AWEsome Cookery

    There is no end to the mixture of seasonings and herbs that can be mixed with an oil to infuse it.  Flavored butters are no exception.  Herbs, citrus, garlic, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, spices….all of these are tasty in a whipped butter.   I have found the Pure Lime Oil by Boyajian to be an incredible product that I use both in desserts and in savory dishes.  I have the 5 ounce bottle that I’ll be using for years,

  I used to cook with tofu like I might cook a fish.  Tofu is somewhat bland and fleshy but with a delicate texture…so I started using it as a blank slate for other flavors.  This concoction became a Deli sandwich, served with a Lemon Caper Aioli, tomatoes and lettuce.   . Let the tofu sit for a few minutes to let the liquids soak in, then sprinkle with the spices.   .. . I like my tofu crispy or chewy,

  Mmm..more things to make with the rhubarb that is popping up all over. You can make almost anything into a chutney.  Chutneys are either raw or cooked, but since this one includes rhubarb it will definitely be cooked! . . . . . Last week’s post had lots of words, this week has very few! .  .   I made a version of this for a small wedding years ago, serving it alongside slices roasted pork loin.   Rhubarb

  Green green green—after numerous May snowfalls, finally Spring has erupted into GREEN around here!  And with it I want to eat more green.  I found watercress in a store recently and it seemed like the perfect addition to a Spring dinner.   Watercress grows in our local streams and in the past I have picked it from ones that I think (and hope) are clean (no ‘hot’ manure, no field runoff).  Commercial greens are usually grown hydroponically in alkaline

  These little buddies are great for parties (graduation season is approaching…) or you could make them as larger patties and serve them for supper.  They’re even good as leftovers and road food.  Because they have a medium-mild flavor I often serve them with a garlic aioli or a Middle Eastern lemon-garlic dip.  Vehicles for big flavor! . . . As spinach cooks it releases an enormous amount of water.  The spinach needs to be as dry as possible so

  I know I keep saying this…but this soup really truly was one of the favorites at the Deli.  The silky broth texture was such a treat.   My friend Kristen shared many a great recipe with the Deli and Hmong Market Soup was no exception.  It was adapted from a recipe she brought us from Savoring the Seasons Of the Northern Heartland. . .  Fresh ginger is available these days in most grocery stores, but unless you have creative

  I remember years ago on spring mornings my mother and some configuration of us daughters would take walks along the gravel road, making our way to the hallowed spots where asparagus grew wild along the field fencelines.  In late summer the asparagus would of course mature into the tell-tale towering green wisps making these spots NOT so secret, and if passers-by paid attention they might come back the next spring and have their own harvest party.  But in my

  In 2009 my friend Liz gave me the book The Artist’s Way.  It was the perfect moment in my life for such an undertaking and I dove into it headfirst, letting it do its magic on me. .   The Artist’s Way is a workbook by Julia Cameron (author, teacher, playwright, filmmaker, composer) about unblocking the Creative—a 12-week program of readings and art-homework to help people retrieve and nourish their inner Artist.  The backbone of her process is the practice

. Let’s start with a few images from a weekend in a cabin with my sisters…as you can see it was full of hardship and suffering!  My favorite is the top photo taken by my sister. .   Girls with blow torches! .   This is a post about the Little Guys—ingredients that tirelessly support the whole, the oft Unsung Heroes of our culinary quests, the Ameliorators. I try to have near me at all times what I call The

  Spring!   It’s here, complete with snow that will soon turn to muddy slush.   I don’t have anything poking through in the garden yet, but our local hoop house gardeners soon will and I’m ready for some good greenery.   This soup was another favorite in the Deli and a great one for spring.  When I started working there in the 90’s it was a tiny operation and I was making things up as I went along.  My

  Recovering from the trip and waiting out the minimal income of the pre-catering season, I’ve been trying to not go to the store unless absolutely necessary (coffee, cream…).   This means scrounging through cupboards, ransacking the refrigerator and rummaging through the freezer to use up whatever inventory can be found. Fortunately I still have a bag of (slightly wrinkly) beets from last fall’s farmer’s market spree, and a block of feta cheese…I wonder how well it will pair with

  I often call myself a 1/4 Extrovert and 3/4 Introvert and being alone most of the time is fine with me.  But once in a while I love a gathering, the Exchange.   My friend Dennis recently taught me a Danish word with no direct English translation, and I think it describes what I love about little gatherings.  The word is Hyggelig (pronounced hoogly): the art of creating intimacy…that feeling after dinner with friends when you hang out for

    One-Dish-Wonders The Art of cooking with limited cookware; or having cookware but not a great way to wash it; or just wanting to keep it simple so you don’t spend precious ski time washing dishes.  Sometimes it’s a great combination of tasty individual items that becomes a hearty meal and does NOT turn to a mucky mush.  Or sometimes it does become a mucky mush…but if you’re hungry and it tastes good, much can be forgiven.   Just

Connections and communications with a couple of canine compatriots gave us an interesting beginning to the Northwoods adventure. . Our home-base hostel-cabin was full last weekend so we were trying to decide what to do when a friend invited us to go with them to the Audubon Environmental Learning Center in northern Minnesota—it was a primitive cabin but we were geared for that.  We couldn’t ski very much because of lack of snow, but we could at least leave town on

  We’ve been preparing for our annual North Woods trip, making lists and checking them twice, scurrying around doing last minute tasks.  We’ve also been doing snow dances every day…and with this dry weather it looks like more dancing is in order if we hope to do any cross country skiing.     Even though it’s only 5 1/2 hours to get to our main home-base it takes us days to arrive.  Many people to visit along the way…since summer

  This is part one of a Love Story of Leeks.   I sometimes refer to my Helpers, my crew, the band of ingredients that are my secret weapons.  Friends I can turn to when something isn’t right—if a sauce is bland, or too bright, or if it has no base flavor—I consult my arsenal of Superheroes.  I have a page with the Helpers List but they need more explanation.  Just like the DC Comics making the movies of the individual

. The foggy night emerged into a sunny day and left behind a Winter Wonderland.  Fern-like crystals of hoar frost on every surface, I had a difficult time keeping my eyes on the road it was so breathtaking.  There is something incredible about the reflected whiteness of snow and frost that helps increase the light and raise our spirits during this season of chill.  We may live in a quieter part of the world, but we do occasionally have frozen

  We rolled home after days of holiday gorging.  Rolled—- it felt literal. After unloading the car the first thing I did was to search the refrigerator for something green…and not the fuzzy varieties that might be lurking in the back.  Vibrant green was what I was aching for, and I found a few leaves of curly kale from the last of the local harvest.  Greenery!   I quickly stripped the leaves off of the stem, added a little water

  . Brown spreadables, they are not the brightest of treats but they pack a load of flavor.  Do not underestimate brownish mushy delights!  This Mushroom Walnut Pâté is another of my dependable and crowd pleasing appetizers for catering and would be perfect for a New Year’s Eve party.  It can be made a few days ahead, it’s tasty and vegetarian, and people love it. . . It uses a method similar to the Savory Pesto Cheesecake post, the soupy mixture cooked

  Every year our friend Elisabeth invites us (actually these days we just show up) to her traditional Norwegian Jul dinner on December 24th.  Pork roast, boiled potatoes, cooked cabbage with caraway, meatballs, and the best part of all…the riskrem rice pudding with strawberries.  She hides a whole almond in the pudding and whoever finds it gets a gift, usually chocolate or a marzapan pig.  I adore this rice pudding—creamy and low in sugar, it’s my kind of dessert.