Cooking Articles

Friends With Okra

My husband and I entertain frequently in our home. Our invitations are generally met with a quick “yes” unless I tell our guests that we are including okra on the menu. Usually this information is...

Beginners' French in the Slow Cooker

When you think of French cooking, what generally comes to mind are delicate, complex dishes that take hours of painstaking preparation. The masterpieces of French cooking are similar to works of fine art—anointed...

Battle of the Breadcrumb

Until recently in human history, when it comes to food we humans have not been wasteful people. Probably for as long as mothers have baked bread, the scraps of the loaf have been re-purposed in the form...

When Getting Your Kids to Eat Is A Challenge

It’s time I make a little confession: I have trouble getting my one and a half year old son to eat! Even though I write this column and am always trying to come up with new ways to get kids to enjoy...

You Say Avocado, I Say Abogado

Avocados make wonderful desserts. "Has she lost her mind," you ask? "Avocados are for guacamole! They're not sweet! They're not even fruit!"Wrong! Interestingly, avocados are a fruit. In fact, they are...

Slow Carb Cooking

It’s hard to keep straight all the diets that are out there, along with what is in and what is out as far as following a balanced lifestyle. In the last few years I have known more than a few people...

After-School Snacks All Grown Up

When we were kids, one of the best parts about getting out of school in the afternoon was the afternoon snack. Before you would even think about turning on the TV for cartoons, the kitchen was a necessary...

Look Ma, No Oven!

One of my favorite activities at home is baking. It’s twice as much fun when you get your kids involved, and a good learning experience for them. However, I have a small issue right now that might...

Kids Love It: Fast 'n Easy Whipped Cream

Several months ago we had a surprise leftover: cans and cans of whipped cream—those dessert partials that generous friends bring to picnics and parties to share but end up not getting used. Gosh,...

Egg Rolls For Breakfast?

We recently went on a garage sale binge: yes, we actually got up on several Saturday mornings at 6:30 AM to convene in the garages and yards of folks unloading their unnecessaries (aka 'junk'), poking...

To Be Worth Your Salt

It drove the growth of civilization. It created roads that paved the way for caravans in search of it. It has raised cities and destroyed empires. Today, doctors condemn its role in high blood pressure...

Asparagus: The King of Vegetables

When it comes to just about everything in life, my husband and I are total and complete opposites. He’s a born and bred Southern boy; I’m a West Coast hippie chick. He could live on a steady diet of...

A Sweet and Slow Cooked Ending to a Fall Meal

The absolute best way to end a delicious home cooked fall meal is with an equally delicious slow cooked fall dessert. While the slow cooker is usually used to cook long simmered main dishes, it is also...

The Vegan Next Door

An old friend is in town. Food has always been a bonding point in your relationship. Together you’ve enjoyed countless boards of charcuterie, salted butter slathered thick on chewy French bread, crisp...

Falling For A Football Tailgate

Ah the sweet smell of fall. Kids are back in school, leaves are beginning to turn, and boyfriends are glued to the TV every Sunday and Monday night. At least it used to be just the boyfriends. Now it’s...

SOS: Homework Overload

You’ve probably seen them lately. The glazed eyes, the haunted frown. The crinkled forehead … the tight shoulders and neck. It’s homework overload and it’s happening in towns and cities all...