Back in June, my prose poem “Instructions for Perrine” was published in an Ekphrastic Review challenge. Inspired by Helene Schjerfbeck’s Factory Workers on the Way to Work, I joyfully toiled over the piece for a few days and was so pleased to see it in print. It’s only 100 words! If you’d like to take a look, click here and scroll down to the 9th piece.
Did you know that first editions of Martha Stewart’s 1982 Entertaining sell for $100 or more? This cookbook occupies a chunk of my childhood kitchen memories. Mom’s baguette recipe, or “Homemade French Bread,” is from Entertaining. Her battered copy—a first edition—was often open on the kitchen counter. It has been so loved that it no longer has its cover. I have my grandmother’s lake house copy, also a first edition. I pulled it out this week and reunited with Martha in her frilly blouse, reigning over her dining room table. The lake house copy is gently used. The dust cover has a tear and the spine is askew, but the tome is intact.
Since I possess the vacation house copy, I can only learn so much about Grandma’s relationship to Martha’s seminal publication. The French bread pages are stained, so she surely tried her hand at this recipe. The pages for the Midnight Omelette Supper for Thirty are rumpled and splattered. I’m guessing she made Swiss Cheese Omelettes or possibly Creamed Spinach Omelettes for friends who were up for the weekend. I am confident that the Red Caviar and Sour Cream Omelettes never happened in the Clear Lake Kitchen.
Grandma Mary Ellen was my “cookie grandma,” and she was forever in search of the next best cookie. A few scratchy brown spots tell me that she may have tried her hand at Alexis’s Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies. Given the splashes on page 125. she must have made Almond Cookies as well.
Martha’s recipes speak to me too. I savored delectable Lions’ Head Meatballs at a dinner party in France last year, and I discovered that Martha has a recipe for this dish in her Chinese Banquet for Ten to Twelve menu. Mom suggested I make the Stuffed Chicken Breasts from the At-Home Wedding menu. I could serve these the next time I invite students to dinner. The Apple Tart Normande is calling my name; I’d just have to acquire a bottle of Calvados.
It’s good to be back in this space. Stay tuned for future musings…
I’ve spent years combing the internet for tips on preparing my own meals for airplane travel. Especially on long haul flights, I like to bring my own food along for the ride—it is healthy and economical. Some food bloggers prepare fairly intricate, time-intensive recipes for their trips, but with the last-minute chaos I inevitably encounter before I take off, I must keep things simple. In this post I share my strategy for putting together meals for travel and give you a few examples of recent meals I’ve packed.
My ten days in Australia were magical. I had never imagined I would travel there, so apart from the Sydney Opera House and kangaroos, I didn’t hold any fixed images of what Australia might be or mean to me. Arriving without expectations left me open to experiencing each day’s offerings—beach walks, fish markets, Aboriginal art. At each turn there was a friendly face ready to welcome me to Australia and perhaps point me to my next adventure.
Inspired by Vladia Cobrodova’s Creamy Mint Pesto, this spread freezes well, so consider making a double batch when mint is abundant.
I’ve been making versions of Daniel Boulud’s gazpacho for almost 20 years. Over time I’ve streamlined the steps, but I still blanch the bell peppers to lessen their sharp bite. This recipe makes a creamy red soup, flecked with basil. Adapted from Café Boulud Cookbook
Outdoor markets and picnics. Quintessential French experiences that join food, fellowship, and nature. Versailles is lucky to have some of the best farmers’ markets in the greater Paris area. So why not take advantage of the abundance and pair a morning market visit with a picnic lunch?
The Kentucky Derby has come and gone, and today is Mother’s Day. What plans do you have for your garden this year? The harvest of my beloved yet modest 
This refreshingly old-fashioned recipe comes from Shelley and Bruce Richardson’s A Tea for All Seasons. I have made small modifications. I have found that different brands of rose water vary in strength, so tread lightly, especially when making your glaze. The 1/4 tsp rose water I use in the glaze is conservative. Add more if...
On the rare occasion that someone tells me they are not fond of chocolate, I wonder what is wrong with them. How could someone not love rich, decadent chocolate desserts? A chewy brownie, a slab of homemade chocolate cake, or a square of dark chocolate as an afternoon pick-me-up…
While the grandeur of Versailles resides in its Château, its charm is surely in its diminutive streets, passages, and courtyards. Lying in the shadow of the Château, la rue des Deux Portes (The Street with Two Doors) has mixed residental and business since the 17th and 18th centuries. Connecting the rue Carnot to the Place du Marché, boutiques and restaurants saturate this short pedestrian way. La rue des Deux Portes is lively, local, and picturesque, well worth a quick visit after your market trip or Château visit. Alternatively, make an afternoon of shopping on this street and in the antique district, le Quartier des Antiquaires, also located close to the Place du Marché.
Tiny white chocolate chips add a creamy sweetness to Elmwood Inn’s Southern Pecan Black Tea. I add a touch of maple syrup to this Tea Toddy, which pairs well with the caramel notes of Kentucky Bourbon.