True Confessions. When in comes to provisioning, I like to think of myself as a model of organization. The truth, however, is that frequently real life intervenes--a sudden irresistible invitation for dinner or a late afternoon swim, for example--and the best laid plans for what I'm going to cook, and when, goes cattywampus. Really, I wouldn't have it any other way for, in cooking, as in real life, the ability to be flexible, it seems to me, is a highly underrated virtue.
Read moreFlapjacks
Ah, the best laid plans...
I woke today, fully intending to blog. I had given lots of thoughts to what I might be blogging about. It was most likely going to be about the sumptuous gift of delectable home grown sausage that Kenan gave me a couple of weeks ago. It was just conceivable it was going to be about a killer batch of red beans and rice I made this week, and not beyond the realm of possibility that it would be about a nifty little brunch dish I created over the weekend, featuring crumpets and poached eggs.
Read moreMeyer Lemon Cheesecake
You know what they say: When life hands you a cold, rainy day in February, make Meyer lemon cheesecake.
I don't know about you, but I've been happily tripping over Meyer lemons for weeks now at the grocery, so when I spied this recipe the other day on Food 52, I was ready. Creamy and delicious, not too sweet, but not too tart either, my initial reaction to reading it was that it just might be the perfect way to banish the reality of it still being February and happily, I was right. It came together in a jiff, and the only trauma was waiting for it to cool because the Meyer lemonyness suffusing my kitchen proved to be almost irresistible.
Read moreCaramel Sauce
This is going to be a short and sweet lagniappe as it's a glorious day and my garden beckons. It's actually being written in anticipation of tomorrow when my column in the Times Dispatch is all about homemade ice cream. I've been in an ice cream making frenzy for weeks, as you'll see if you read the paper, however, my theory is that if you're going to make ice cream, you need to make a really fabulous something with which to bedeck it: caramel sauce.
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