Second Breakfast

Using my Christmas gifts

2009-01-19T16:47:00.003-05:00

Because of the generosity of Santas in multiple locales, I received lots of cooking-related Christmas gifts that I'm just now getting around to trying out. I have my dad to thank for this and this, and my husband to thank for this.

My mother-in-law gave me a Silpat baking mat, which I used to make the pecan-raisin drop cookies shown in the photo. These mats have been around for a while -- they're more environmentally friendly than aerosol cooking sprays and less messy than butter. I love mine, and will surely use it for all of my future baking projects. After washing it, I store it rolled up in a cardboard paper tube from a roll of paper towels, a suggestion from Cook's Illustrated.

About the cookies: The recipe is from the January issue of Bon Appetit (available on Epicurious here) and we loved them. The ingredient list is blessedly short, which meant that I was able to put them together in about 10 minutes, not including baking time, of course. With a short ingredient list it's especially important to use good ingredients and to maximize the flavors of the ingredients you do use. I toasted the pecans for a few minutes in a pan on the stove, and I poured boiling water over the raisins to plump them up. (Especially important because I think they were in our cupboard for a long, long time.)

A fresh start for 2009

2009-01-09T15:07:00.005-05:00

Many of you readers (if I have any readers left) have probably guessed the reason(s) for my lack of posts over the past couple of months. A new house, new city and (wonderful) new job have left precious little time for blogging. During this time of transition, I've managed to continue cooking and experimenting with new recipes, but haven't had the time to cook and photograph the results and blog about them.

As many of you also know, my best news of all is that there's a new little eater in our house! Baby Sophia arrived just over six weeks ago and has been great fun. She's proven to be a little one-dimensional in her food tastes right now, but I plan to start introducing her to new tastes as soon as I can.

About two weeks after Sophia was born I was desperate to get back in the kitchen but of course, didn't have the time for anything elaborate. This mango-pomegranate guacamole was perfect. Not only was it festive and healthy, it allowed me to take advantage of some seasonal (though admittedly not local) flavors. It's a quick dish and the colors are gorgeous! I can't wait to make it again.

A recipe from Gwyneth

2008-10-26T20:50:00.009-04:00

I signed up for these fun e-mails from Gwyneth Paltrow after reading about them on photographer Melanie Mauer's blog. The first e-mail I received included three great (and healthy!) recipes: buckwheat and banana pancakes, Asian tuna sandwiches with soy and sesame mayonnaise, and caramelized black pepper chicken.

I tested the buckwheat pancake recipe today, though I swapped the bananas for apples in an effort to cook a little more seasonally. I peeled and sliced thin a Jonagold apple and sauteed it gently in butter, cinnamon and sugar. The best part was that I was able to find fresh, local black walnuts at the farmers' market, which really kicked up the flavor. (Who knew that walnuts grew on trees only 30 minutes from South Bend?) If you can find fresh walnuts at your local market, it makes a big difference in taste.

Is there anything better than homemade Sunday pancakes? These made me so happy today.

Buckwheat, Apple and Black Walnut Pancakes

adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow

1/14 cups skim milk (the original recipe recommends soy, but I didn't have any on hand)

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. vegetable oil

1 T. real maple syrup, plus more for serving

1/2 c. buckwheat flour
1 t. baking soda

1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

1 apple, peeled and thinly sliced

1 T. each cinnamon and sugar

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. Mix cinnamon and sugar in small bowl. Melt 1/2 T. butter in small frying pan. Add cinnamon and sugar. Saute apples gently on low heat until soft.

2. Mix wet ingredients in small bowl; mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix gently just until combined.

3. Heat nonstick skillet or griddle to medium high. Ladle pancake batter on griddle and sprinkle with apple slices and walnuts. Cook until the surface is covered with small bubbles. Flip and cook other side until golden.

4. Keep finished pancakes on platter in 200 degree oven.

5. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.

Catering Confidential

2008-10-19T21:38:00.002-04:00

Have your ambitious dinner party plans caught you in a time crunch? Is there a dish you love to eat but hate to make? Whether your guest list includes 30 or 300, here are six great go-to caterers in southwest Michigan and northwest Indiana: You can read all about them in my story in the November issue of Lake. (Though I'm sad, sad, sad that the editors snipped the two fabulous Kalamazoo caterers I had originally included in the story: Rose Street Market and Candace Strong.)

In other writing news, I neglected to mention many moons ago that I received a writing award from the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists early this fall. The award was for my story "The New Spiritual Scene," which appeared this past year in Columbus Monthly. I collaborated with photographer Tim Johnson on the photo essay, which examined new and emerging faith communities in central Ohio. The project led me to a "street church" for the homeless, a Somali mosque, an evangelical community housed in a movie theatre (popcorn included) and a Pentecostal revival. Our efforts for this story stretched over more than six months. It's one of the best stories I've ever worked on, so it's great to get some kudos for our hard work.

Honey-roasted root vegetables

2008-10-13T21:59:00.005-04:00

I love stocking up on root vegetables at the farmers' market and roasting them until their natural sugars caramelize. They're so hearty and filling -- and healthy. I first made this recipe for honey-roasted root vegetables from Cooking Light two years ago, and it has since made it into my permanent fall repertoire.

Any honey will do, of course, but I like to experiment with different artisan honeys. This year I used rosemary-infused honey from Mockingbird Meadows just outside Columbus. I love, love, love Mockingbird's herb-infused honeys. I wrote about them in the September issue of Columbus Monthly, and their coffee-infused honey made its debut at this year's Slow Food USA conference in San Francisco.

I'm also partial to Mockingbird's lavender-infused honey, which I love to drizzle over Greek yogurt for breakfast. I stocked up on several jars before leaving Columbus, and I'm so grateful I did! If you come over to my house for breakfast I'd be happy to share! MM is hoping to expand their Web presence in the near future, but for now you can buy a few of their products from their online store.

Extreme granola

2008-10-05T21:15:00.004-04:00

So I've been wanting to make homemade granola forever, and the title of this recipe from Epicurious caught my eye right away. It was easy-peasy, and it was a great way to use up some of the leftover nuts and dried fruits we had lying around. (I used golden raisins instead of the dried blueberries.) I also used real maple syrup that I had bought from some Amish farmers in South Haven, and the smell of the toasting oats plus the maple syrup filled the kitchen. Someone needs to capture that aroma in a scented candle. This granola keeps for a whole month.

For some reason I was into making breakfast foods this weekend -- I also made these morning glory muffins. The recipe came from Columbus Dispatch Food Editor Robin Davis, whose Wednesday food section I'm already missing now that I'm in South Bend. I'm always looking for healthy muffin recipes, and this one uses whole wheat flour, plus shredded zucchini and apple. The recipe makes about a dozen and a half, so I popped some in the freezer for quick breakasts later.

Back in the kitchen

2008-09-28T22:26:00.003-04:00

It's so good to be back in the kitchen! I have finally moved into our house and our kitchen is unpacked. More importantly, my dining companion is now in town so I have someone to experiment on again.

In an effort to avoid unpacking, I ventured out to the South Bend Farmers' Market on Saturday morning -- only a five minute drive from chez nous. Unlike the North Market in Columbus, you don't have to get there at the crack of dawn to get the best selection. I got there at 10am and there was still lots to choose from. All of the produce is so heavy this time of year. I had to make two trips to the car. Walking around with a yellow seedless watermelon, a basket of honeycrisp apples, a basket of Michigan Red Haven peaches, and a bag of redskin potatoes got to be a little bit much, even though I've been lifting weights and am pretty darn strong.

The South Bend Farmers' Market is much more downhome than my beloved North Market in Columbus. It's going to take some getting used to. Another local said it well when she said, "It's a little heavy on the tchotchkes and soft pretzels." And, I would add, crocheted items and antiques. Um, and Obama T-shirts and non-local produce. (Asparagus from South America? At a farmers' market? C'mon people!) I already miss my favorite cheesemaker in Columbus and the stone-ground cornmeal from a farmer whose name escapes me now. Fortunately I stocked up on some Columbus goods before I left.

There were some bright spots on Saturday. I saw one woman selling beautiful bittersweet for $6/bunch, and one produce stand sold me some lovely cremini mushrooms that I'm going to make into a mushroom ragout. South Bend food shopping is going to be a little bit of an adjustment -- I'm realizing now how spoiled I was in Ohio -- but I'm up for the challenge.

The move from hell

2008-09-24T07:04:00.001-04:00

Hello, dear readers!
I had hoped to be up and running on Second Breakfast sooner in the wake of my move from Ohio to Indiana. Alas, it seemed that one thing after another has distracted me (and prevented me) from getting into the kitchen. But I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. After living a somewhat spartan, solo existence in our new house for the past seven weeks, I'm anxiously anticipating the permanent arrival of both my husband and our moving truck. Life is going to improve exponentially beginning on Thursday.

I'll spare you the laundry list of hassles I've been dealing with since I've moved here. Let's just say the low point was the morning that I discovered that someone had smashed my car window and stolen about $400 worth of brand-new (cute!) maternity clothes that Jim had helped me pick out. And of course, having the fridge and freezer on the fritz for a few days was a pain, but reading about the struggles of those affected by Hurricane Ike put that into perspective pretty quickly.

I do have a few good recipes to share and recommend from the past couple of weeks:

No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars from the Minimalist. Enjoy the last of the late-season blueberries!
Chickpea Salad with Ginger. Also from the Minimalist. A healthy, filling lunch that packs easily for work.

I'll be back soon!

2008-09-01T21:18:00.003-04:00

I fear I have no more readers since it's been so long since I've posted! I'm in the midst of moving, starting a new job and getting ready for a new baby. As if all that weren't enough, my refrigerator and freezer died last week, which has really put a kibosh on my cooking.

But the good news is that the new one is arriving on Wednesday, so I hope to be back in the kitchen (and posting) on Thursday.

Thanks for your patience.

Weekend cooking

2008-08-04T09:50:00.000-04:00

This weekend my companion left for a four-day conference in New York. Thinking that he needed a proper sendoff, I decided to make some Saturday morning waffles. I used this Belgian buttermilk waffle recipe from Epicurious, substituting one cup of whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour to make them a little bit healthier. The recipe calls for topping the waffles with glazed bananas, but I had just picked up some blackberries at the North Market that I couldn't wait to use, so I looked for a way to incorporate them into the topping.

I ended up making the two-berry syrup from this Cooking Light recipe using blackberries, frozen Michigan blueberries (the last of last summer's crop) and maple syrup from Trader Joe's. They were fantastic, and took no time at all to whip up (no whipping egg whites
involved!).

I'm also including a photo of my (rather modest) market haul from Saturday. The cantaloupe I bought from Rhoad's was so ripe, it was cracking open! I couldn't wait to get it home and cut it up. I bought Swiss chard for the first time and a big bag of basil from Just this Farm. Time for homemade pesto! I'll be using Mark Bittman's recipe from How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian.

Eggplant pizza

2008-08-03T18:55:00.009-04:00

I just wanted to share an easy and healthy way to sample some of those beautiful eggplants that are popping up at the farmers' markets right now. I got some beauties (pictured) at the Pearl Alley Farmers' Market on my lunch hour and decided to try my hand at homemade eggplant pizza. Admittedly, this is not an original idea. My mom tried it out after being inspired by a recent trip to Italy, where pizzas with seasonal toppings like eggplant and arugula are seemingly everywhere. They put those uninspired American pepperoni pizzas to shame! (And, they're better for you.)

