Coming in from my daily walk, I shut the door behind me a little harder than intended. Somewhat frantically I peel off my Hawaiian-print mask and drop it in the bag of contaminated-clothes, destined to be washed in hot soapy water later tonight. I take a deep barrier-free breath. My shoes come off next and
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Lessons from the Loaf
I have always wanted to learn to bake bread. In the long dark days after losing Nicky I decided it was time to start, without really understanding why. I suppose it seemed comforting, life affirming, nurturing for all of us. It was something to do at a time when, in fact, there was nothing any
Read on »Food Friday: Sweet Freedom and Passover Treats
I have always loved Passover: the chaos, the rituals, the food. I love the reclining, the storytelling and the matzo-ball soup. I love the charosis – apples, walnuts, wine and cinnamon – layered into matzo sandwiches with horseradish that makes my eyes burn. I love the parsley dipped in salt water and the gefilte fish,
Read on »Garlic & Gooseberries/Food Friday: Saving Sage
All summer I have been drying herbs to keep for cooking during the year. My kitchen table always seems to have oregano or sage, tarragon or thyme laid out on paper towels. The lemon balm, lemon verbena and chamomile never got too robust, but I did get a bit of them dried and put away
Read on »Food Friday/Garlic and Gooseberries: Italian Zucchini and Leek Omelet
In honor of my daughter’s upcoming semester in Italy, I made what I call an Italian omelet for brunch the other day. Actually, I am not sure if this is how they make omelets in Italy, but somewhere along the way I learned this technique and have always called it that. Using our first zucchini
Read on »Food Friday/Garlic & Gooseberries: Swiss Chard and Bacon Soufflé
Soufflés seem to have gone out of fashion. Why is that? I think maybe they seem intimidating, and yes, they do have a lot of steps that might seem complicated at first. Then there is that persistent possibility that they may not rise, or that they will rise and then fall before getting to the
Read on »Food Friday: Island Creek Oyster Bar and Farm
Back in May, my husband participated in a team building exercise at Island Creek Oyster Farm, out in Duxbury Bay with some colleagues. He approached it with mixed feelings: while a change of pace is always enjoyable he was busy with work and travel, and oysters were not at the top of his priority list.
Read on »Food Friday: Potluck Book Club Baked Potato Bar and Pot of Chocolate
I had to chuckle when someone in my book club brought this New York Times article to my attention: Really? You’re Not in a Book Club? It seems everyone today is in a book club. In fact, I have been in one or another for the past 23 years. The first one was formed by
Read on »FOOD FRIDAY: Brewed Roasted Cocoa Beans – Could this be love?
I cannot drink coffee, or even tea, regularly and that has put me at a disadvantage. I used to wonder why I seemed to have so much less energy than the rest of the world until I realized that most of the world is fueled by caffeine, and I am fueled by, well, sleep. I
Read on »Food Friday – Chicken in Curry and Coconut Sauce
The glorious and somewhat excessive heat we have been experiencing here in Boston broke temporarily this week, with temps tumbling into the 60’s and rain pouring down. With the cooler air, our appetites returned a bit, as no-one seemed to be too hungry when it was so hot. My son, who has been doing
Read on »Food Friday Salade Composee
I really hate making lunch. Breakfast, ok, I am half asleep and working on automatic. Dinner, great, I can be creative and it is a good change from the work I have been doing all day. But lunch is annoying. If I am working at home that day, it seems I have just cleaned up
Read on »Therapeutic Cooking Blueberry Ribs
What can you do when you are held hostage in your house, along with an entire terrified city? What can you do when you are sick at heart and in spirit, and you wonder how a seemingly good person could have gone so very deeply and horrifyingly wrong? When your body is exhausted and your
Read on »Bagel and Lox
For over two months now I have been on the Paleo diet: no grains or gluten have passed my lips. I have not even been tempted to cheat (well, tempted, yes, but I have not succumbed). No pizza, no french bread, no batter fried calamari, no hamburger buns. But I knew when we planned a
Read on »Friday Night Cocktails
So sometimes, having a cocktail just seems like the right thing to do: Friday night with the mother-in-law and (drinking age) son was definitely the right time! A blast from the past with Old Fashions and White Russians on the menu, and presto! We are having a impromptu intergenerational party. Sometimes a festive moment is
Read on »D’Amelio’s Off The Boat Italian & Seafood Restaurant
I found myself at the airport at 6 am this morning on my way to visit my poor flu-stricken daughter in DC. My stomach wasn’t up for more than a banana at that hour but usually I try to time my visits to Logan Airport around dinner time. Our favorite Italian restaurant is 5 minutes
Read on »Food Friday Espresso Fudge Brownies
As corny as it sounds, I believe in the power of love, and as unhealthy as it sounds, I believe that food is love. My identity is perilously tied up with food: I went to cooking school in Paris almost 30 years ago and have been enjoying making pastries and other goodies in my own kitchen
Read on »Food Friday Baked Halibut with Fresh Tomato Topping
This is the first of my Food Friday posts. Every Friday I will feature my favorite recipe, restaurant, café, or food treat of the week. Starting on a healthy note (Warning: not all Food Fridays will be healthy!), this recipe is a hit in my family, even with the non-fish lovers. One of our delicious
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