Spanish Shrimp with Artichokes on Toasted Farro with a Little Saffron Love

A versatile dish you can serve many ways, even vegan! Just don’t forget the saffron. Spanish flavors. The gorgeous smoked paprika, all the tasty peppers, tomatoes, olives, saffron of course. Saffron has a special place in my heart. An expensive spice My brother Floyd was a talented cook, and he adored saffron as much as…

Colcannon Cabbage Wraps with French-Fried Potato Peels

Rustic, tasty, filling, inexpensive, but also worthy of company. Who could ask for anything more? The Irish in me looks forward to St. Patrick’s Day cooking because there is usually a potato involved! One of my favorite country dishes is colcannon, a humble bowl of mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage a few scallions…

Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup with Peas Three Ways

Shiitake mushrooms are the star here, but peas three ways are perfect supporting actors. Growing up, my uncle Leonard and Aunt Mary were neighbors. He was a great forager of many wild delights, especially mushrooms. From a young age, I learned to love the flavor of chanterelles, hen of the woods (maitake), morels, and other…

Fresh Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cornmeal Cake

What fun, to cook fruit on the bottom of a cake in a light caramel, then invert it to show it off!             I accidentally ended up with a large sack of fresh Mandarin oranges recently. The oranges were beautiful! Organically grown in the US, I knew they would have lovely flavor and I was right….