Anyway, making eggplant pizza is very simple, especially if you get lazy like I did and buy a pre-made pizza crust. (I like the Boboli 100% whole wheat.) Just thinly slice a few small eggplants, including as many varieties as you can find. Then brush the slices with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and roast in the oven at 425 degrees for about 15-20 minutes. Slather your pizza crust with some pizza sauce (I used Carfagna's) and a thin layer of shredded mozzarella. Then layer the eggplant slices, topping them with additional mozzarella and some freshly-grated parmigiano-reggiano. Bake pizza at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, or simply follow the directions on the pizza crust package. For more color, top with some chopped Italian parsley.

Sunday dinner

2008-07-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

On Sunday night we made dinner for our friends Phil and Anthony. I love summer cooking, especially its unfussiness and the abundance of fresh flavors. We kicked off the evening with cheese straws, Marcona almonds with rosemary (A new-to-me Trader Joe's find --wow!) and raspberry royales -- the recipe was from Barefoot Contessa's Barefoot in Paris, which I had checked out of the library after our France trip.

The inspiration for our main dish came from this beautiful photo in Food & Wine's summer grilling guide. I love serving different types of food on large platters, and I just liked the idea of pairing grilled beef tenderloin with roasted cherry tomatoes. (Though we opted for ribeyes instead of tenderloin.) My companion grilled the steaks along with the cherry tomatoes I had bought that morning at the North Market. I sliced a log of herbed goat cheese to go with it and we served it in a little bowl on the side. Juicy steaks, ripe tomatoes and creamy goat cheese. It tasted like summer.

In lieu of the grilled bread shown in F & W, I made one of my all-time favorite summer recipes: this summer-garden tart from Cooking Light. (I have to credit my mom with finding it.) It's become one of our summer staples. I stopped making it for a while because I wasn't able to find the cornmeal crusts, but then I read about these scrumptious crusts from Vicolo on Not Martha, whihc I found at our Whole Foods. Perfect!

Phil and Anthony provided us with an excellent dessert: a raspberry-blueberry tart made with Julia Child's pastry cream recipe. I was especially excited to try it, given that I recently re-read Julia's exquisite memoir My Life in France.

If only we could eat like this every Sunday night!

The NYT chocolate chip cookie recipe

2008-07-28T22:12:00.004-04:00

So I had been dying to try the New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe ever since I read the accompanying story a couple of weeks ago -- it was the No. 1 most e-mailed story for a couple of days! That warmed my heart.

This recipe differs from other chocolate chip cookie recipes in a few ways, the most significant being that you let the dough sit for 36 hours in the refrigerator before baking. This gives the wet and dry ingredients sufficient time to mix -- apparently eggs are rather slow moving. I have to admit, it was hard to make cookie dough knowing that I wasn't going to get to eat warm, gooey cookies that night, but a day-and-a-half later I sure loved having the dough all ready to go. The recipe also instructs you to form the dough into balls the size of large golf balls -- this allows enough of surface area on the cookie so you can have a really nice variation in texture between the crunchy edge and soft center.

The recipe calls for a sprinkle of sea salt before baking -- I used my fleur de sel from Brittany. The resulting taste is sweet-salty near-perfection.

The only modification I made to this recipe is that I replaced the chocolate disks (our Whole Foods didn't carry them) with the chocolate I happened to have on hand, which included two bars of Scharffen Berger dark chocolate and two bars of Ghirardelli white chocolate. I chopped all of them up and into the batter they went. I also found that it helped to let the cookie dough soften for about 30 minutes once I took it out of the fridge -- it was impossible to spoon out before that.

On average, I didn't think this recipe took any longer than your average batch of chocolate chip cookies, but there was enough difference in taste that I think it's going to become my go-to for all future batches.

Summer baking

2008-07-17T21:07:00.005-04:00

It's getting too hot to turn on the oven, but when I saw this recipe for salt-kissed buttermilk cake on 101 cookbooks, I couldn't resist trying it out that very minute. I already had some beautiful fleur de sel, having just returned from Brittany, and my mom bought me some Michigan raspberries at the South Haven Farmers Market that were just begging to be made into something fun.

This is a very un-fussy recipe, and it only took me about 30 minutes to make it on Tuesday after work. It functions very well as both a dessert and morning coffee cake or a mid-day snack break cake, and as Heidi points out, you really could make this recipe with any kind of fruit. I loved the caramelized sugar (I used turbinado from Whole Foods) mixed with the crunchy fleur de sel on top. It added just enough sweet-saltiness to the whole concoction.

Heidi recommends using a tart pan for this recipe. I don't own one, so I used a springform pan. This made the cake a little too thick, so I think if I were to make this again I would purchase a tart pan -- I like this one from Crate and Barrel. The recipe calls for whole-wheat pastry flour, but I used all-purpose flour and it turned out just fine.

Hooray for a not-too-sweet, easy-to-make seasonal summer cake!

Poilâne

2008-07-11T06:45:00.001-04:00

My favorite stop in Paris had to be the legendary boulangerie Poilâne, a bread shop established in 1932. The whole experience was a little bit like a pilgrimage for me -- I could have stayed in that shop all morning. I got to see their giant wheels of pain Poilâne slashed with the signature "P" or embossed with a sheaf of wheat.

While we were in the shop we saw several restaurant workers, identifiable by their white aprons, come into the shop and fill huge sacks full of loaves to take back, perhaps for their lunch crowd.

Edible Adventures in Paris had promised that there would be a little basket of blond butter cookies by the cash register, and sure enough, there was. I was smitten with my first bite, not only by the delicate crunch and butter flavor, but also by the pretty scalloped edges. I bought a boîte for the plane ride home and I was so glad I did.

Aw, shucks

2008-07-10T07:14:00.000-04:00

I recently found out that I received an Ohio Excellence in Journalism award for my story “Farm to Fork,” which was published in the June 2007 issue of Columbus Monthly. The story described the burgeoning relationships between local farmers and chef-owner-restaurateurs and the fresh, seasonal dishes that result from their collaboration. The story was two years in the making, and it was one of the most fun (and labor-intensive) pieces I’ve ever worked on. I’ll try to get a pdf of it up soon.

The awards are coordinated by the Press Club of Cleveland, and they’re inclusive of magazines and newspapers across the state.

En vacances

2008-07-09T07:16:00.003-04:00

One of the reasons for my prolonged absence from this blog is that I recently spent a week and a half on vacation in France. That's a pretty good excuse for not blogging, don't you think? In the picture at left, I'm sitting in one of those uber-touristy boats that cruises the Seine. The picture was taken on the Fourth of July, a day when we decided that being on the water was a mightily appropriate way to celebrate.

We spent several days exploring Brittany, where I made sure to snap up some of the region's famous fleur de sel caramels and caramel sundae topping. We also explored the D-Day beaches in Normandy, which was a profoundly moving and sobering experience.

One of my favorite parts of our vacation was the three days we spent in Paris. The best thing I did in preparation for the trip (besides brushing up on my French) was picking up a copy of Clotilde Dusoulier's Edible Adventures in Paris. Clotilde is most famous for her food blog Chocolate and Zucchini, which I read quite regularly. The book is divided into two sections: The first focuses on restaurants and the latter section focuses on specialty food and cookware shops. This is where I turned most of my attention. If you're visiting Paris, I highly, highly recommend you pick up this book.

Thanks to Clotilde's fantastic recommendations, I found many, many affordable and portable food gifts to bring back to the U.S., as well as a few great finds for my own kitchen. (The only non-food item I purchased was a little navy-and-white dress from Petit Bateau. It's for our little bebe girl, who is scheduled to arrive in November.) I'll share some of my favorite purchases and Parisian epicurean destinations very soon!

Season’s greatest hits

2008-07-08T23:06:00.000-04:00

I thought I’d share two of my most favorite go-to summer recipes. Below is a recipe for roasted corn guacamole that came from a friend in South Bend, where I'm moving in just a few weeks! I’ve been making this guacamole for almost 10 years now and it’s always a huge hit at parties. It’s colorful, festive, and even good for you! (Sadly, I can't find the photo I took to use with this recipe. It looks like edible confetti when you're done.)

Roasted-corn guacamole
1 c. frozen/canned corn kernels
3 T. corn oil
2 large avocados, cut to ½ in. dice
1 large tomato, cut to ½ in. dice
¼ c. chopped cilantro
2 T. minced red onion
1 t. minced jalapeno
1 t. minced garlic
2 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. cider vinegar
1 ½ t. kosher salt
¼ t. cumin

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss the corn with 1 T. of the oil. Roast, tossing often, for 7-8 minutes, until golden. Let cool, then transfer to medium bowl.
2. Fold in avocado, tomato, cilantro, onion, jalapeno and garlic. Stir in the lime juice, vinegar, coarse salt, cumin and two more T. of corn oil. Cover and refrigerate for up to six hours.
3. Serve with tortilla chips—of course. (I like to use blue corn chips to add even more color.)

Now, onto dessert. If you’re looking for a way to use up all those amazing local strawberries, this strawberry-almond cream tart from Cooking Light is delicious and relatively easy. I’m pretty fast in the kitchen and it takes me about 45 minutes to put it together, not including cleanup. It’s great as a make-ahead dish because it needs to chill for four hours before serving. (Though we’ve also chilled it on the go in a cooler in the trunk of a car, which also works in a pinch.)

Summer fare

2008-06-05T07:42:00.003-04:00

I know there are some people out there who like to map out their dinner schedules ahead of time: They know they’re making grilled salmon salad on Tuesday, homemade pizzas on Friday and stovetop macaroni and cheese over the weekend. I am not one of those types of meal planners. Though I meticulously plan my shopping (always have dark chocolate, fruit, Greek yogurt, goat cheese and a variety of sausages for pizzas on hand) my meal planning is much more spontaneous.

Inspiration most often comes from what I catch in bits and pieces from the Food Network and read in newspapers, food magazines and on food blogs. If I see a recipe that looks good, I can’t stop thinking about it until I make it.

Here are a few great recipes I have come across recently. I’ve made all of them at least once, and I recommend them without reservations:

Crostini with sun-dried tomato jam from Giada DeLaurentiis
I made the jam a day ahead of time and bought my baguette from La Chatelaine.

Spicy, Garlicky Cashew Chicken by Melissa Clark in the New York Times.
The recipe suggests grilling the chicken but we used the broiler since we were out of propane. It still turned out great.

Rhubarb-Sour Cream Snack Cake with Walnut Streusel from Cooking Light.
My dad likes to say that people like rhubarb because it’s simply a vehicle for sugar. This recipe is one of many that support his premise. When I made this for my book club I garnished the cake with whipped cream and a sprig of mint and it looked very cute.

Eating on the road

2008-05-22T08:00:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite things to do before a trip is to scout out good places to eat in our destination city. I usually do pretty well, but I had an especially good track record on our recent trip to Burlington, Vermont. (We were there for a friend’s wedding.)

