Cooking Articles

A Brunch of Christmas Presents

Christmas is most certainly my favorite holiday of the year. More than the presents, turkey dinner, or Christmas Eve feast, I think it is Christmas morning that I most look forward to. It is the time...

Christmas Cookies With a Kiss

Baking cookies at the holidays holds many fond family memories for me. And it certainly is that cookie baking time of the year. From when I first remember watching my mom drop the teaspoonfuls onto the...

Boughs of Holly

Christmas gifts have begun to arrive at our home. Many of them are live plants including poinsettias and miniature evergreen trees. Other gifts, such as loaves of homemade bread, cookies, candy, and Christmas...

A Better, Edible Fruitcake

Fruitcake. The very word is enough to make the most die-hard Christmas fanatic shudder. But when was the last time you had a fruitcake? It was probably more recently that you think. And you just might...

Ho Ho Ho and Some Holiday Munchies!

If your family is anything like mine, then holiday excitement has reached a fever pitch! We’ve spent the past few weeks decorating, baking cookies, wrapping, and planning our Christmas menus. With...

The Twelve Days of Slow Cooking

During this season of giving, why not celebrate the twelve days of slow cooking and share some special holiday dishes? Good food is central to almost all holiday celebrations and holiday feasting is one...

Thinking Outside the Christmas Dinner Box

It all started with a goose. Some years ago while I was living in New York, my parents called from California about five days before Christmas asking if it was possible to procure a goose for the holiday...

Throw a Gingerbread House Party

Say gingerbread houses and most kids think “Yay, gingerbread houses! Let’s make ‘em!” (Thinking straight away of the sweet icing and candy.) And wouldn’t it be more fun for you to cut to the...

Super Party Food: Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

It's that time of year again. Seems like there's always one last-minute thing to do, one more item to wrap, something to pick up, and another almost-forgotten gift to grab. And all on the way out the...

Stuff Your Face With Sage Stuffing

There have always been three guarantees at Christmas time for me: oranges in my stocking, lots of photographing and filming during present-opening, and sage stuffing for Christmas dinner. In my family,...

Snack Time Made Easy

“I’m hungry, Mom.” Those must be the most frequently used three words in the English language. Growing kids with growing bodies most certainly experience hunger in a different way than adults,...

A Christmas Cooking Wish List

As we gather together with friends and family each year at holiday time to celebrate the season, we honor family traditions that have been passed down for years. After all the busyness of the season, all...

Getting Fancy With Risotto

For my recent birthday, my husband cooked boiled lobsters and sautéed scallops. Even though I hate to see them alive, and have to leave the room when it’s time to toss them into the pot of boiling water,...

Ring In the New Year the Right Way

The goal of any party is to have fun. Contrary to the experience of many, that includes the host. New Year's Eve is certainly no exception. A competent host can juggle the details as well as the cocktails....

(Not Just) Plain Vanilla

Once so expensive that it was reserved solely for royalty, vanilla is the most widely used flavoring in baked goods and other dessert items. It is the second most expensive spice in the world, next to...

Juice It Up To A Happy And Healthy New Year!

Sometimes, after all the excessive indulgence of the holidays, a glass of fresh squeezed juice is just the ticket. We have recently discovered the joy of making our own orange juice. With a little bit...