Pushing Boundaries

Pushing Boundaries

I did it. Despite containing three ingredients I’ve never used before, I made onion bhaji. And I pronounce them to be good. Make that “very good.”  Andrew, who inspired the selection, claimed they were “delicious” and “as good as the restaurant’s.” So, with a flourish 

Preserving tomatoes regardless of quantity

Preserving tomatoes regardless of quantity

Clearly, my tomatoes aren’t getting enough love. When my back was turned, they  produced and produced and produced — to the point they toppled over and smothered the Swiss chard. Lying on the ground, they continued the fight. Not only did they produce more fruit, 

Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner?

Whatever Happened to Sunday Dinner?

When you write about food for a living it’s easy to forget that it’s not always just about ingredients or recipes. Creating a new twist on the chocolate chip cookie isn’t as important as baking a batch with a friend. Bland chicken needs nothing more 

Tempura Zucchini

Tempura Zucchini

The zucchinis just keep coming. So I pulled out the big guns and fried the suckers in hot oil. None of this namby-pamby healthy oven-baked stuff. I went deep fried all the way. And I think I just might have scared them off. To shake things 

Zucchini Fries | A Baked Version

Zucchini Fries | A Baked Version

These came from my section of The Family Plot. The one on the right is about the size you find in the supermarket on any given day. The one on the left? It dwarfs a butternut squash. At a whopping 5 pounds, 5 ounces it’s 

Corn with Cilantro-Lime-Chili Butter

Corn with Cilantro-Lime-Chili Butter

This week’s Gastropost challenge was to “recreate or revisit a food experience that will refresh sunny memories of summers past.” With strawberries and peaches already covered, my mind went to corn — a food that leaves me conflicted. In season, corn-on-the-cob means both the height 

Indian Green Beans

Indian Green Beans

I don’t know if there are the Fortex pole beans or the Maxibel French filet beans. I suspect they are a mix. I can’t tell because the vines are so thick the leaves obscure the labels. Plus, I was too busy picking beans to bother 

Baked Zucchini Flowers with Ricotta

Baked Zucchini Flowers with Ricotta

This is a zucchini flower from The Family Plot. While we raised plenty of eyebrows planting the garden, we weren’t sure we could raise so much as a baby carrot. Much to everyone’s surprise, the beans are clawing their way up the poles, the radishes 

Smoky Bacon and Kale Gratin

Smoky Bacon and Kale Gratin

Marriage often requires compromise. After almost 10 years, Andrew and I have sorted out the domestic chores, bill payments, and even litter box duties. Yet despite impressive and extended negotiations, we remain deadlocked on certain foods. Andrew loves anything bacon and groans at almost anything