Basic Granola with Variations

Basic Granola with Variations

Basic Granola with Variations I’ve been making granola since my university days. It was simple and affordable and endlessly flexible. I didn’t use a recipe. I just eyeballed it. This was before the Internet, when cookbooks were limited and recipes were scribbled by hand on 

3-Ingredient Strawberry roll-ups

3-Ingredient Strawberry roll-ups

In the past week, I’ve rejuvenated my sourdough starter, made several loaves of bread, simmered vats of stock, and cooked up batches of soup. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for a fruit treat that’s marketed to kids, but proves irresistible to adults — 3-Ingredient Strawberry 

Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

Apple Crisp with Oat Topping

Well, it took a pandemic to get me out of the classroom and back blogging. Since everyone’s stuck inside and avoiding grocery stores, I’m getting a lot of questions about cooking and baking with items on hand. I’ll start with a recipe I rely on 

Burnt Caramel Nut Brittle

Burnt Caramel Nut Brittle

I’ve decided to change the idiom from “watching paint dry” to “waiting for sugar to caramelize”. It doesn’t roll off the tongue, but it’s a fair description of the process. This recipe for Burnt Caramel Nut Brittle calls for deeply caramelized sugar. While it doesn’t 

Easy Triple Chocolate Bark

Easy Triple Chocolate Bark

How easy is this triple chocolate bark? I made it while putting together a dinner of roasted sweet potatoes, green beans and pan-seared chicken. I melted chocolate as I peeled, diced, and roasted the potatoes. As the beans steamed, I chopped the toppings. In between chicken 

Lemon, Fig and Lavender Marmalade with Sarah B Hood

Lemon, Fig and Lavender Marmalade with Sarah B Hood

Last year my garden burst with lavender. This spring, only a few leggy plants survived. Too little snow. Too much thawing. Too  much freezing. Or maybe the plants sensed my neediness and fled. I need lavender this summer, and lots of it. For the esthetics, 

Nut & Seed Brittle

Nut & Seed Brittle

I feel this is cheating. Healthy nuts, good-for-you seeds, and a whack load of sugar. This nut and seed brittle recipe was vegetarian chef Nettie Cronish’s compromise with her kids. Nettie is all about healthy eating. Kids? Not so much. I used to beg for store bought 

Whole Bowls with Smoky Corn, Black Bean and Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto

Whole Bowls with Smoky Corn, Black Bean and Cilantro Jalapeno Pesto

Don’t judge a book by its cover. Judge it by how long it takes to pry from your friends’ hands. Whole Bowls: Complete Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Meals to Power Your Day by Allison Day (Skyhorse Publishing ©2016)  was passed from guest to guest while I put 

Easy Pan-Roasted Fennel

Easy Pan-Roasted Fennel

When given the choice between vegetables or dessert, I usually go for dessert. After all, chocolate will cure what ails you. Unless you’re two weeks into a nasty cold that’s claiming squatters rights to your head. I’m at Day 14. During this time, not only have