Recent Posts

Flax Muffins-Biscuit-Bread

Flax Muffins-Biscuit-Bread

  This recipe was given to me by my friend Deanna who passed it along from her doctor who I think got it from writer Susan Weed.  Deanna scribbled it on a cracker box and I’m finally getting around to making it. It’s a great 

Baharat and The Epicentre

Baharat and The Epicentre

  Spice mixtures, they are limitless! Chinese 5 Spice, Za’atar, Harissa, Shichimi, Jerk, Chermoula…like musical notes creating an infinite number of songs, the combinations and variations of spices are equally endless.   Baharat is the Arabic word for ‘spices’, and spices they are.  Generally the 

Coconut Lime Ginger Rice (revisited)

Coconut Lime Ginger Rice (revisited)

  I came across my post from 2014 that sounded perfect for the simpler meals of post-holiday excess so we’ll give it another go around.  This little recipe was initially from Food Renegade that I made with a few adaptations.  I used canned coconut milk 

Favorites January 2018

Favorites January 2018

  Happy New Year and Happy Birthday John O’Donohue!   Years ago my friend Britney introduced me to the writings of Irish poet and philosopher John O’Donohue and he’s an easy one to go to for inspiration.  He would have been 62 years old yesterday, 

Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip

Vegan Nacho Cheese Dip

  I recently came across a recipe for Vegan Nacho Cheese at Brita Britnell’s food blog: Life, One Meal at a Time.  Always looking for special-diet options for catering I gave this a try.  Yum!  I did make a few modifications to increase the creamy 

Scandinavian Meatballs

Scandinavian Meatballs

  Another Christmas favorite for (and from) all the Scandihoovians around me.  I just finished catering a December wedding with a very Norwegian flair and Meatballs were the main attraction.  Actually I think the gravy was the main attraction…but isn’t it always?  It’s all about 

Spiced Blueberry Soup

Spiced Blueberry Soup

. 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 

Indian Cauliflower Pickle

Indian Cauliflower Pickle

  Pickled cauliflower would be great in the summer heat but I’ve been enjoying the brightness of this veggie alongside my denser fall foods like squash, stews, and slow cooked meats.  There are countless versions of marinated brassicas, though many of us don’t have access 

Tamari Sesame Dipping Sauce

Tamari Sesame Dipping Sauce

  Are you in need of some simple meals during this season of heavy holiday feasting?  Rice and steamed vegetables with this sauce could be your dinner tonight.  Maybe add a little tofu or chicken for protein.  Then drink some tea, take a walk, breath good air.  Sleep 

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

. I recently enjoyed a quick trip to the San Francisco Bay area, and where better to spend your birthday morning than wandering about Berkeley drinking great coffee and stumbling upon the Berkeley Farmer’s Market—incredible variety of vegetables, fruits, prepared foods, olives, crafts, characters, and 

Chermoula with Roasted Squash

Chermoula with Roasted Squash

  Chermoula is one of my favorite flavor bombs of all times. To quote a comment from my friend Heather on my Chermoula post of years ago: “One word…MAGIC. This little gem creates magical alchemy with anything it touches. And I have been introducing it 

Root Veggie Latkes

Root Veggie Latkes

  Another Autumn treat from 2011 that needs rediscovering…   Pancakes aren’t just for potatoes anymore.  I love potatoes, but there is something endearing about supporting the Underdog.  The humble rutabaga, or ‘Swede’ as the Brits call it, can look huge and weird in the produce section, often 

Favorites November 2017

Favorites November 2017

. . . .   It was a good day for a walk in the woods. This was how the world looked last week before I left for a trip to California: bright leaves, crisp smells, sun on the water.  I came back this week 

Cookie Monsters

Cookie Monsters

  My sister puts the fun in cookies.  I remember when I was very young the production of Christmas cookies was an all-afternoon artistic blitz.  My older sisters would spend hours on their colorful sculptural creations…or at least the first dozen or two were works 

Pear Apple Chutney revisited

Pear Apple Chutney revisited

  I’m seeing so many of these ingredients at the Farmer’s Market it seemed like a good time to re-post this little chutney treat from November of 2011.  Enjoy!    Chutneys-–pungent enough to raise your eyebrows, but sweet and savory enough that you close your 

Chuck Roast with Moroccan Seasonings

Chuck Roast with Moroccan Seasonings

  Patience. I’m finding myself in the middle of numerous catering events and with no time to do a recipe for the post, but I can share with you the lessons that I live and one of those ‘Vague Recipes’.  And some Midwestern autumn images 

Pasta Salad with Feta, Basil and Tuaca Figs

Pasta Salad with Feta, Basil and Tuaca Figs

  I made this salad for my second-ever wedding that I catered on my own many years ago, it was a good mix and I’m kind of amazed I don’t cater with it more often.  Those first weddings were so memorable—I wanted to provide awesome 

Riced Cauliflower Salad

Riced Cauliflower Salad

  Cauliflower has been experiencing quite the celebrity status over the last few years because of its sturdiness and mild flavor that make it a decent grain-substitute when ‘riced’. Pizza crusts, pilafs, salads, as pasta—cauliflower has found its way into many low-carb experiments.     

Eggplant Fritters with Honey

Eggplant Fritters with Honey

.   My boat!  We found this cutie resting near the shores of Lake Superior in Bayfield, Wisconsin.   There is not much downtime in the summer for Scott and me but we did manage a quick trip to hang out on Lake Superior, our 

Tamarind Fig Butter

Tamarind Fig Butter

  Oh, just a few more flowers.   And butterflies.   It’s the time of year when summer has peaked and you can feel the pendulum heading the other direction, when sunlight and flowers feel finite.  At least that is what we’re feeling here in the north