First stop: Penny Cluse Café
Even at 9:00am on a Friday morning there was a 20-minute wait at this bustling breakfast joint, which I took to be a very good sign. Ordering off the menu was tough — there were so many good choices. I was especially intrigued by the zydeco breakfast — two eggs any style with black beans, andouille sausage and corn muffins — and the gingerbread pancakes. However, the day’s special sounded so good that it trumped all the other choices: coconut bread French toast with tangerine curd. How I wish that I could recreate this at home — it was one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time. The coconut bread was thick and hearty, and even tasted like it may have been made with whole wheat flour.

Not only did the French toast taste fabulous, it also provided plenty of fuel for our 18-mile bike ride along Lake Champlain.

Afternoon snack: Skinny Pancake
Sweet and savory crepes are the specialty at this waterfront spot. We locked up our bikes and tucked into the coconut curried potato crepe (Caribbean-style curried sweet and Russet potatoes over rice) and the crepadilla (homemade salsa, avocados, and Cabot cheddar cheese folded into a scallion crepe). I have no desire to attempt crepes at home (too intricate and fragile) but I certainly was happy to enjoy the fruits of someone else’s expertise.

My only regret is that we didn’t have time for any more meals in Burlington. Sigh. I love a city that knows how to eat.

Recap: North Market Apron Gala

2008-05-18T13:39:00.004-04:00

My companion and I attended our first-ever North Market Apron Gala last night. Though we've lived here almost five years we've never gone, and we decided this was the year.

We both donned our aprons before getting into the car. My companion already owned one but I did have to purchase one for the occasion. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, so I settled on this one from Bed, Bath and Beyond (though I only paid $19 for mine). I thought it was cute enough, but nothing special. As it turns out, however, someone else wore the same one and even entered herself in the apron contest, eventually winning third place. I guess it was a little bit more eye-catching than I thought. Further proof: My companion and I had our picture taken by a reporter from Columbus Alive! Stay tuned to see if we make it in the paper on Thursday. We did smile our very best.

As we drove into the parking garage and watched gala-goers stream inside, we noticed rather quickly that no one was wearing aprons. We looked at each other: Should we ditch them? Were we making some kind of classic newbie mistake? We decided in the end to keep them on, and I'm glad we did. As it turns out, about 1/3 of the gala-goers do wear aprons, many of them very entertaining (my favorite one said "one flew over the couscous nest" on the front). Plus, since you're walking around eating all kinds of finger foods, it's nice to have apron pockets to stash away your program, napkins and forks.

Speaking of the food, I loved the format for the evening. The gala runs from 7pm-10pm, and the type of food served changes every hour: appetizers from 7-8, main tastes from 8-9 and desserts from 9-10. It's great fun -- you just keep taking laps around the market, chatting with people and sampling whatever little bites intrigue you.

Here were my favorite tastes of the night:
1)Appetizers:
-Freshly squeezed mimosa from Bubbles Tea and Juice Co. The juice had been squeezed an hour ago!
-Ham balls and smoked pork Cajun andouille sausage from Bluescreek Farm Meats.

2)Main tastes:
-Pulled pork soft tacos from CaJohn's Flavor and Fire
-A little cup of Pho from Lac Viet Market
-Mushroom-bleu cheese flatbread from Omega Artisan Baking

3)Desserts:
-Coconut bread pudding with creme anglaise from Pastaria Seconda
-Cherry lambic sorbet from Jeni's
-Petit fours from Mozart's

All in all, the night was delightful. I didn't feel like this was an event I need to attend every year, but I will say that it reminded me how lucky we are to have the North Market and all its vendors here in Columbus.

Wednesday food news (a day late)

2008-04-24T08:00:00.002-04:00

I’m finally catching up on my Wednesday food section reading. Here are some things I plan to try:

Milk chocolate-banana pudding in the New York Times.

The pope’s risotto in the NYT (originally made for Benedict XVI by Lidia Bastianich.)

I have been intrigued by the new 200-calorie offerings at Au Bon Pain. Yes, yes, I know it’s a chain, but I work right near the downtown location and often need an afternoon snack. Brie with grapes and crackers or sliced turkey rolls filled with asparagus, cranberry chutney and gorgonzola beat a trip to the vending machine any day.

What I’ve been up to

2008-04-23T21:17:00.002-04:00

I was out of town most of last week, which is my primary excuse for not blogging and cooking. My excuse for not doing either of these things in the weeks prior to that is that I was steeped in preparation for the aforementioned out-of-town trips.

So here’s where I was: As many of you know, I wrote a book that was published wayyy back in September 2003. Since that time, Getting a Life has worked its way into the hands of many college students, twentysomethings and their mentors, and I have gotten a number of speaking invitations during the past four-and-a-half years as a result of GAL.

Last Wednesday I gave a keynote address at a symposium on youth and young adult ministry that was organized by one of the people I admire most in the contemporary Catholic world: Fr. Ronald Rolheiser. I have long been a fan of his writing (especially The Holy Longing) so I was thrilled to be able to be a part of something he had a hand in. The symposium was held in San Antonio at the Oblate School of Theology, where Fr. Ron is president. It was a delightful gathering and I even got to squeeze in a fun dinner on the Riverwalk as well as a visit to the Alamo.

On Sunday I spoke in East Lansing, Michigan at St. John Student Parish, which is the Catholic community that’s affiliated with Michigan State University. I believe that St. John’s has one of the largest, if not the largest, Catholic campus ministry programs in the country. I was so impressed with the place, as well as with the student interns I met with before I gave my talk.
These two trips were great, but I’ll be glad to get some r & r this weekend, finally unpack my suitcases and enjoy the tulips and grape hyacinths in full bloom in my yard.

I’ll be back in the kitchen again soon, sharing my culinary adventures as soon as I can. Until then, keeping up with the spiritual theme of this post, here’s a quote that I included in my talk in San Antonio. Speaking it aloud to a roomful of people has kept it in the forefront of my mind:

“There is something way down deep that's eternal about every human being."
~Thornton Wilder, Our Town (Act III)

Food news

2008-03-30T20:29:00.002-04:00

Fresh ricotta desserts in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Includes good shopping tips on which brands to buy for which recipes.

Buying a good popcorn popper at Slate.

Growing blueberry bushes in the New York Times.
This is already on my summer to-do list.

Homemade lemon curd in the Chicago Tribune.

Honey desserts from the Los Angeles Times.

Perfect picnic guide at Mighty Goods.

And here’s one fun non-food-related story:
Learning to play the Irish tin whistle from the Wall Street Journal.

Homemade sandwich bread

2008-03-27T21:16:00.002-04:00

I’ve lived in Columbus for four-and-a-half years, and during that time I’ve been unable to find a bakery that makes good sandwich bread. To be sure, it’s not that there isn’t any good bread around: The batards from La Chatelaine make excellent crostini and the rustic round loaves from Tasi/Eleni-Christina are welcome at my dinner table anytime. But for my sandwiches I’m looking for something entirely different: a whole grain loaf that’s hearty, yet still slightly soft. And a bakery with an electric slicing machine is an added bonus. (As a writer I prize precision, so I derive some satisfaction from a uniformly sliced loaf.)

Sadly, this bakeshop trifecta is not available within an acceptable driving distance of my house. On most of my trips home to Michigan I’ve loaded up on loaves of oatmeal bread from Sarkozy’s and Scottish struan bread from Mackenzie’s, but if too much time elapses between these trips, my supply runs out.

I found myself in such a situation over Easter weekend, so I decided to try my hand at baking my own. I found a promising recipe for easy multigrain bread in an old Cook’s Illustrated, and I swung into action. The whole process was incredibly satisfying and easy. It was a most-of-the-day affair because of the time required for repeated rising, but the hands-on time totaled only about 30 minutes. The only mistake I made was using quick-rise yeast rather than the instant yeast that the recipe called for. (Are they the same thing? I'm still not sure.) My two loaves didn’t puff up as much as they should have, but the results were still wonderful. I cut my first slice when the bread was still hot from the oven and slathered it with butter. The result? Bread that tasted exactly like what I had been looking for.

“Don’t plan your day around your bread, but plan your bread around your day,” say bread-baking experts. The upshot of that advice is, if you’ll plan on being home most of the day working on other things, you probably have time to make homemade bread.

Black bean soup

2008-03-20T20:54:00.005-04:00

When our friends Brian and Rebecca mention a good recipe, my ears perk up, because I know they have impeccable taste. On the Saturday when Columbus was blanketed with its record-setting snowfall, we ate dinner at their house and they mentioned their great black bean soup recipe. I was intrigued, because it had come from a chef in New Mexico who had a flair for combining the tastes of traditional French cooking with the flavors of the American Southwest.

Days later, I was still thinking about the soup recipe and I asked Rebecca to send it to me. Last night, I gave it a try. I was initially skeptical of the instruction to puree the soup, but it gave it a nice velvety texture. I also loved the accoutrements that eventually are sprinkled on top: goat cheese crumbles and a squeeze of lime juice. The tart, tang and creaminess all worked so well together.

I didn’t take a photo because black bean soup always has that pallid looking shade of gray — I didn’t want you to judge this one based on its appearance. I hope you’re able to give it a try before soup season slips away.

Black Bean Soup

1 lb. dry black beans
1 med. onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, whole
1 bay leaf
1 qt. chicken stock
1 qt. water
1 sirano or poblano chili
1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 c. heavy cream (I used whole milk)
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper
6 oz. goat cheese
1 lime

Soak beans overnight. Drain. Saute garlic and onion. Put beans in with onion, garlic, carrot, bay leaf, chicken stock, water, chili, cumin, coriander, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer on med-low heat for 45 min. Increase heat and boil off as much liquid as desired to make soup desired thickness. Remove carrot and bay leaf. Puree the rest. Return to pot, add cream, salt & pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a boil. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.

Easter links

2008-03-17T20:14:00.000-04:00

Even though it's St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to post some links to some Easter treats:

Easter baskets for grownups at Mighty Goods. This made me smile; Easter baskets are still big in my family. My grandfather received one right up until he died at 89.

Crispy chocolate eggs from L.A. Burdick.

Artisan chocolate eggs at Moonstruck. Filled with peanut butter crispies!

Bunny egg cups from Sur la Table.

Finally, I'm back!

2008-03-16T14:59:00.002-04:00

It's been a long time since I've logged on here, but I have a very good excuse -- I've been writing up a storm. Usually January and February are nice, quiet months for me, but this year I found myself inundated with freelance work. Life got a little frantic there for a while, and I even had to scale back on cooking, which I hardly ever do. But now that the frenetic output of articles is behind me, I've been able to sit back and enjoy the finished products that have been steadily making their way to the mailbox. For me, one of the most magical parts of being a writer is savoring the fine work of the editors and designers who work so hard to make articles read smoothly and look fabulous on the page. I particularly appreciate the work of the editors at U.S. Catholic, which is one of my favorite magazines to write for. I was so sad when my colleague and friend Heidi left U.S. Catholic to teach journalism at a nearby university, but I'm also happy that she's got such an exciting new professional opportunity ahead of her.

Here's where you can find some of my recent work:

The sipping news, Columbus Monthly (March)
Wine shops are welcoming novice consumers eager to hang out, taste different varieties and find their own favorites.

