world, with the United States accounting for about 10 percent of the world’s production. Florida grows about 70 percent of the US orange crop followed by California, Texas and Arizona. I lived in a Phoenix suburb for many years and would commute daily through the fragrant orange groves. I used to love that time of year when I could drive through the groves with my car windows down and inhale the sweet scent of orange blossoms. A side benefit of living there was coming across the extra oranges, grapefruits and lemons that people who had more citrus than they could eat would leave at the end of their driveways or on their porches. Navel oranges were the most common. It was only after moving back to the Pacific Northwest, that I started eating the smaller (and easier to peel) varieties and when I discovered the sweeter versions like Cara Cara and blood oranges.
Smart technology innovations for your kitchen
A chocolate maker, combi-oven, voice-controlled faucet and more
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held every January in Las Vegas is traditionally when the biggest innovations across all categories of consumer electronics are announced. This year the show was completely virtual, which allowed me to participate in Monday’s Food Tech Live Expo and Summit sponsored by The Spoon. I was overwhelmed hearing and seeing all the talk yesterday. There were advancements in 3D food printing, plant-based food, cultured meat, personalized nutrition, food delivery, connected appliances, a kitchen OS that uses a voice interface, artificial intelligence, and the list goes on. While I’m not running out any time soon to buy the LG fridge with a Bluetooth speaker and a built-in Alexa, I did see a number of new products that appeal to the home cook in me.
Long live Shirley’s Lasagna
Lasagna is one of those dishes that fall into the category of “My mom makes the best (fill in the blank)” and we tend not to veer too far from what we’re used to. A few months back I came across an article on The Kitchn that tested “4 famous lasagna recipes” from Giada de Laurentiis, Ina Garten, All Recipes and Martha Stewart. All four are classified as “Italian-American,” which according to the author means dry noodles, a simple meat sauce or marinara, and multiple types of cheese instead of béchamel. (Traditional “Italian” lasagna typically is made up of fresh pasta, Bolognese sauce and béchamel.) I thought, huh, I wonder how these lasagnas stack up to my mom’s. After all, our family’s lasagna is the most famous. Well, famous in our family at least. I have three sisters and one brother. While my mom, Shirley, has “retired” from making lasagna, all of us girls use her recipe. And my brother? He’s the number one benefactor of all this lasagna. He never met a (sister’s) lasagna he didn’t like. Or at least he’s smart enough not to say. This all got me thinking and led me to ask my mom about the origin of her recipe.
Organize your kitchen life
Conquer the pantry and corral your recipes
Every year when I put away the holiday decorations my house feels empty and bare. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like to think of it as a clean slate. Even though it may take me a week of melancholic wallowing in post-holiday blues before I get motivated for a fresh start, I eventually get to the point where the organization bug kicks in. Unsurprisingly, the kitchen is where I always choose to start. Two areas that have made my kitchen life easier are an orderly (and pretty) pantry and a good management system for my recipes.
Dinner and dessert for two
I thought I’d share a quick recipe for the Kahlúa Chocolate “Anniversary” Mousse that I posted on Instagram a couple days ago. Our wedding anniversary is January 3rd and usually overshadowed by recovering from the holidays and feeling melancholy because the kids have gone home. It’s typically a case of … and then there were two. Plus, this year it was an extremely rainy and windy Northwest day that meant we didn’t want to leave the warmth of our home. So not super romantic (but yet comforting), I made an easy dinner and dessert from ingredients we had in the house. One of our favorite Instant Pot dishes called Korean Chicken Bowls was dinner and I threw together chocolate mousse for two. After 34 years of marriage, it was just right.
Our family-famous “Chocolate Roll”
Over the years and on special occasions, my family has made a dessert that we simply call “Chocolate Roll.” My older sister is the queen of chocolate rolls and can whip them out with little effort. She even has a special “chocolate roll plate.” Her three kids have been known to repeatedly ask for a chocolate roll for their birthdays and she makes it for Christmas and Easter. The beauty of this simple recipe is that you can customize it however you want. My sister has made it with vanilla pudding, pistachio pudding and different flavors of ice cream. Although the spongelike texture of the cake is really closer to a Swiss Roll, I typically make the family-famous chocolate roll once a year at Christmas in the spirit of a yule log. In the past, I’ve filled it with mint chocolate chip or peppermint ice cream. This year, mostly because my KitchenAid ice cream attachment had been sitting lonely in the drawer for several months, I figured it was time to take it for a whirl and I made chocolate peppermint bark ice cream.