The now-defunct Embers Restaurant in Mount Pleasant, Michigan served a salad that I have never forgotten. Sweet and creamy, their Peas and Peanuts was made with Miracle Whip and Spanish peanuts. Taking advantage of fresh spring peas makes this salad worth revisiting with roasted, unsalted peanuts and a lighter vinaigrette. (Although it is still pretty great with a mayonnaise base as well!)
Springtime Salads – Peas and Peanuts Read More »
Cooking for Two can present many challenges, but having the right equipment on-hand can make a world of difference! In Cooking for Two – Part One we talked about Tips and Tricks, in Part Two we talked about portion sizes, so in Part Three we’ll deal with the kind of equipment you should have in even a small kitchen to give you the right tools for the job.
Cooking for Two – Part Three: Equipment for Two Read More »
Our Cooking for Two series continues with one of the biggest challenges faced by those trying to cook on a small scale: portion sizes! Refer back to the MyPlate diagram in Part One of this series to see how much of each type of food you should be serving, and then use these handy basic recipes below to get you started! You can get creative and add different seasonings, use various types of protein, and adapt them to suit your preferences!
Cooking for Two – Part Two: Recipes for Two Read More »
Cooking for two people can be a real challenge. It isn’t a simple matter of cooking less, it involves some careful planning, shopping, and preparation, along with a plan to create “plan-aheads” (instead of “leftovers”) and a way to package and store them. I teach Cooking For Two classes quite a lot, and we have
Cooking For Two – Part One: Tips and Tricks Read More »
The Learning Kitchen is the brainchild of Lyn Deardorff of PreserveNow. Lyn’s passion for having a place to teach the forgotten kitchen arts is near and dear to my heart, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be one of many fine teachers that will be offering classes there.
Cold-Weather Cure-Alls at The Learning Kitchen Read More »
Exploring new cuisines can be intimidating, especially if the spices and flavorings are unknown to you. Profiles in Flavor – Africa is one of a series of classes I created to help take the mystery out of several wonderful cuisines. We look at a ‘shopping list’ of staples you would need to cook foods from that area, and taste lots of new flavor combinations. Once you know the typical protein, carb and veggies found in an area’s cuisine, you can enjoy eating and cooking it much more often!
Profiles in Flavor – Africa Cooking Class Read More »
A food forest is a gardening technique made up of layers of edible trees, shrubs and groundcovers. It contains perennial, diverse and multilayered landscaping. An established food forest can have up to 9 active layers including roots, herbs, ground cover, understory, shrubs, vines, and canopy. It should provide sustainable features for healthy cities, diverse and healthy foods, and good public space. The food forest should be flexible, have varied spaces, be well-connected (such as bike paths), and be centrally located. There is an emphasis on long-term sustainability through perennials, along with annual plantings such as spaces for community garden plots.
Finding Urban Food Forests Read More »
The 13 Desserts In France there is a tradition of leaving 13 desserts out on the table between Christmas and New Year’s. Though the dishes vary, the number stays the same (to represent Jesus and the Apostles). What a wonderful way to entertain guests that happen to drop by to visit! Select 13 small
The 13 Desserts of Christmas Read More »
One of my favorite presents on Christmas morning is the tangerine in the toe of my stocking! No matter what else there might be sticking out of the top, the tangerine at the end is always a huge treat. Here is a playful and quick fruit salad you can make up with any extra tangerines (in case Santa dropped off the rest of the tangerine bag in the kitchen!)
Tangerine Toes – A Treat From The End Of Your Stocking! Read More »