Guided tours: Four routes to the ultimate destination, U.S. Catholic (March)
A guide to some of Catholicism's richest spiritualities: Ignatian, Benedictine, Carmelite and Franciscan.

Green isn't just for Ordinary Time, U.S. Catholic (April)
A look at how parishes can lead the way to greener communities

Beautiful Women, The National Catholic Reporter (March 7)
A review of a Cincinnati exhibit honoring the 1,000 women peacemakers who were collectively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Under construction

2008-02-25T22:32:00.001-05:00

My apologies for not posting during the past month. My freelance writing life has gotten a little out of control and I need to finish up just one more project (whew!) before I make some tweaks to this Web site. Thanks for your patience!

Cake Decorating

2008-01-19T15:48:00.000-05:00

Looking to try something new in 2008, I took a cake-decorating class at Sur la Table last weekend.

Obviously you can teach yourself a lot of things about baking by reading and kitchen trial and error. I thought, however, that I could benefit from some expert advice on this particular topic, and I’m glad I did. After spending two hours in the store’s well-equipped, sun-filled kitchen, I walked out not only with the ability to create all kinds of fun cake accoutrements (stars! leaves! hearts! scalloped borders! fun shapes!) but also with a fully decorated cake, shown here in all its glory. Yes, the design is a bit precious, but remember this was for a class — we all had to create the same design.

The class was taught by Dena Logan, a warm, knowledgeable and high-energy instructor who has cultivated a loyal local following. (She doles out baking advice in this month’s issue of Columbus Monthly.) I’d definitely take a class like this again, but not anytime soon because it’s pricey. One perk: On the day of your class you get a 15% discount coupon, which you can use for anything in the store.

Eating locally

2008-01-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

This year's Saveur 100 singled out a few food editors across the country for their exemplary work at local newspapers (#24-#28 on the list.) I was so happy to see some editors and writers gettin' some love for the contributions they've made to the local food scene -- their role is so important.

I think Saveur 's editors described the role of a local food editor just right:

"Indeed, what all our favorite editors do the best is make locals feel lucky to be eating and cooking in the place where they live."

The same could be said for local food writers, bloggers and restaurant critics. We're fortunate to have some of those here in Columbus, like Dispatch food editor Robin Davis and bloggers such as the Restaurant Widow. I hope even more crop up in the future.

What I've been up to

2008-01-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

Sipping: Pomegranate soda from Fizzy Lizzy. Available at Fresh Market. Mmm, antioxidants.
Savoring: Cinnamon "beach glass" candy from Froehlich’s. Thank you, Michigan Santa.
Warming up with: Guayaki yerba mate organic tea. Thanks to my former boss, who brought me some when she came to visit from NYC.
Grateful for: Trader Joe’s sea salt caramels, discovered on a shopping trip with mom in early December.
Remembering: The Clementine clafoutis I made on Saturday, way too late at night. But it was easy and delicious. So citrusy and custardy and comforting--a perfect winter dessert. (I always have a tough time finishing off a whole crate of Clementines anyway, even though I love 'em.)
Coveting: Whiteware from Sur la Table. Beautiful, classic ... and on sale.
Vowing to make again: Cheddar corn chowder from the Barefoot Contessa. I halved the recipe and used milk instead of cream to make it lower in fat. How I loved having the leftovers to heat up at work!

Food for thought

2008-01-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this quote, which I read on npr.org early this morning:

"The only way I know what I really believe is by keeping watch over what I do."

~Sr. Helen Prejean, "This I Believe," January 6, 2008

Read the full text here.

New year in the kitchen

2008-01-05T17:58:00.000-05:00

I have made a few modest food resolutions for 2008:

Take the time to prepare homemade salad dressings (inspired by my Oregon friends Cheryl and Sarah, who make the most wonderful vinaigrettes I’ve ever tasted.)
Make Saturday pancakes. I especially love these, made with whole wheat flour.
Take back the spice cabinet. In addition to being above eye level, our spice cabinet is jam-packed. This means that every time one opens said spice cabinet, one is pelted on the forehead with an assortment of square metal tins, tiny glass jars, nutmeg pods and squares of baking chocolate. This is why we call it the spice dungeon. It’s time to avail myself of these helpful tips.
Savor more chocolate croissants from La Chatelaine (For cryin’ out loud, the place is only three blocks away!)
Drink more lavender gimlets at Dragonfly. This indulgent sipper is my favorite drink in town.
Shop the Worthington’s winter farmer’s market. I’m a loyal summer customer, but I keep forgetting about its indoor, cold-weather incarnation.

What are your food resolutions for 2008?

Back from the fresh air

2008-01-02T19:32:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year everyone! It’s good to be back after a looong pre-and-post-holiday hiatus. I took a little break from cooking while we trekked through Michigan and Indiana for Christmas. (This photo was taken during a Christmas Day walk in the woods with my family, just before sunset.)

Restful stays in three(!) locales meant that I got to catch up on my reading. I finally combed through the December issues of Gourmet, Bon Appetit and Cooking Light, as well as the cookbooks I received as Christmas presents: The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and the new North Market Cookbook.

By the time I returned to Columbus with dog-eared cooking magazines and cookbooks in hand, I was ready to fire up the ovens, and I did so in earnest for three days straight. The result of my labors was a steady parade of warm-you-up recipes: baked oatmeal, baked eggs with prosciutto (which looked just darling in their little ramekins), black bean soup with chicken and chorizo* (using chicken chipotle sausages from Wild Oats to kick up the heat) and Tuscan-style white beans. (For recipe, scroll down to "legumes.")

*In Bon Appetit's January 2008 issue, p. 28

St. Nicholas Day

2007-12-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Nicholas Day, everyone! Did you remember to leave out your shoes last night? I left my L.L. Bean felt clogs by the bedroom door, and sure enough, I had a St. Nicholas treat waiting for me this morning: four sparkling new gelato spoons from Jeni's, tied with a cute polka-dot ribbon.

I was also fortunate that the Kalamazoo St. Nicholas, being very on the ball, gave us very generous bags of goodies over the Thanksgiving holiday. We waited very patiently until tonight to open them, and now we have all kinds of festive holiday treats to enjoy.

December stories

2007-11-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Columbusites may be interested to know that I wrote two stories for the December issue of Columbus Monthly. “Bakery Boom” offers an introduction to the many independent bakeries that have cropped up over town in recent years. The research phase was great fun, especially the two day-long bakery crawls I did for two successive Saturdays.

The magazine did something fun this month, choosing both a “Naughty” and a “Nice” cover story in honor of the holiday season. The “Naughty” cover story advertises a story about the restructuring of Limited Brands with a leggy Victoria’s Secret model, and my story is the “Nice” cover story. Readers can choose which one they want to display during the holiday season.

Also in the December issue is “The New Spiritual Scene,” a photo essay I collaborated on with the very talented photographer Tim Johnson, who heads up the photo department for Suburban News Publications. The photo essay chronicles new and emerging faith communities in Columbus: a new Hindu temple, a street church for the homeless, a Latino Catholic Church, a Somali mosque, Baptist and Pentecostal “praise dancers” and a group of evangelical Christians who meet in a movie theater. This was a fascinating project to be involved in, and we worked very hard on it over a six-month period. My job was to come up with the story ideas, visit the worship sites with Tim, and then to provide the text.

In Lake magazine this month, Lake Michigan region residents can check out my story about the very talented Kalamazoo architect Roger Lepley and the funky, personal-sized drink tables he designs. They’d be a perfect Christmas gift for your friends and family members who like to enjoy their morning newspaper with a steaming mug of coffee. We have two of these tables in our house and we love them.

Wednesday food news

2007-11-28T22:04:00.000-05:00

From today's food sections:

Jeni’s gets a nice mention in today’s New York Times.

These little ginger people candies are so cute — I hope our Whole Foods has them. From the Times.

Mmm. Winning recipes from the Chicago Tribune’s holiday cookie contest.

Holiday entertaining options from the Seattle Times.

These cupcake wrappers are beautiful. Hat tip: Not Martha.

Tuesday’s post, a day late

2007-11-28T22:01:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Recap: I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Over the weekend we got to see both of our families in Michigan and Indiana, which was fabulous. On Saturday we took a break from eating leftover turkey and pumpkin pie to take in a performance of “A Christmas Carol” at Kalamazoo’s New Vic Theatre (for which we had to order tickets more than a year in advance). We also did some shopping at the Notre Dame bookstore (Thank God their football season is over.) and celebrated my companion’s recent award over dinner with my in-laws.

I won’t be spending much time in the kitchen this week, since I’m not quite ready to plunge headlong into Advent and Christmas plans. I like to have a little transition time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Holiday cooking and baking can wait until December 1st. (Though I have been stocking up on December food magazines: Bon Appetit, Cooking Light, Everyday with Rachael Ray, Food and Wine and Gourmet are already on hand.)

Thanksgiving test run

2007-11-20T18:30:00.000-05:00

I had Thanksgiving on the brain this past weekend. I just couldn’t wait until Thursday to sample some roasted bird and savory side dishes. Since we don’t currently host our families’ Thanksgiving gatherings but probably will someday, I decided to do a test run of some of Melissa Clark’s Thanksgiving side dish recipes that ran in last Wednesday’s New York Times.

The pumpkin, white bean and kale ragout was absolutely delicious, and so healthy with all of those vegetables and legumes. I substituted butternut squash for the pumpkin. (Does anyone have any hot tips on how to peel a butternut squash? It’s such a pain.) Instead of traditional kale, I used Russian kale that I had purchased from Toad Hill Farm at the North Market. Unlike its sibling, Russian kale doesn’t have those cabbagey, tough, enormous leaves that dwarf your cutting board and take forever to soften in the sauté pan. Russian kale’s dark green leaves are small, light and feathery, and after plucking off the stems, I sautéed the leaves to softness in no time at all.

Unfortunately, my attempt at the corn bread and broccoli rabe strata was rather unsuccessful. Perhaps it was the bland corn bread recipe I used, or the fact that I substituted broccoli for broccoli rabe. Ah, well. I don’t feel the need to try it again.

For the meal’s main event, my companion roasted a whole chicken from North Market Poultry and Game. We both remarked that, unlike the plastic-wrapped boneless, skinless chicken breasts we often buy, this bird tasted so much more…chickeny. It reminded us both of the baked chicken our moms would make when we were kids.

For dessert, I would have loved to try this cranberry tart, but alas, I ran out of time. That’s okay — I think I still have many years left to refine my future Thanksgiving repertoire.

Kitchen update

2007-11-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

What I've been cooking:

Fish with creamy leeks. A true 20-minute meal, using leeks from Wayward Seed Farm.

New England clam chowder. Yum. I went high-end with the ingredients, picking up these Bar Harbor All Natural Chopped Clams at the Wild Oats near my house that is slowly morphing into a Whole Foods.

Pecan-topped pumpkin bread. Scrumptious. Our weekend guests, for whom I had prepared it, absolutely scarfed it down. Success.

Curried chicken soup. Delicately flavored and delicious. Plus you get all of your vegetables and protein in one bowl. Made with fresh chicken from North Market Poultry and Game.

Spinach-artichoke dip with bacon. An excellent afternoon snack for a banker's holiday.

