Labor Day is a day of rest and relaxation. It’s also an invitation to celebrate those fleeting final days of summer. What better way than to gather with friends and family for a backyard barbecue. Good food, good friends, and good wine. What more do we need? You can certainly elevate a party (like a Labor … Continue Reading
For the longest time, artichokes intimidated me. Not really sure why? Just a bit of the unknown I suspect. But I’ve come to learn that artichokes aren’t really all that difficult to prep and prepare. I especially love baby artichokes. Baby artichokes are not a different variety than the larger globe artichokes, just a smaller … Continue Reading
Since I have a very small backyard garden space, I decided to plant/grow whatever would yield the most bang for the buck. That inevitably translated into (mostly) herbs, ones that I use on a daily basis — thyme, oregano, rosemary, (Thai) basil, mint, chives, sorrel and cilantro. I also grew a few herbs that I … Continue Reading
It’s stone fruit season. That means peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and apricots. I especially enjoy a good apricot. How about you? As for incorporating apricots into a cake, from a flavor standpoint, apricots have a strong affinity for almonds. Thus, the base of the cake is a combination of finely ground almonds and all-purpose flour. … Continue Reading
While some recipes on this blog can be time-consuming, true (aspirational) labors of love (e.g., homemade pasta, sourdough bread), sometimes you just want/need quick and easy. I try to scatter those recipes in as well. To be honest, juggling a full-time job and freelance food writing/photography projects doesn’t leave much time for preparing weeknight, home-cooked meals … Continue Reading
