Cooking Articles

Recently I had drinks with a friend at a conference in Seattle, during which I revealed that I wrote this weekly column. Her jaw dropped and she exclaimed, "you cook?" "Yes, and I really enjoy it...

I love pretty cakes. �Not fancy, but more of a pretty, feminine, happy look to my dessert design. �My aesthetic has been described by a few people as nostalgic, 1940s, retro, even 'grandma's attic.' �...

Thanks to the spectacle that is the World Cup, many of us around the world are learning more about the culture of South Africa, the host country, than we ever knew before. For example, few had heard of...

When the summer sun really warms your house or apartment up, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven. Even cooking over the stove in my little kitchen heats up the entire apartment, and makes...

Ever since Little Jack Horner stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plum, stone fruit and desserts have been linked in the minds of English speakers. Plums and their stone fruit cousins, nectarines and...

Patio Produce: Tomatoes

“Rufus, what do you have in your mouth? Oh, no…Rufus, give…” I could hear my husband’s voice booming across the property. What could that dog possibly have in his mouth this time? Please don’t...

Can you imagine not going to the grocery store? Me either. But that’s exactly how folks lived not so very long ago. Think back 50, 75 years and more … talk to your grandparents, if you’re still...

To grill a fish I think is a cooking technique that brings even the most experienced grill masters a bit of anxiety. When asking an amateur barbecue buff in our beach neighborhood what his thoughts were...

You're a single guy in college. Class is over. Summer has arrived and the only work you can find in your college town is part-time. You're absolutely broke and all you have in your fridge is old (and...

We had dinner with friends recently, and afterward, our sons surprised us with beautiful fruit shish kebabs. Strawberry-studded jewels were interspersed with green squares of honeydew, with small brownie...

It was really not surprising to me when I read this week that pasta has won the popularity contest for world’s favorite food. This result could raise a few eyebrows considering this was a global poll...

Wedding Cakes: A Primer

Tis the season for weddings! And I thought I’d spend some time chatting with some of you brides and grooms-to-be out there to help you plan out your wedding cake. Well first off, congratulations...

The United States of America may be only in its early 200s (a toddler by most countries’ standards), but the fruit of the land has produced staple foods that are now eaten all over the world. The French...

Fourth of July is around the corner and many of us are in the throes of finalizing menus. Chances are if you are having a barbecue and there are kids around, hot dogs will be on your grocery list. Unless...

On the Fourth of July, millions of us will celebrate America's birthday with a festive picnic. �Red white and blue decorations will fill the streets as we try to enjoy that extra day of rest and relaxation....

I’m up early, I’ve had my coffee and I’m perusing the fine selection. Fresh lettuce, spinach and kale. Just-picked carrots, tomatoes and raspberries. Homemade muffins, bagels and raw honey....