Where I've been eating:

Out-of town-foodie-guests gave us the perfect excuse to try breakfast at Tasi, which opened in Pistachio's former location in the Short North: 680 N. Pearl. It was delightful, though they don't yet have much seating. You can try any number of homemade pastries that include blueberry and raspberry danishes, almond and chocolate croissants, and you can purchase loaves of Eleni-Christina's breads any day of the week (after 7 a.m.).

At our table, the four of us enjoyed:
-Sourdough pancakes with sweet and spicy bacon and Ohio maple syrup ($7)
-Spanish tortilla with Bolivian salsa ($6)
-Greek style yogurt with granola and honey ($5)
-Greek scrambled eggs with zucchini, tomato, feta and sourdough toast ($5)

Presidential honors

2007-11-04T22:16:00.000-05:00

So, the reason we went to Washington DC last week is that my husband won a (very major) award for his robotics research, stemming from a grant he received from the National Science Foundation. He was honored alongside other young scholars at the White House, and the meeting included a photo opp with W himself.

Now, neither one of us voted for the guy and we have been less than thrilled with his policies, but the opportunity to meet with a sitting president was an honor nonetheless. (In the White House photo Jim is in the second row from the front, second from the right, wearing the purple tie.) In the photo at left, he's giving a brief talk about his work at the National Science Foundation. Congratulations, dear!

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T06:51:00.000-04:00

How fun: Columbus's very own Spencer Budros, of Pistacia Vera fame, is quoted in this NYT story on the favorite Halloween treats of foodies, chefs and nutritionists.

Though my companion and I usually celebrate Halloween with a festive, spooky dinner, tonight we'll be en route to Washington, DC because tomorrow we'll be visiting the White House! Check back Friday to find out why.

Mmm...bison chili

2007-10-30T18:29:00.000-04:00

When I was shopping at North Market Poultry and Game recently, one of the salespeople encouraged me to try a one-pound package of ground bison meat along with the chicken I was purchasing. I politely declined, but the suggestion intrigued me enough to come back for some the following Saturday.

As it turns out, bison contains less fat than the white meat of chicken. It’s also low in calories and cholesterol, and high in protein. Added bonus: The bison is raised without hormones or chemicals at Red Run Bison & Horse Farm, about 100 miles northeast of Columbus.

I’m happy to report that bison meat, when substituted for ground beef or even ground turkey, makes for excellent chili. I used this recipe for cherry peach pumpkin chili. (Yes, you read that right.) The recipe calls for one jar each of Cherry Peach Salsa and Pumpkin Chipotle Roasting Sauce from American Spoon—a scrumptious line of salsas, chutneys, jams and grilling sauces made in my home state.

I highly encourage Columbusites to give it a try. And a big “grazie” to the nice man in the hairnet behind the counter. That was a great tip, and I’ll be back for more soon.

Flavor bombs

2007-10-21T19:16:00.000-04:00

If you've been to my house to eat, you know that I love making and eating appetizers. I love the fact that they're the first thing you eat after a long day of working or playing--usually when your hunger is at its peak. That's why they taste so good.

I discovered a great appetizer recipe this weekend, courtesy of Maureen Petrosky's The Wine Club: dates with goat cheese, almonds and prosciutto. Equal parts sweet, salty, creamy and crunch, these pretty little nuggets are flavor bombs that explode in your mouth. You can make them ahead of time, store them in the fridge, and crisp them up right before your guests arrive.

Sorry I don't have a photo to share--they disappeared too quickly!

Dates with goat cheese, almonds and prosciutto
12 large whole Medjool dates, halved and pitted (I bought mine in bulk at Wild Oats.)
2 oz. goat cheese (Eyeball it.)
24 whole almonds
8 thin slices prosciutto, cut into 4 strips each
2 T. olive oil

1)Fill each of the halved dates with 1/2 t. goat cheese. Push one almond into the center of the goat cheese. Wrap one strip of prosciutto around each stuffed date.
2)Heat olive oil in a skillet. Cooked wrapped dates about 2 minutes on each side or until crisp. Remove the dates from skillet; drain on paper towels.

Makes 24 stuffed dates.

Food finds

2007-10-10T21:07:00.000-04:00

Homemade pesto in the New York Times. Freeze it for the winter and think of how great it will taste in February.
D.I.Y. graham crackers at The Kitchen, via Not Martha.
Cute and cuddly T-bone from Mr. Pickles. Or would you like a slice of ham?
Turkey tealights from Sur la Table. Oh, I am such a sucker for kitsch.

Now serving pumpkin spice

2007-10-08T21:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks to two full days of research for a story I'm writing + a bank holiday (Yay!) I've had more time than usual to be a girl about town. (And I mean all about town.) For those of you in Columbus who are craving all things pumpkin spice this time of year, I'm sharing a few fall food finds:

Pumpkin spice eclairs at the newly opened Pistacia Vera in German Village.
Pumpkin cheesecake at The Columbus Cheesecake Company. (Hooray! He's got a cake that serves four, as well as an individual size.) Absolutely delicious.
Jeni's pumpkin five-spice ice cream is here! A wake-up-your-taste-buds blend of clove, fennel, cinnamon, star anise and white pepper.
Pumpkin spice whoopie pies at the Suisse Shop and Pattycake Vegan Bakery.
Scrumptious, soft pumpkin cookies at Piece of Cake in the Short North.

Does anyone have anything else to add to the list? I'd love to hear about other fall foodie finds.

Not so cheffy

2007-10-03T22:43:00.000-04:00

I've been doing lots of cooking and baking lately, but I have no photos and no reviews to share with you, dear readers, because I've had a streak of bad luck lately in the kitchen: creamy artichoke dip that tasted a bit too sour, chiles rellenos casserole took way too long to make, chocolate cupcakes that weren't nearly chocolately enough.

It's good to be reminded sometimes that things don't always go well in the kitchen, either because of operator error or mediocre recipes. I was reminded of that recently reading Not Martha's review of The Amateur Gourmet Cookbook, which I just reserved at the UA Library!

But I soldier on... more soon!

Hot off the presses

2007-09-30T22:26:00.000-04:00

A couple new articles out this month:

I reviewed Mike Hayes' Googling God on Busted Halo, a Web site for which I'm a contributing editor. (Nice job, Mikey!)
I contributed to this month's cover feature in Lake magazine: 31 Unforgettable Eats. What fun it was to be able to write about some of my favorite hometown eats: pizza crusts from Bova Bakery, Scottish struan rolls from Mackenzie's Bread Shop and granola cookies from South Haven's Cafe Julia.
For Columbusites: "The revival house." Newark's Midland Theatre is one of Central Ohio's feel-good arts stories--a once abandoned space is now enjoying a second act. In Columbus Monthly's October issue.

Lunch with Julee

2007-09-24T21:07:00.000-04:00

I've neglected my blog as of late--I've been too busy eating and cooking! (And um, working.) One of the more fun things I did last week was to attend the Thurber House lunch and book signing with Julee Rosso, co-author of The Silver Palate Cookbook. I had once interviewed her by phone, but had never seen her up close and personal. The whole event, held at the Columbus Museum of Art, had a very ladies-who-lunch vibe, and my friend Claudia and I were the youngest ones there by several years. No matter. We had a great time. Since Claudia's a very talented photographer, I asked her to take the photo of the delectable plate of desserts at our table.

Our chicken salad and lemon soup were prepared using Silver Palate recipes, which made the meal even more special. Julee's remark's were fun and spontaneous, and I loved hearing her story about how her life's work unfolded in unexpected ways. "Everything was done upside-down and backwards before we got it right," she said.

As one might expect, she preached the gospel of seasonal and local produce. "Our new rock stars are going to be our local farmers," she said.

After lunch I got to catch up with Dispatch food editor Robin Davis. I've always admired her work, and she was the first editor to invite me to write a food article for publication. (After I wrote her, e-mailed her, called her, and called her again, that is. For a beginning writer, persistence is key. ) I haven't done any food stories for the 'spatch since beginning my job as an editor at the Big Company, but I hope to sometime again soon.

Chocolates to covet

2007-09-17T21:22:00.001-04:00

Swoon. Moonstruck has just launched their fall line of chocolates. The apples and leaves are just too cute!

Eating among the Irish

2007-08-30T20:25:00.000-04:00

On our trip to Ireland last week we spent two nights in Kinsale, often referred to as Ireland's culinary capital. When I discovered we'd be there for the town's Wednesday farmer's market, I vowed to get there bright and early. (Thinking of how I dislike the full-contact sport that late-morning shopping has become at the North Market and Worthington Farmers' Market. But hey, the crowds are great for the farmers.)

Anyway, turns out the folks in Kinsale are a little more laid back about their start time. We arrived at 9:30am when the market opened, and many of the growers and bakers hadn't even set up their stands yet. Ditto for 10:30 am. (As my husband put it, the 9:30am opening was more of a soft opening.) Things didn't really start hoppin' until 11:00am, when locals in the know showed up with their baskets and pull carts.

Though the vendors didn't have the bounty of produce I'm used to in Michigan and Ohio, I was struck by the number of stands that sold exquisite yet homey-looking baked goods: breads, brownies, scones, muffins and cakes. What I loved about them was that they were all beautifully arranged on cake stands and in baskets, and weren't wrapped tightly in plastic (like you often see in the U.S.) but out in the open air. One of the bakers displayed her framed certificate from the Ballymaloe Cookery School, which unfortunately is closed during the months of August.

International fare with flair

2007-08-28T19:14:00.000-04:00

We just returned from a wonderful, weeklong trip to Ireland. Now that I've recovered from my jet lag, I can share a few things about the food I enjoyed there--and will share photos later this week.

For one thing, in Ireland I rediscovered the value of taking time for breakfast. We stayed at various B&Bs the whole week, and I loved taking a half hour in the morning to sit down at a table and drink tea, eat brown bread spread with butter and jam, and sample some homemade Irish porridge. (At one B&B, when I asked the owner about her porridge recipe, she told me her secret ingredient was Bailey's Irish Cream--no wonder it tasted so good!)

Our breakfasts each day were a far cry from my usual workweek ritual: gulp down coffee from a travel mug in the car while simultaneously driving, eating peanut butter toast, searching for my work ID badge and rooting around for parking garage money.

My post-Ireland, late-summer resolution: Each day, I'll take the time to sit down and eat breakfast, even if it's just 10 minutes at the table.

Stars in the kitchen

2007-08-07T22:37:00.001-04:00

I'd never bought fresh okra before, so I was delighted to discover that, when diced in preparation for freezing (which is in preparation for my roomie to make some gumbo this winter) it has the shape of perfect little stars! I bought the okra this weekend at the South Haven Farmers' Market, and the farmer said: "When I picked that I was wondering if it was going to be worth the effort." Sure enough, it was--I bought all he had.

I also bought a half-bushel of peaches this weekend, which I split with my mom, as well as two quarts of the last sweet cherries of the season. Purchasing so much fruit over the weekend has made for busy weeknights--I had big plans for this produce! I turned the peaches into freezer jam--an excellent way to preserve the taste of summer for the rest of the year. My new serrated Zyliss peeler made the usually-arduous peeling task quite easy.

And the cherries--well, I turned those into boozy, brandied cherries, using Melissa Clark's recipe featured in The New York Times a couple of weeks ago. They're absolutely delicious. I only need to macerate them for one more day before spooning them over pound cake or ice cream.

