AWEsome Cookery

. Beginning in Sälen and ending in Mora, Sweden, the 90 kilometer Swedish Vasaloppet is one of the largest ski races in the world.  Tens of thousands of skiers pilgrimage to Sälen in mid-March to ski, enjoy the spectacle, and some to winter camp along the race course in a good spot to cheer on the racers.  During the week prior to the Vasaloppet between 50,000 and 80,000 people ski the course as a fun family event leading up to

  Horchata The horchata we had in Mexico was made from rice, sugar, and cinnamon, and maybe rice milk added in.  Many a Mexican restaurant will have the churning white liquid in a countertop fountain dispenser, mesmerizing to watch as you wait for your tacos de asada.  Originating in Spain using tiger nuts, horchata can also be made with almonds, barley, sesame seeds, morro seeds, or peanuts depending where in the world you might be. I found an interesting recipe at oneingredientchef.com that includes

  In honor of the first day of summer here is a refreshing green tea with a light sparkle.  Give yourself the gift of an afternoon to sit in the shade, sip this delicate treat, listen to the birds, and enjoy the day.   (and no, those are not jasmine flowers in the photo…)     For centuries jasmine tea has been made by infusing tea leaves with jasmine flower petals letting the tea leaves absorb the sweet flower scent.  The tea leaves

  Since I’m on a cozy-roll these few weeks, here are a few more images of warm, glowing contributions to the feeling of hygge.  This is my lampshade made of agates, I’ve shown it before but as we’re now fully in midst of the chill and long, dark nights it seemed like a good image to bring back.  The question is….do I love warm glowing candles and fuzzy clothing because it’s winter, or do I love winter because I get to wear

  Tulsi, India’s Queen of Herbs, revered for centuries as a sacred plant and used both medicinally and in worship, is thriving right here in my garden.  Native to India it is traditionally grown in pots in every Indian home and I am just beginning to understand the devotion.  Tulsi is not known as the ‘elixir of life’ for naught.   Western medicine is finally studying this amazing herb for its health-promoting properties.  It contains eugenol (also in cloves), a compound

  In the Upper Midwest of this hemisphere we’ve had a lovely reprieve with mild temperatures this week, but the mercury will be rising soon and we know many of you south of us are scorching.  Time for a little refreshing break.  This is an easy lemonade utilizing the best part of the lemon—the oils in the peel.  Make a simple syrup and voilá, you have a concentrate for quick beverage assembly.     Adding Szechuan pepper to a drink….when

    Avocados are nearly a perfect food.  They’re creamy, tasty, filled with nutrients and healthy fats, rich in omega-3’s, and they go with so many different kinds of dishes both sweet and savory.  Lately we’ve been eating them with a spoon out of the shell-like skin with no seasonings, or maybe a little lime and salt, and enjoying how filling and satisfying they are by themselves.   You can add avocados to almost any smoothie, the green fruit makes

photo by Roy Hampton  Blacker than the inside of a box buried in a cave one mile below ground, caramelized coffee (sometimes referred to as the brand name Café Combate) is the northern Mexico style of roasting green coffee beans with azucar, or sugar.  The sugar cooks (then burns) into a black tar giving the beans the characteristic caramelized flavor of this nectar of Mexico’s north. Yes, that bag in the photo actually says “MASA”, but it was only used

  I’m a little under the weather today so have been enjoying numerous cups of this delicious and potent elixir.   When we think of turmeric we probably think of curry and the golden-orange brilliance it brings to many dishes.  This remarkable root has a bitter side with an earthy backbone that may be an acquired taste by itself, but when mixed with other flavors it takes everything to another level.  It is also known as Indian Saffron or Poor Man’s Saffron because of the saffron-like

  Once again I find myself wrapped tightly in the schedule of catering events and I’m not able to do justice in writing the experiences of the last ten days on our adventure into the south.  This sunset tells the story much better than I ever could, it was the gift given as our group gathered to celebrate our friend, teacher, family, mentor, writer and artist Mary Kay Parker Deen. .       . These angels are trees in Bay St. Louis, resurrected

  When life gives you nettles, make nettle tea. I have this greenery growing in my front yard so have been experimenting with ways to eat it…and being careful of its little injection needles full of histamines that give it the ‘stinging’ name.  They say if you firmly grip the stems it will crush the needles and not allow them to penetrate the skin.  My friend told me that if I said to myself ‘you will not sting’ then they would not sting.

  Coffee lover that I am, I have to secretly admit I’ve been enjoying this dark liquid lately.  That’s right, roasted chicory is carving a new spot in my heart.  It has similar components to a coffee description–acidity, body, aroma, bitterness, sweetness, aftertaste–and a deep rich satisfaction that is almost meaty.   I know there are at least a few individuals who don’t love coffee: my honey pie, his brother, my cousin Barb, and maybe three or four more people who don’t care

  I’m beginning to understand why people do this.   A year ago I signed up for my first cross country ski race on a 12.5 kilometer classic-only course. Having started this sport as a not-so-young adult it was not an obvious trajectory for me to race, but hanging out with enough people whose lives are somewhat shaped by the races they sign up for, I thought I could give it a whirl. Last year the temperature was a couple

Nutmeg Iced Tea is great for a summer’s day, so here are photos of a divine location to relax with a glass—a gazebo co-created by Scott and metal-master friend Hung Van Pham.   This is the initial design in miniature, before it took an evolutionary turn to include metal.   The top…not in miniature   The frame upside down under construction in Hung’s shop, with bracings . Hand-beveled boards for the sides of the gazebo   The awesome stainless steel centerpiece hanging from the crossbeams   Looking

  Sunrise at the Sand Point Cabin.      .   Warmth on a sled. .   Corn.  Soaked in the mineral lime.  Dried.  Ground.  Mixed with a sweetener and cinnamon. . Atole is generally made from toasted masa (corn hominy flour soaked in lime) or ground rice grains and mixed with hot water or milk, cinnamon and sugar. It is often served at celebrations like Day of the Dead and Christmas. Pinole comes from the Nahuatl word pinolli for cornmeal.

  Half pack—not looking so bad.   To make things more interesting, in the wee hours of the morning the day before we left I came down with a stomach/intestinal bug. This made for a very slow day of packing that was not planned to be a slow day…which spilled over into a late departure the next day.  Life and skiing are both about adjusting to stay in balance, so we did, and let go of plans.   The lucky

    Tis the season of these fuzzy tart rubies. The cicadas are buzzing, the days are steamy, but the nearly-sharp chill of the early morning gives away that secret I’ve been aching to hear…that fall is knocking at the door.   Sumac is often used in shawarma seasonings or ground up and sprinkled over hummus and Mediterranean meats, but this year the warm days make me want a refreshing cool drink that’s like a Midwestern lemonade.   . Staghorn

. Lavender, a Wonder Plant of the herbal world. The name lavender is from the Latin word ‘lavare’ which means to wash—it was a common Roman practice to use lavender in public baths.  Lavender has been used in healing remedies for ages, but if you need a more Western confirmation of the properties the following is from the University of Maryland’s Medical Center: . “this herb has been used as a remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and

    Clutter |ˈklətər| noun—a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass. De-clutter—to remove the untidy mass.   When given a chance to rest, the brain runs a defragmenting program that de-clutters itself from the constant internal chatter, giving some deliciously blank space between the ears.  Those pesky excess thoughts are shed like the melting of snow dissolving into thirsty ground, and sometimes huge chunks of distraction crack off and float away from the main iceberg.   This