Looking through my car window, the doe looked okay. But something wasn’t right. I approached slowly, wondering, “Why is she resting in the middle of the intersection?” My car rolled to a stop a few feet away. Still, she did not move. Then I saw it. Her sides heaved and her nose bled. Not knowing what to do, I stepped… Read more »
I grew up in the era of TV dinners and rice that cooked in a minute. Literally. This fare deadened my taste buds for years, so when I discovered how inexpensive and easy it is to prepare food in its natural form, I went gung-ho. Today, my pantry is stocked with dried pinto beans, garbanzos,… Read more »
Monarch butterflies (not to be confused with Catholic Monarchs, such as Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, who sponsored the exploration of the New World by Christopher Columbus) require milkweed plants to survive. In fact, Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed. But the breakfast table can easily become the lunch and dinner counter too. Each… Read more »
Not long ago, all I knew of the agave plant was the printed picture on bottles of tequila. We’ve had a few of those in my kitchen, and the subtleties of varieties is akin to appreciating the nuanced differences in a bottle of wine. I also believed the tale that the Century Plant was so named… Read more »
A few months back, I was in Santa Fe for a cooking class. Since the class didn’t begin until the next day, my husband and I dined at a local restaurant, which shall remain nameless for a reason you will soon learn. Santa Fe, if you are unaware, is a food lover’s fantasty. (No, that… Read more »
The first time I tasted an avocado, I was nineteen years old. I remember because it was a luscious experience, and avocados have been a mainstay in my diet ever since. Ugly Good I was at a party in Laguna Beach, CA with one of my dearest friends. Everyone brought appetizers to share (no idea… Read more »
TNT is the yellow chemical compound trinitrotoluene commonly used for explosives, but in this post, I’m not talking detonation as much as transportation, although I must admit, a fresh mozzarella, balsamic vinegar, and tomato salad—with a generous sprinkling of newly harvested, minty-peppery basil—can certainly blow me away. Transoceanic Transplantation Imagine a world without ketchup. Or… Read more »
Give and Take I do this every day of my life. I give my time, my energy, my skills, my concerns, my knowledge . . . but not every action has sacrificial merit, for I would gladly take these things, and more, from anyone who is willing to give. Give and take is the stuff… Read more »
What do you eat for breakfast? Cereal? Eggs? Cold mac and cheese tossed into the air while your open mouth awaits? This morning, I made potato pancakes. On a hot griddle, I ladled thick batter of grated potatoes, onions, and egg into creamy, buttery pools and waited for the steam to rise. Flip, crisp, plate,… Read more »
Who hasn’t eaten vanilla ice-cream, vanilla cake, or smelled the comforting fragrance of vanilla candles? The creamy flavor and homey scent evokes many happy memories. But vanilla was not known to most of the world until after the year 1519 and a meeting with the Aztecs. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortéz landed in what is now… Read more »
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