Horn tooting

2007-07-31T22:25:00.000-04:00

I'm really excited about a couple of stories I wrote that just came out in Lake magazine's August issue:

Meet the producers. Meet seven farmers who bring your food to market.
Delicious dance. At Food Dance Cafe, locally grown ingredients are the order of the day.

I also wrote an extensive story about Mexican torta sandwiches for the July/August issue of Plate, a magazine for chefs. The research was excruciating for a number of reasons, but when I received my issue in the mail yesterday, with the story exactingly edited and set in a beautiful layout, I forgot all about it. Ah, that's the beauty of the writing life.

Drive Time

2007-07-23T21:19:00.000-04:00

A quick trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan meant I had lots of time in the car by myself this weekend. (Because of our work schedules, my roomie and I had to drive separately.) But thanks to my newly purchased audiobook Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, the hours flew by. I've read every book Barbara Kingsolver's ever written, and this book is every bit as good as the rest. What I especially appreciate is that the sidebars written by Kingsolver's daughter, Camille, includes mentions of recipes. So far, I've decided I'm going to try the cherry sorbet, melon salsa (apparently great on chicken or salmon) and frijole mole.

In other food news this weekend, I took my husband's niece, Elizabeth, to the Fulton Street Farmers' Market, just east of downtown Grand Rapids. We had a ball. Added bonus: We happened across a massive booth for Bova Bakery, one of my hometown favorites. I loaded up on fresh foccacia, raisin-walnut bread and garlic-herb pizza crusts, plus I let Elizabeth talk me into some cheesy onion breadsticks.

Whenever I stay at someone's house out of town, I like to bring them a local treat from Columbus. I've done everything from Jeni's Ice Cream on dry ice to French macaroons from Pistachio to artisan chocolates from Pure Imagination. This time around, since I was staying with a family who has four kids under 13, I opted for a three-way can of Pam's Popcorn from the North Market. It was a hit with both kids and adults, and I didn't have to worry about it going bad, melting, or getting smashed in the trunk of my car.

What I've been up to:

2007-07-16T22:43:00.000-04:00

Concocting my first-ever batch of ratatouille. (Yes, inspired by the film.) I'm happy to report that every major ingredient came from my Saturday morning trip to the North Market, and the Silver Palate Cookbook has an excellent recipe.
Making Key Lime Bars. They're beyond delicious, and positively addictive. Recipe from America's Test Kitchen. (The Cook's Illustrated folks.)
Enjoying my companion's famous jerk chicken with mango-avocado salsa, accompanied by grilled plantains.
Marinating chicken Marbella for tomorrow night's dinner. A Silver Palate classic. The Chicago Tribune features the recipe and many other SP favorites here.
Hoping my North Market peaches aren't yet overripe. I'd like to make this Texas Peach Cobbler. From Cooking Light. I bought a new serrated peeler from North Market Cookware and I can't wait to try it out.
Sipping viognier. My new favorite summer white.
Preparing mushroom ragout (served over pasta). Recipe from The Joy of Cooking. Its comprehensive index comes in handy when you're trying to figure out what to do with your farmers' market surplus. Mushrooms from Toby Run farm, via the North Market.
Brainstorming what kind of fun food/drink item to bring to my in-laws this weekend. They've got four school-age kids. Any suggestions, dear readers?

What I consumed on my summer vacation

2007-07-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

I've been negligent in my posting because I've been on vacation in Michigan. It was glorious, and I enjoyed lots of food-related pursuits during my time up north:

Saw Ratatouille at South Haven's Michigan Theatre. A marvelous movie with a valuable message: "Anyone can cook!
I made my first pie (pictured here) in a master class with the Pie Maven, aka Mom. She recounted her cherry pie recipe from memory. Impressive.
Brunch at the Journeyman Cafe in Fennville, topped off with housemade truffles. They're stored in a tiny fridge that you see out of the corner of your eye on the way out of the restaurant. Very well-placed. Coincidentally, the cafe was written up in the Chicago Tribune just days after we visited.
Bought basil and rosemary plants at the Saugatuck Greenmarket (finally), plus a moonflower--I love its twilight blooms.

Deliciousness in D.C.

2007-06-25T20:46:00.001-04:00

I haven't had much time for cooking lately because I've been a weekend jet-setter: My companion and I spent three days in Washington, DC for my college roommate's wedding. It was delightful, as expected. A couple of my favorite epicurean moments from the trip:

Spotting attorney-turned-uberbaker-turned Food Network Star Warren Brown at his bakery CakeLove, and scarfing down one of his chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream frosting. (Yes, that's two "butters.")
Sipping frosty-cold, slushy, swirled margaritas (1/2 lime, 1/2 strawberry) at Lauriol Plaza (very) shortly after noon on Friday, as well as noshing on masitas de puerco--Cuban pork roasted with bitter oranges.

A Day in the 'zoo

2007-06-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

I've written a guide to my hometown for the July issue of Lake. I was so happy to have the chance to tout all of my Kalamazoo faves, especially the struan bread and rolls from MacKenzie's Bakery. Every time I'm home I stock up so I can fill my freezer.

Tastes of summer

2007-06-14T21:09:00.000-04:00

It has really started to feel like summer around here, thanks in large part to a great week of eating, drinking, cooking and baking:

Our friends Em and Brian made us our very own bottle of homemade limoncello. The best part: we got to sample a fresh batch at their place on a Monday night. Grazie, guys!
Rhubarb Custard Bars from Cooking Light. Oh. my. This recipe's a keeper.
Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart from Cooking Light. Showing off those adorable fresh strawberries. Time consuming but very satisfying to make.
Raspberry Streusel Muffins from the original Silver Palate Cookbook. (Scroll down for recipe.) I vividly remember first making these when I wa 12, and when I interviewed Julee Rosso a few months ago I gushed and gushed about them. Made these for a post-baptism brunch this weekend and they were gone in less then 10 minutes.
Further confirmation that I married the right guy: My companion, renaissance man that he is, made fresh fruit trifle and his signature homemade arugula pizza. Swoon.

It's been a great week at the table. May the sugar high never end.

Spring Honors

2007-06-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I found out that my work won three awards from the Catholic Press Association. Most people in Columbus know me as a food writer, but writing about religion and spirituality is what got me into this biz in the first place. (And, in truth, it's the work that's still closest to my heart.) What I like to tell people, when they ask what I write about, is that I write about nourishment of all kinds.

Here are my projects from the past year that won the awards:

"Uncommon Choir," my two-week travelogue throughout the Pacific Northwest with the University of Notre Dame Folk Choir, won first place for best feature writing (national newspaper category) and second place for best reporting on young adults (same category).
"Hollywood and Poverty," my profile of LA filmmaker Gerry Straub, won second place for best profile, national newspaper. Incidentally, the profile that won first place was one that I edited.

I'm back!

2007-06-03T16:10:00.000-04:00

Happy (almost summer) everyone. I've got lots of exciting writing news to share these days. Columbusites can check out my latest Columbus Monthly article in the magazine's June issue: "From Farm to Fork" takes a close look at the scrumptious results of the collaboration between central Ohio chefs and growers. I've cranked out many feature stories for CM over the past two years, and this was certainly the most fun piece I've worked on for them. It was also a lot of work. A lot. I put many miles on my trusty Toyota visiting the farms, and I spent lots of caffeine-fueled hours at Stauf's in front of my laptop, often ready to tear my hair out while trying to get everything--word choice, heirloom melon monikers, the cadence of the paragraphs--just right. I hope you Columbusites enjoy the, ahem, fruits of my labors.

My companion tells me that the story has gotten several mentions on CD101, as it's one of the featured stories in CM's radio ad for this month. How fun!

Second Breakfast Sabbatical

2007-05-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

Due to a recent influx of writing projects, Second Breakfast will be going on a brief blogging hiatus. I'll be back in full force on June 1, with lots of fun food finds and recipes.

Wednesday food news, a day late

2007-05-03T22:24:00.000-04:00

Asparagus risotto from the Minimalist, complete with video. (New York Times) Supposedly it's "laid-back risotto," meaning very little stirring.
The Silver Palate celebrates its 25th anniversary. (Some great recipes here.) Reading this story made me so happy! I remember making SP's raspberry streusel muffins when I was about 12. I recently got to interview SP co-author/owner Julee Rosso, who owns a B&B in Saugatuck--just up the road from my summer haunt--so I got to tell her that myself. Does anyone else out there have any Silver Palate memories? (Seattle Times)
Fiddlehead ferns in the Chicago Tribune.
Savory asparagus bread pudding from 101 cookbooks. I cannot wait to make this, and will be doing so after I purchase my asparagus from Kevin Eigel on Saturday at the North Market.

Hot off the Presses

2007-04-30T21:50:00.000-04:00

If you're a Columbus Monthly reader, you'll see my story "The Chosen One" in this month's issue, which sailed into mailboxes and newsstands over the weekend. It's a profile of Rabbi Naphtali Weisz, a 26-year-old rabbi who leads the same Orthodox Jewish congregation his grandfather once led. This was one of my favorite stories I've written in a while. He is a remarkable person, as his his wife, Abby, about whom I wrote a fair amount in the story as well. It became very clear to me that together, they're an inspiring example to the members of their congregation. I could tell, even from the brief amount of time I spent with both of them, that they're going to make not only their faith community, but this city, a better place.

Weekend Eats

2007-04-29T19:47:00.000-04:00

With a couple of time-consuming freelance articles finally signed, sealed and delivered, I had time to do some some cooking this weekend with my companion. We had our foodie friends Em and Brian over, and we selected an all-Bon Appetit lineup for the occasion. It was all so good, not because of anything we did, but simply because these are fabulous (and quick) recipes. Try them!

Pineapple and Cardamom Chicken with Mint
Tip: Cardamom is very expensive--the most expensive spice, in fact, behind saffron. I saved $ by buying mine in bulk at Wild Oats. It cost under a dollar.

Coconut Basmati Rice
Editorial: I've tried many coconut rice recipes over the years, but I've never been satisfied with the amount of coconut flavor. This recipe is right on the money, and the toasted coconut sprinkled on top is an added bonus.

Lemon Meringue Ice Cream Pie in Toasted Pecan Crust
Tip: Use store-bought lemon curd instead of homemade to save time, and use low-fat vanilla ice cream to make this a little less unhealthy.

Wednesday Food News, a day late

2007-04-26T21:08:00.000-04:00

Craving the junk foods you ate when you were a kid. From the New York Times. (I loved this story, though I rarely ate junk food as a kid. I grew up in an uber-health-conscious household. That's why, every time we visited my grandparents, I'd barely kissed them hello before I'd be down in the basement, emptying my grandpa's can of Planter's cheeseballs. To this day I still get nostalgic about the powdery orange residue on my fingertips.)
Making your own sauces. From the Seattle Times.
Editor's note: All you Domers out there, be sure to wish Fr. Ted a Happy 90th Birthday.

What to eat when you're in a hurry

2007-04-23T13:17:00.000-04:00

Things have been a bit crazy around here, and as I often do when I get stressed out, I've been doing more eating than cooking. (Three cheers for carbs!) That being said, I highly recommend the fish taco recipe from Robin Davis in last week's Dispatch. We made it last night, and they were not only quick, but also delicious, and sure to stay in my recipe file for future healthy weeknight meal.s

In other news, I've just finished the final edits on a story for Columbus Monthly's June issue. I'm so excited about it. I can't yet say what it is, but I started working on it last year, and it's all about food. Stay tuned!

