All-purpose flour and yeast have been popular at grocery stores lately. Could it be that every household in America is baking? If so, that’s wonderful. I love baking. And while I’m a little frustrated I can’t find these two essential baking ingredients, I’m still glad so many people are doing it 🙂 That said, I…
Chickpeas and Pasta
This week I dusted off M.F.K. Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf. It was published in 1942 and opens with a quote from American humanist Charlotte Perkins (Stetson) Gilman: “There’s a whining at the threshold, There’s a scratching at the floor. To work! To work! In Heaven’s name! The wolf is at the door!” It…
Easy, No-Knead Bread
If I’m offered crusty, chewy bread, it’s hard for me to say ’no, thank you’ and move on. And during times of stress, it’s my favorite thing, toasted and topped with salty butter. I was reminded of my lifelong love of bread this week while reading a post from my friend Jessie at Life As A…
Buttermilk Pancakes
These days there’s lots of talk about reducing carbs or eliminating them altogether, so I sometimes feel nostalgic for the days when we could enjoy carbs (including pancakes!) without blinking. I’ve always loved pancakes. As a kid, if I knew my mom was making them for breakfast I was out of my bed faster…
Homemade Focaccia
Have you been following posts all over the Web about decorated focaccia bread? I’m not exactly sure how the craze started, but Instagrammers and bloggers alike have been posting the most gorgeous focaccia breads you’ve ever seen – brown and crusty, the tops embellished with herbs, tomatoes, capers, olives or whatever else they can find…
Tripletail with Leek, Mushroom & Spinach
I haven’t had time to fish lately, so I’ve been living vicariously through friends, some of whom have been catching Tripletail. These fish like to hang out under crab floats, in weed patches and under structures. They resemble Flounder because of their mottled brown and cream coloring, and the fact that they swim and float on…
Field Trip Friday – Dakin Dairy Farms
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) I grew up in a New England town with a dairy farm that opened 100 years ago and still provides fresh products to the community, including ice cream. When I lived there, I stopped in whenever I drove by,…
My Favorite Hummus
Many years ago my husband and I owned a marina store on the Intercoastal Waterway, where boats pulled in for fuel, bait, beer and snacks. Here’s a rendering he created of that sweet, little place: I never imagined owning a business like this, but an opportunity presented itself, and we thought it would be a…
Ricotta-Stuffed Chard
Many years ago I enjoyed delectable manicotti at a tiny Italian restaurant in Charlotte, NC. I thought it was a little ‘interesting’ that there could be such an amazing dish in the southern city I called home for a short time, but when I learned that the chef originated from Italy, it all made sense…
Sauteed Collards with Lemon
We’re officially back to healthy eating at my house, so you can expect to see posts over the upcoming months highlighting fresh veggies, warm/cozy soups, and tasty snacks! I think it’s safe to say that most of us are relieved the holiday hoopla is behind us, so I hope you’ll find something interesting here to…
No-Crust Honeybell Pie
It’s my first post of 2020! I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to start a new decade 🙂 For me, 2019 was marked by soul-warming visits with friends and family, countless hours and dollars refurbishing our ’74 VW bus, awesome rides in that bus we named “Luna,” learning how to play the bass…
Field Trip Friday – Dooley Groves
(Field Trip Fridays capture interesting, fun, food-related and/or fishing adventures that I like to share with you!) I recently drove up to Ruskin to visit a little piece of Florida’s history. . . Just south of Tampa/St. Petersburg is a family citrus business called Dooley Groves. It has been run by the Houghtaling family since 1967,…