Mugicha – Roasted Barley Tea

My Favorite Thirst Quencher For These Hot Summer Days My son introduced me to mugicha * years ago, and since my first taste I’ve never been without a pitcher of this roasted barley tea sitting in my fridge. At his urging, I’m sharing my love of this tea with you. Mugicha ,* referred to as dàmài […]

Red Fruit Salad with Lime and Chili Syrup

Here’s a Salad That Will Spark Up Any Meal! When fruits are at their peak, I don’t think you need to do a lot in order to enjoy them at their best. I love to serve them as salads and when I do, I keep everything else very simple. A grilled piece of meat or […]

Green Tomato Pie with Bacon and Panko Crumbs

A Summer Main Course Pie That Puts Green Tomatoes Front and Center. I love green tomatoes. They are tart and almost astringent, but have a little of the sweet flavor of a ripe tomato.  I also love tomato pie. This got me thinking about making a green tomato pie. I figured the flavor of green […]

Ricotta with Strawberry Sumac Honey and Berries

Here’s an Easy Summer Dessert You Won’t Soon Forget. I’ve been singing the praises of homemade ricotta for years. It’s in no way an authentic ricotta, which is made from whey. But it is world’s ahead of anything you can purchase in the grocery store. Because it is only made with milk, cream, buttermilk, and […]

Crispy Skillet Potatoes and Burrata Over Tomato Sauce

Potatoes This Good Don’t Need Much of Anything Else. I had a real hankering for my Crispy Skillet Potatoes . But during these hot summer days, I find myself not particularly in the mood for a meat and potatoes meal. I’ve done a lot of things with these potatoes. In the past, I’ve even served […]

Easiest Baked Custard – 3 Ways

Whether It Be Simple or Elegant, It’s Definitely Irresistible. I’m a custard nut. I love it in most all of its variations. But I’m particular about what I want when I’m in the mood for a simple bowl of chilled baked custard. I like the consistency to be soft and lightly set. I don’t want […]

Bundt Pans – A Discussion

Who Doesn’t Love a Good Bundt Cake? Let’s talk bundt pans, shall we? Most everyone loves a good bundt cake. They’re pretty, but homey and comforting. They’re usually easy to make and many times they don’t even require an icing or glaze. Yet, they are some of the most delicious cakes out there. There’s no […]

Savory Tomato Cobbler with Cheddar Cream Biscuits

A Cobbler That’s Not Dessert? Oh, Yeah, It is a Very Good Thing. I’ve run across a couple of recipes for tomato cobbler throughout the years and I’ve always been intrigued.  I mean, come on. Doesn’t the thought of biscuits sitting on top of baked tomatoes sound good? I had visions of the bottoms being […]

Green Mango and Hibiscus Chutney

An Unusual, but Delicious Pairing. As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been cooking up a storm in order to use the green and underripe mangoes on my tree. I have a huge bounty this year and wanted to take advantage of the green ones before they all start ripening. Green mangoes make wonderful chutneys, pickles, and salads. […]

Lemon and Poppy Seed Olive Oil Cake with Crème Fraîche

I Now Have the Simple Lemon Cake I’ve Always Wanted. As with my orange cake, I had a situation where I’ve never been perfectly satisfied with any lemon cake I’ve ever made. Typically, they don’t have enough lemon flavor or they’re a little dry or the crumb is not what I want. I decided it […]