What a Pear

2007-04-17T21:50:00.000-04:00

I'm always excited when I get to interview Chef Magdiale Wolmark for a story, and not just because Dragonfly's vegan fare is my favorite food in town. I recently worked with him on this article on stuffed pears for Plate magazine, an upscale magazine for chefs. If you've never seen paw paw gelato before, take a peek.

Wednesday Food News

2007-04-11T21:33:00.000-04:00

Three excellent brownie recipes. From the New York Times. (Am fighting the urge to make all of them and host a massive tasting party on Saturday. We still haven't done our taxes. For this weekend, anyway, budgets have to come before brownies.)
Peanutty chicken lettuce wraps. From the Dispatch.
How to learn more about wine while at home. From the Times.
If your freezer is stuffed to the gills, this will make you laugh. From the Seattle Times.

Shabby Apple

2007-04-10T21:49:00.000-04:00

Normally this blog is dedicated to food, but a friend of mine has just done something very cool and I want to help her spread the word. My friend Emily, whom I met in journalism school, has just launched Shabby Apple, a line of adorable, affordable dresses and accessories. She and her co-owner have opened up shop just in time for summer celebrations. Congratulations, Emily!

I'm not so sure this is a good idea...

2007-04-05T21:48:00.000-04:00

...but this Peep latte could have indeed been mine. The espresso cart in the building where I work featured these toasted-marshmallow-flavored drinks all week. Alas, by the time I had the chance to run down there today, the woman who runs it was packing up to go home. I can only imagine the sugar buzz and writerly inspiration that would have ensued.

Speaking of work, the nicest thing happened to me today. I was picking up some tomato basil soup at Cafe Brioso downtown, and was standing at the cash register with my steaming bowl o'soup and Diet Coke when I realized I had left my wallet on my desk at the Big Company three blocks away. "I'll be right back," I said to the cashier. "I just need to get my wallet." Two seconds later, a five dollar bill was waving in front of my face, and a complete stranger said, "I'll pay for your lunch." Despite my protests, she insisted. I was so grateful not to have to run back to the office in the 30 degree weather, especially since I was in a hurry. Guess it's time for me to pay it forward now. A big "grazie" to the woman at Cafe Brioso who helped a stranger today. It meant a lot.

Random Easter tip to get you ready for the weekend, if you celebrate Easter: Some instructions for folding your cloth napkins in the shape of bunny rabbits. (Hat tip: Not Martha)

Wednesday Food News

2007-04-04T22:12:00.000-04:00

Peep s'mores in the Chicago Tribune.
Grilled asparagus salad from the Seattle Times.
Warm rhubarb crisp from the Dispatch.
Luxury scrambled eggs from the Splendid Table.
Does anyone know where in Columbus I can find the rhubarb cider (Nectar de Rhubarbe) that got a brief mention in the print version of today's New York Times? It would be a fun and festive sipper for the Easter weekend.

Spring Fare

2007-04-01T21:48:00.000-04:00

California strawberries and asparagus are starting to crop up in grocery stores here, which put me in the mood for some spring fare this morning. (Though it will be a few weeks yet before we can get them locally grown.) I adapted some recipes from the Easy Easter Brunch menu in this month's Bon Appetit. It's a great brunch lineup for spring. Thanks to some shortcuts and major multitasking, I had everything ready in 45 minutes--no crack o' dawn cooking going on here.

This is a pretty simple menu, but there are a few things you can do to speed up the prep. Instead of following BA's lengthy directions for poaching eggs, I just left mine simmering in individual ramekins on the stove. (In a shallow pan of water.) Instead of the strawberry sorbet, I sliced some strawberries and sprinkled them with sugar. I also skipped the chive oil and used sea salt and black pepper to season the eggs, asparagus and prosciutto.

To make this menu healthier, I baked corn bread using part whole wheat flour in lieu of BA's corn muffin recipe. I loved the idea of having corn bread for brunch--I never would have thought of it otherwise. I used a recipe from my friends Jen and Matt, who made us a cookbook with their favorite recipes as a wedding gift. (Aw. So nice.) The cornbread tasted great slathered with the maple butter--it was a fantabulous way to start out the day. E-mail me if you'd like the recipe--tonight I'm on deadline and don't have time to type it out. Perhaps I should have spent more time writing today rather than making brunch. Ah, well--it was absolutely worth it.

Food for the Soul

2007-03-28T21:58:00.000-04:00

Usually I'd post some Wednesday food news links today, but food news was a little thin this week. Perhaps it's because we're still in between seasons here in the Midwest, with cauliflower and squash nearly behind us, and asparagus, fava beans and fiddlehead ferns just around the corner. Instead, I thought I'd post a little food for the soul today from a book I recently started re-reading: My Life with the Saints, by Fr. James Martin SJ.

Here's some food for thought:

For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self.

~Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation

I am quite happy to be called an optimist, but my optimism is not of the utopian variety. It is based on hope. What is an optimist? I can answer for myself in a very simple fashion: He or she is a person who has the conviction that God knows, can do, and will do what is best for [human]kind.

~Pedro Arrupe, SJ, One Jesuit's Spiritual Journey

Easter Candy

2007-03-26T21:37:00.000-04:00

Yes, yes, I know it's still Lent, but it's certainly not too early to start coveting:

Chocolate ladybug gems from John & Kiras
Easter egg hunt centerpiece from L.A. Burdick.
Mr. Hare chocolate bunnies from Williams-Sonoma.
Chocolate flower pots from Moonstruck

A new flavor at Jeni's

2007-03-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

I stopped by Jeni's Grandview shop last night after yoga, planning to purchase a pint of her lemon yogurt to pair with a blueberry crisp I'll make this weekend. But of course I walked out with not one but three pints, including a fabulous new flavor: Butterscotch and Cocoa Nib. The butterscotch flavor is very natural-tasting, and I loved all the little broken-up nibs--so much more interesting and varied than uniform chocolate chips. Cocoa nibs are cocoa beans that have been roasted and husked, but not yet turned into chocolate. They have a chocolatey, smokey, slightly bitter flavor that pairs very nicely with the butterscotch. I suggest stopping by.

Wednesday Food News

2007-03-21T22:09:00.000-04:00

Paella in the Dispatch. (One of the recipe ingredients will shock you.)
Rosemary popcorn in Lake. In case you haven't heard, popcorn is the "it" starter in restaurants these days. Bid adieu to the bread basket.
News flash: You can cook with cheap wine. From the New York Times.
This year's James Beard Award nominees have been announced.

St. Patrick's Day Recap

2007-03-18T20:50:00.000-04:00

Being married to an Irish lad has its benefits, especially when St. Patrick's Day falls on a Saturday. My companion spent the day cooking, and fruits of his labors were delicious: corned beef, of course, cooked for three hours and served with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and onions, and, my favorite, Irish Colcannon and Thyme Leaf soup from this month's Cooking Light. I chipped in by whipping up this Irish soda bread--the recipe, written by Melissa Clark, was in last week's New York Times. I purchased her book The Skinny earlier this year and have made nearly all of her "brown-bag-it" recipes for my weekday lunches. She really knows how to write recipes--I haven't had a bad one yet.

Weekend Eats

2007-03-12T21:58:00.000-04:00

I'm grateful for a weekend that was filled with good eats--some made by moi and some made by mes amis. I recommend all the recipes I'm about to mention: Ham and cheese scones paired with sweet corn and smoked salmon chowder (made with Alaskan smoked salmon I picked up while working on this story in Anchorage this summer). Tortilla soup with cornbread from Fresh Market and pineapple coconut cheesecake squares for dessert. (Made by our friends Em and Brian for a Sunday dinner.) We kicked off the night with pomegranate champagne cocktails made with Pama, which I bought at Whole Foods. (Went there on a Saturday--never again!) It was a festive occasion, as we were celebrating the guys' birthdays. It's hard to beat good friends and good food--it just makes me feel like for a few hours at least, all is right with the world.

Salty or Sweet? Try both.

2007-03-09T07:15:00.000-05:00

I've been cooking my way through the March issue of Cooking Light at lightning speed. In part this is because the current issue includes lots of quick weeknight dinner recipes. (And in part because brand-new cooking magazines in my mailbox always make me sprint to the kitchen.) My favorite feature this month is a story on salt, with a couple of great recipes of the sweet-yet-salty variety. I baked the sweet and salty peanut chocolate chunk cookies--with fleur de sel being the key ingredient, and my companion made the peanut butter banana cupcakes (called King Cupcakes in the magazine, as they're inspired by Elvis's fondness for peanut butter and banana sandwiches). I highly recommend both these recipes, especially if you like that sweet-salty flavor combination.

Spring is on its way...

2007-03-08T07:19:00.000-05:00

...if not outside, than at least at Piece of Cake in the Short North. These cupcakes look like they burst into bloom moments before I stopped in to pick up my companion's birthday cake yesterday. Though the cupcake craze hit other big cities a couple of years ago, it's just now coming to Columbus. Even Starbucks has them. Alas, when I asked if I could take a picture of their bakery case, the staff told me I'd have to go through media relations first! I'll be on the prowl for cupcakes in other locales in the coming days, and I'll be sure to post my findings.

Going beyond Three-Buck Chuck

2007-03-01T20:34:00.000-05:00

While listening to Good Food on my morning run I heard about Quaffability, a guide to Trader Joe's wines. I could have used this last Saturday when I made the mistake of shopping at the Sawmill Rd. TJ's a few days after the new fearless flyer came out. Never again. I couldn't even get through the aisles, and they were out of everything. Chicken broth. Sliced mango. Coconut ice cream. Whole wheat pasta. [Yet another reminder of why I hate Sawmill, and only go there under duress or when compelled by a tiramisu gelato craving.] I'll make a weeknight return visit so I can shop for wine in peace, Quaffability's wine picks in hand.

Friends don't let friends miss out on Spanakopizza

2007-02-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

Some of my favorite recipes are those that have been tested and vetted by good, trusted friends. Such was the case with this Spanakopizza recipe given to me by my friends Emily and Michaela, complete with editorial comments (i.e. arugula makes for better presentation than parsley). Homemade pizzas are a weeknight staple in our house, so I was happy to add this fabulous recipe to our cache. I love this recipe because you get all your veggies and protein and, if you use whole grain pizza dough (I used Trader Joe's) your good carbs too. It was perfect for our Oscar night dinner in front of the TV:

Ingredients
1 pizza dough, refrigerated or from your favorite pizzeria
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, plus some for
drizzling
1 teaspoon dried oregano, lightly crushed in the palm
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound ground chicken or turkey breast
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning, a palm full (recommended: Montreal Steak
Seasoning by McCormick)
2 (10-ounce) boxes, frozen spinach, defrosted
1 cup feta crumbles
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese or shredded provolone
2 jars roasted red peppers, drained
1/4 cup (10 to 12) pitted kalamata olives
1 cup arugula, coarsely chopped or shredded or 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf
parsley
1/3 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced lengthwise
Hot pepper rings or pepperoncini, optional

Instructions

1)Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2)Stretch out your dough on to a pizza stone or into a pizza pan. Pierce
the dough with a fork, drizzle the dough with a touch of extra-virgin
olive oil and sprinkle it with oregano. Bake dough 10 minutes.
3)While the pizza dough bakes, heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
(1 turn of the pan) in a large nonstick skillet over medium to medium- high heat. Add butter to the warm oil, then the chicken or turkey.
4)Lightly brown the meat 3 to 4 minutes, then add the chopped red onion,
garlic and grill seasoning and cook 5 minutes more. Wring the defrosted
spinach dry by twisting it in a clean kitchen towel over your sink. Add
it to the meat, separating it with your fingers. Add in feta crumbles.
5)Once the pizza has cooked 10 minutes, remove dough and top evenly with
meat and spinach mixture. Cover the pizza with shredded mozzarella or
provolone, roasted peppers and olives. Bake pizza another 13 to 15
minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust is crisp.
6)Remove pizza from oven, top with chopped parsley or arugula, cucumbers
and hot peppers and serve.

