A misunderstanding led to the greatly evolved oatmeal cookie we all love When I was first on my own, I made my mother’s oatmeal cookies several times but they were never quite the same as hers. Although they tasted great, they didn’t look right or have the same texture; they were flatter and not as…
Category: Gifts from the kitchen
Time to pause, the kettle is on. Milk or lemon?
A perfect cup of tea is whatever you want it to be! I’ve just put the kettle on for my afternoon cup of tea, and often just this small act will bring back memories, from long ago and far away, and not so long ago as well. One of the most enjoyable parts of running our small…
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Holiday Encore: Sylvia’s Filled Mincemeat Cookies
Mom’s recipe started in October when we stripped the garden of its green tomatoes and made our own micemeat. I still make this (now and then) when I want the house to smell like my childhood home.
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Rhubarb, Cherry, and Red Wine Sauce
When the rhubarb gets big enough to harvest, that is always a time to celebrate spring in New England. And we’ve got a great way to celebrate! Not many people are neutral on the topic of rhubarb; either you love it, or don’t want it in any form. I am in the group of the…
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Apple Rum Butter
Apple butter. A wonderful slow-cooked spread with a depth of apple flavor like nothing else. No, there’s no butter in apple butter, but the process of boiling down applesauce until the sugars in the fruit caramelize creates a smooth and creamy texture perfect for spreading on a hearty whole-grain piece of toast, or perhaps a…
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Did you say Snickerdoodles?
New Englanders love to give silly names to simple dishes, just for the sake of saying them! My granddaughter asked to make snickerdoodles the other day. She asked me multiple times, using the word as much as possible because it is really lots of fun to say. “It should be a grandmother to make snickerdoodles…
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Secret Recipe Toffee Squares: Now you know!
This is THE recipe to contribute to the bake sale; first to sell out, and always popular. And now, you know the secret. For years, my friend C. helped me stock the green room for our performing artists at the Roots on the River Music Festival. It was a great deal of fun, and our…
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Celebrating Spring with a Flower Show and Salmon Glazed with Sambuca Maple Syrup
It’s Vermont’s first crop of the year! Once you spy steam escaping from your neighbor’s sugarhouse, you know spring is truly here, even if it is snowing. The temperatures have been above freezing during the day (barely) and below freezing at night, and that means the sap is running in Vermont, the nation’s…
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So, where was this Toll House and why did they make chocolate chip cookies?
We’ve all made them, possibly your first cookie adventure. But how did they become such a part of our baking landscape? When I was a kid, I loved baking chocolate chip cookies; you know, the recipe we all made. My kids followed in this love, and my grandkids do now. During the baking frenzy of…
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Warmed Mixed Olives and Artichokes
Simple, but quite addictive! I often make an olive and artichoke tapenade at gatherings. It is always well received, and any leftovers keep for quite some time. You can also make it well ahead of time because it keeps well in the refrigerator. Let’s try something new However, this year, I decided to switch things…
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Dark Chocolate Covered Orange Peels
My granddaughter, Jaina, and I make these every year at Christmastime, and we give them for gifts. I think she likes the idea of using orange peels that would normally go in the compost pile! They take a little fuss, but it is not difficult and require little in the way of ingredients. When we…
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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…
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Treats from a Busy Holiday Kitchen
These can be made in minutes! Relax. Time is tight just about now, but we still want to treat our family and friends with delights from our kitchen, especially morsels we create once a year. Cookies and breads top the list of holiday offerings. I know in our family, we have recipes everyone craves and…
