AWEsome Cookery

  This is a super-duper easy way to enjoy the creamy pudding sensation with a bonus of a protein boost and without worrying about ‘breaking’ the custard. We were enjoying this and musing that everything can benefit from adding chocolate, que no? Well, maybe not grapefruit. Or rhubarb. But pretty much everything else. Ricotta cheese can be found in stores, or try making your own, it’s easier than it looks.   Re-entry after our simpler and nearly internet-free life in the

  Cheery and light, this is a great soup for any season.     But first, a few more pictures of SNOW. Keweenaw Peninsuala style, that is, as in 274 inches this year (yep, that’s right…nearly 23 FEET of snow!). So far.        These are not drifts from the wind or snowplows…it’s just snow. Somewhere back there through the tunnel is a door to the house. Needless to say the Great Bear Chase ski marathon was not cancelled due

  Most of my high school years were spent at a small Quaker boarding school (Scattergood Friends School) where the students participated in the chores of living in a community—in particular the cooking and cleaning tasks of daily life. Students made the bread and granola and helped prep all three meals for the entire school, it is where I was first exposed to a commercial kitchen and where I fell in love with both stainless steel and feeding others. It

  Another year, another 13,000 skiers trekking along a trail in the woods for the many races of Birkie week.   This year the organizers of the American Birkebeiner XC Ski Marathon did not lose sleep worrying about canceling the race due to lack of snow. I’m certain they lost sleep worrying about other details, but definitely not lack of snow. Many of you in the upper Midwest have been cursing the skies for the pummeling you’ve received this prolific

  Let’s face it, I’m kind of lazy.   I love skiing in the woods and being surrounded by snow-laden trees, appreciating the incredibleness of our world, and once I get moving I love the action. But honestly, what I also love is the wearied-muscle-relief of coming in from a ski in the woods. That bliss-loaded exhaustion after outdoor fun exertion (very different from stress-loaded exhaustion) is part of the reason I go out at all. I do love my endorphins. Someone

  The warm weather of the weekend brought everyone out of the woodwork. Some items don’t fit in our little freezer-cooler so they live in the snow, apparently it piqued the interest of a small neighbor in the hood who took advantage of the higher temperatures and ventured out from their subnivian homes to find some snacks. There’s an amazing world of activity under the snow, insulated from the cold and hidden from many predators.     Kids in bright

  The weather is wintery and the snow is deep so it’s time again for a glimpse at life in the our cozy ski-in rustic cabin at ABR in Ironwood, Michigan. While everyone else has been suffering through the trials and tribulations of the polar vortex in the U.S., we’ve been hunkered down in the coziest spot possible with no need to drive and no need for electricity in these arctic conditions. Throw in a sauna every night (complete with

  Oh Deborah, we love you. As I mentioned earlier, I’m in a phase of sorting through the cookbooks—culling then re-exploring the ones that are staying. Different foods catch our eye at different times, so it’s a great experiment to pull out the books and give them another round of attention. Deborah Madison is always a favorite, and as we are now in the winter wonderland I wanted to bring ideas for hearty vegetable dishes that were easy and could

  Rick Bayless again comes to the rescue providing interesting foods. He does pretty dang well at trying to give the real story of these foods, and the love of Mexico comes through in his writings. This provides good reading and happy thoughts on these chilly evenings.   Masa Harina and Fresh Masa Fresh masa is mashed or ground hominy—corn that has been soaked in lye (sodium hydroxide) or lime (calcium hydroxide) which dissolves the hull and releases calcium and niacin

  We made a version of this soup in the Deli but I seem to have misplaced the recipe so I’ve been trying to recreate it lately. I started with the basic ingredients of a classic peanut soup—peanut butter or ground nuts with sweet potato and tomato—then went from there. The recipe is based on soups common in western Africa, but interestingly those three ingredients originated in the Americas.   Peanuts probably originated in Brazil or Peru where there are

  Hopefully you are able to have a relaxing day, this very first one of 2019, to enjoy time with friends/family or maybe just relish a free afternoon. Here it’s chilly and frosted with white (finally), but I’m enjoying it from inside with a sniffly nose and a hot cuppa. A slow beginning that makes me deeply appreciate how great it is to wake up and feel healthy the rest of the time!   I’m not much of a vodka

  It’s easy to spend hours reading books by Rick Bayless. Restauranteur author, educator, and host of PBS’s Mexico: One Plate at a Time….needless to say he’s a busy guy. Rick has lived and still spends time in Mexico, and does a respectful job at bringing traditional Mexican fare to the spotlight with a modern interpretation, not to mention the recipes with side notes are both incredible and accessible. His restaurants include the extensive Frontera family of sites, Topolobampo, Red O,

  My sister sent this link to me and it sounded delicious so I gave it a try at Thanksgiving. And whaddayaknow…it WAS DELICIOUS! These are great as a side dish, or skewered with adorable bamboo skewers on a holiday hors d’ oeuvres table. I go in phases of perusing others’ food ideas, whether it be blogs, books, or restaurants. Sometimes all we need is the one ingredient used in a new way to give inspiration or delight. This recipe

    Lately the visits to my father often include some kind of looking-through-things session, a show-and-tell of his life and history that he seems to enjoy sharing. Not long ago he dug out his carving tools and pocket knives, many of which he had altered dramatically to suit his carving needs. A few were left alone as true pocket or belt-holster tools but you can spot the three carvers. Geez, I wonder where I inherited an appreciation for a

  This sounded so Scandinavian to me, but that’s because I live in a Norski kind of town. Skordalia is a Greek garlic-potato-nut mash that is so tasty and easy I have no idea why it isn’t made everywhere. It would be a great little addition to a Holiday party, or part of a hearty supper in the early darkness of these winter months. Naturally there are oodles of variations on this—some use dried bread instead of potato, some have

  Last spring I came across the recipe of a peach-leaf infused Crème Brûlée featured at Chez Panisse and I thought it sounded divine and vowed to try it sometime in the summer. In our region of the Upper Midwest few peach trees can survive but I had heard rumors of one or two that were tucked away in protected spaces and I had hopes of trimming a few leaves for this project. Alas, after asking around, I now think these

  Union Stations, across the country they are some of the grandest of gathering halls still standing. Palatial and elaborate, they hail from an era when trains were the luxurious way to travel and give us a glimpse into the past.   Technically the term Union Station means a station where two or more railroad companies converge and share tracks and passengers can connect easily. To me they are a hub of intersecting lives and journeys, people traveling within a

  So many veggies to fritter, so little time. Shred them up, add eggs, seasonings, and something floury, then fry or fry-and-bake. It’s a great way to eat veggies when you’re craving something decadent. The photo is from a breakfast at the Dug Road Inn last week, along with local greens with pea shoots and a frittata from hens living about 30 miles away.   I was in a parking lot in Iowa City a few days ago and the

  Question: How lucky can I be to live near some of my favorite places on the planet? . Answer: Very lucky.          The trails of Phelps Park are magical spaces that should really be in a movie. Autumn is an especially beautiful time in these hills, I feel transported into another time and space. I very much expect to see hobbits and elves here, and of course I intermittently look over my shoulder for any orcs

  While perusing the NOPI cook book I noticed Burrata with Blood Oranges and Lavender Oil looked divine. I suppose that sparked the motivation to make this savory oil drizzled on a fruit—-sometimes we have to take inspiration wherever we can and utilize that which is around us. These pears are from the Farmers Market, they are the Gourmet variety which are hardy in cold regions and the window of opportunity for fresh fruit is only two or three weeks. You