Just in case you need a little snack...

2007-02-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

When I was home in Kalamazoo last weekend I came across a couple of recipes I had written at age six or seven. (Of which I have absolutely no recollection.) If you're craving a light snack this week, you could always give the Banana Boat a try. Hmmm....I can't remember exactly how this one ever turned out... Apparently I thought the instructions were self-explanatory, because I didn't include anything other than ingredients.

In case you can't read my ingredient list, it's:

1 Banana

Peanut Butter

2 Pretsel Sticks [sic]

1 peice [sic] of bread.

Head for The Hills

2007-02-21T21:37:00.000-05:00

If you live in Columbus, you might want to know that The Hills Market now has their own blog, complete with new product reviews and store news. (Word on the street there is that the Barefoot Contessa's maple scone mix is very good.)

Mardi Gras is tomorrow!

2007-02-19T21:26:00.000-05:00

Mardi Gras is almost upon us, so don't forget to pick up a king cake tomorrow to celebrate! If you live here in Columbus they're available at Piece of Cake in the Short North, the Tremont Goodie Shop in UA, and The Suisse Shop on Polaris Parkway.

For more about the king cake tradition, read my story from last year's Dispatch. Laissez les bons temps roulez!

At this very moment, my companion is cooking up all kinds of spicy jambalaya and gumbo for tomorrow, and there are some fabulous smells coming out of the kitchen. Can't wait for a taste!

What to Drink with What You Eat

2007-02-15T21:09:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you all, but I have an awfully hard time finding kitchen inspiration this time of year. Grocery store produce seems so lifeless and limp, and this year there isn't even any California citrus --like ruby red grapefruits on sale--to cheer us up.

During times like this I spend a lot of time reading about food and cooking. My latest find is What to Drink With What You Eat, a guide not only to pairing foods with wine, but also with drinks like juices, coffees, teas, beer--even water. For example, did you know that IKEA pear cider makes a great brunch drink? Who knew? This book takes the advice of expert sommeliers and compiles what ends up being an enormous resource organized by the alphabet. It's great fun to flip through, and I highly recommend it. Some pairing examples:

Cashews: Pinot Noir, Prosecco, spiced tea
Goat Cheese: Sauvignon Blanc, esp. California and/or dry, Chimay beer
Cheesecake: ice wine, espresso, Muscat-black or orange
Chili: beer-esp. lager, pilsner or wheat, Zinfandel
Gnocchi: Valpolicella
Hamburgers: Beaujolais (esp. w/ ketchup), milkshake, Cabernet Sauvignon
Macaroni and Cheese: Chardonnay, esp. with little to no oak
Kit Kat: tea

Authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page include two quotes in the book's introduction that I just love. I'm including them with the hope that they'll add a little inspiration to your day today:

"The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas." ~Linus Pauling

"Life is the sum of all your choices." ~Albert Camus

Wednesday Food News

2007-02-14T20:10:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Today's New York Times featured a big story on red velvet cake, which is popping up (even in cupcake form) in bakeries all over the city. The story was the #2 most e-mailed today, and includes a recipe. I'm sure I'll try it one of these days, but I was disappointed that no cupcake recipe was included. Plus, the fact that the recipe calls for six tablespoons of red food coloring freaks me out a little.

A few other things you might want to check out from today's food news:

What's it like to be married to a restaurant owner? Find out here.
Are you a Foodinista? Read the results of the Splendid Table survey to find out. Sample question: Do you use cooking skills as a bargaining tool in your primary relationship?

With love from Mama Mimi's

2007-02-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

If you live in Columbus and haven't yet made a Valentine's Day dinner reservation (and you can forget about even trying at this point) do not fear: Mama Mimi's is serving up heart-shaped pizzas.

Valentine Finds

2007-02-07T06:52:00.000-05:00

Aw, isn't all this stuff great, and it's not too late to shop online:

A mini heart baking pan from Crate and Barrel
A bouquet of ice creams from Jeni's. (And they just lowered their shipping costs!)
Takeout containers decorated with hearts, from Plum Party
Free downloadable robot valentines, from Indie Fixx via Not Martha
Heart ice cream sandwich molds from Williams-Sonoma (Am fairly certain I'd win wife of the year if I bought and used these.)
Fondue for two from L.A. Burdick
Chocolate X's and O's from Moonstruck.
Heart-shaped linzer cookies from Pistachio
Conversation heart cookies from Dancing Deer, via Belly DuJour

Weather Report

2007-02-06T22:08:00.000-05:00

So it finally snowed here in Columbus (four inches, maybe?) and we have something resembling a real winter. Unfortunately it took me an hour and 40 minutes to get home from work and it's usually an eight-minute drive. They don't know how to take care of the roads here like they do in Michigan, that's for sure. Ah, well, I digress. Tonight I cross-country skied under the night sky and in the midst of the softly falling snow. It was glorious, but alas, left me with little time for cooking or food blogging. G'night.

Must. Stay. Warm.

2007-02-04T21:17:00.000-05:00

It's six degrees outside right now, and when it gets this cold I like to warm up from the inside out--with soups and hot chocolate, that is. This month's Cook's Illustrated features two great soup recipes: Thai Chicken and White Chicken Chili. I highly recommend both. (Even if you're not a CI subscriber you can sign up for a 14-day trial online membership and download recipes like crazy.) I especially like the Thai soup, because you can add a variety of toppings to tailor the flavor to your liking: lime wedges, serrano chiles, cilantro and scallions. I made the white chili for my friend (and former roommate) Beth who just had a baby. I'm looking forward to delivering it tomorrow after work.

If you live in Columbus and you seek real, homemade hot chocolate, look no further than Pistachio Bakery in the Short North. Their version is uber-chocolatey and has a bit of a kick, thanks to what I think are pinches of cinnamon and cayenne. The best part, however, is the homemade marshmallow--a square disk of pure white sugary goodness served on the side. We sampled the hot chocolate this weekend at Gallery Hop, and I'll certainly be back for more. (And check out their adorable Valentine's Day linzer cookies here.) Columbusites, a heads-up: Pistachio is moving to German Village this summer. They've purchased the property at 541 S. Third St., an address that has been home to bakers for over 75 years. If you're a longtime townie here you might have known the building as Thurn's or Reiner's.

If you've had enough of Rachael Ray...

2007-01-31T21:52:00.000-05:00

...you'll appreciate this. From the Seattle Times.

These cookies will beat the winter blahs...

2007-01-29T21:56:00.000-05:00

A Kalamazoo friend gave me this recipe for blueberry and white chocolate chunk ginger cookies from Eating Well, and I finally had the chance to make them this weekend. I baked these as a special birthday treat for my good friend Em, so I substituted dried cherries (her favorite) for the blueberries. And believe me, all of the kitchen testers around here rejoiced at the results. Crystallized ginger coupled with dried fruit and white chocolate chunks is indeed a magical flavor combination. (And these bad boys are even semi-healthy, or at least not that bad for you.)

A real coup was that someone had given us a package of dried cherries from the Cherry Republic, and I reserve only the highest praise for these Michigan ruby jewels. Up until now I had been completely satisfied using Montmorency cherries from Trader Joe's, but after sampling these, it's going to be very hard to go back. I've always been so proud of the cherries that my home state produces--even Ohio farm stands around here sell them. Go out and bake them into your cookies now.

Or of you're more of the cookie-purchasing rather than cookie-baking type, Cherry Republic is also selling these adorable Valentine's Day cookies.

Hot off the press...

2007-01-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of my recently-published stories:

My colleague over at Busted Halo has written a valuable book for women who have suffered from abuse. Read my review here.
I'm not a dog-lover by any stretch, but I still think Vellus Products is a way-cool company with an owner who's as savvy and sweet as can be. My write-up of her business appeared on the cover of last week's "Entrepreneur" section of Business First.

Eating @ Work

2007-01-22T21:40:00.000-05:00

I started a new job not too long ago (yay--it's great!), which means I'm back to packing lunches every day. Eating at work poses a special challenge to the health-conscious, like myself. It's so tempting to jet across the street to Starbucks for a cranberry bliss bar, or to warm up with some lunchtime pad thai. But with a little planning ahead, it's pretty easy to put together a lunch that's not only healthy, but that you'll actually look forward to treating yourself with at lunchtime. Here are a couple of my lunchtime tools that make packing almost fun:

A thermal canister from Sahalie--the perfect size for an extra-large mug of hot green tea, a steaming "bowl" of chili, or my dad's homemade, Fox and Obel-inspired mac n' cheese. (Get it now--it's on sale! The thermos, I mean, not my dad's macaroni and cheese. Unfortunately that's all gone as of this afternoon. Thanks, Pops.)
A lunchtime tote from Built NY. (Mine is red, and I found it at TJMaxx.) I love it because it not only insulates food, but also streeeettches to accommodate lots of treats. (Very important if you eat a lot like I do.)
My copy of The Skinny: How to Fit into Your Little Black Dress Forever. It's co-authored by Melissa Clark, one of my favorite New York Times food writers, and it's got GREAT, healthy recipes for brown-bagging. It's not a diet book, but rather a "how to eat healthy and realistically for life" kind of book.

Anyone else have any go-to lunchtime faves they want to share?

A new reneelareau.com

2007-01-21T19:45:00.000-05:00

My apologies, dear readers, for the light posting as of late. I've been busy in and out of the kitchen! One of my more exciting projects: I have a new Web site! Check it out in all of its glory at www.reneelareau.com. I still have a bit of tweaking to do, but for the most part it's finished! A big "grazie" to my very talented friend Beth for the fabulous design.

The Saveur 100

2007-01-15T22:11:00.000-05:00

Saveur recently released their top 100 (foods, restaurants, drinks, people, places, trends and things). I was happy to see a few of my faves get a mention:

Lady apples-tiny, "precious pommes" that happen to be adorable next to seckel pears.
Painter Wayne Thiebaud (whose deli counter paintings hang on the walls of my home office, and whose breakfast table painting is the thumbnail I pilfered for this blog).
Dessert-only restaurants. (I don't think this calls for an explanation.)
Evan Kleiman and KCRW's Good Food was named "Dishiest Radio Program."

Check out last year's list too at NPR's web site.