Like all edible novelties, I approached my first charcuterie-board experience with curiosity. First, I had to learn how to pronounce the darn thing: “Char cute er what?” According to Wikipedia, the word charcuterie is French, and combines “chair” (flesh or… Continue Reading
I’m a good cook, but I wouldn’t dream of bringing homemade ice cream to a family gathering. I know my place. That honor is reserved for twin Shelly Siler, who’s mastered the art of making a delicious homemade vanilla ice cream. Continue Reading
If I could only keep a handful of cookbooks, “The Silver Palate Cookbook” and “The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook” would be among them. Continue Reading
It was barely 24 hours before Mary Trevor’s deadline to drop off a carload of Shasta District Fair entries, yet she had the non-plussed, unhurried air of someone who’d done this a few times — or 40 — before. The… Continue Reading
This is a purely anecdotal observation, but I’ve noticed that people who like carrot cake above all other cakes tend to be healthy eaters; the kind of people inclined to run marathons and are dedicated to yoga. Generally speaking these… Continue Reading
In October I fell in love with the adorable village of Penn Yan, in Upstate New York, and with it the Amity Coffee Shop and Bakery. It was located downstairs from my Airbnb, where beginning around midnight my dreams were… Continue Reading
Sometimes I just don’t know when to call it good and leave well enough alone. Many artists fight an internal battle of knowing exactly when to put down the dang paint brush, pronounce the work finished, and walk away. I… Continue Reading
My plan was to prepare navy bean and ham hock soup, a winter staple. The west side Redding Grocery Outlet Bargain Market had lots of dried beans, but I was searching for white beans, either cannellini, navy beans, or great Northern beans beans. Continue Reading
Chicken Marbella checks off so many boxes. Easy? Check. Delicious? Check. Economical ingredients? Check. Guaranteed to have people begging for the recipe? Check. A perfect winter meal? Check. A couple of things to know about Chicken Marbella, a recipe that… Continue Reading
Oh, wild rice! Where have you been my whole life? I’m a decent cook, but I’m embarrassed to admit that until a few weeks ago, I was a wild-rice virgin. I can’t exactly explain why, except that I’d never eaten… Continue Reading
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