It’s hard to believe I’ve been writing these posts for a decade of my life! How did that happen? It started out simple, a way to share my recipes with family and friends and maybe engage in dialogue with other like-minded folks. Recipes that began life in the hearts and hands of my mother and…
Category: Vintage Update
Just like mother use to make – kind of, almost!
Deep in winter in the north, we need soup. Lots of soup. And if we can recreate a memory in the process, even better! It’s been bitter cold here the last few weeks, but today, the temperature is predicted to hit 32 F., and that means maybe a little of the ice on the patio…
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So when did Parson Brown become a circus clown? Midlife crisis? Perhaps he just needed some coconut cake.
I gave myself the task of recreating my mother’s Christmas coffee cake, with mixed results, mostly wonderful. Our weather has once again been all over the place 50 degrees out yesterday, rain, all the snow vanished and we have green grass again in the fields. Then, the Champlain Winds picked up again and a cold…
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Sylvia’s Oatmeal Apple Rum Cookies and the silly saga of how they grew up.
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…
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What’s that lovely aroma? Certainly, it’s not cabbage braising, right?
Oh, we knew what was coming for dinner the moment we stepped through the door after school. Cabbage. Cabbage braised for an hour until all the life was let from it. Cabbage, with its distinctive aroma that lingered, and lingered. Oh the memories! Little ways around it Mother made it edible by adding a drizzle…
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Let’s make a big pot of tasty chili, but first, we’ll break a few rules!
Beans or no beans? Meat or no meat? This four bean mushroom chili is all good, and feeds a crowd! It’s’ spring break time for many schools, and my eldest granddaughter arrived this weekend with several of her friends to celebrate their time off. It’s always such a pleasure to have them around, and my…
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Happy Holidays to one and all!
There’s much to be done still, but it will all happen in plenty of time, and if it doesn’t, that’s OK too. Most of the gifts are wrapped, the menu is set for tonight’s dinner with family with just a bit of fussing over dessert to finish. The stockings are hung by the chimney with…
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So, should we invite Brussels sprouts to Thanksgiving?
They are big and plump this year, little cabbage-like buds that you either love or hate. Actually, you can feel both ways about Brussels sprouts since so often they are cooked to death to grey mush and smell up the house. That’s the way I had them growing up at my aunt’s house, an unforgettable…
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Sage Kitchen Wisdom that might steer you wrong!
Following ‘expert advice’ does not always produce the best cooking! There are certain things we do in the kitchen because kitchen wisdom tells us to. Or our mother, or Julia Child or other TV personality. “The Christmas fruitcake batter must be stirred with a wooden spoon clockwise only.” Not a clue why. “Add oil to…
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6 Chilled Summer Soups
We have a dilemma – with all the wonderful vegetables available right now, it’s just too hot to cook! Chilled summer soups solve the problem, and can take only moments to prepare.
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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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Feast of Seven Fishes – Stew!
You can honor the idea of the Feast of Seven Fishes in a one-dish meal that takes a fraction of the time, but delights with great flavor! Time is short, and I’m sending you a rerun of a previous post. Happiest of Holidays to you all! Dorothy I prepared the full Feast of the Seven…
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A Really Good Cup of Hot Chocolate!
December is here! In the north, that means you’ll need a good cup of hot chocolate, and I’m ready. After making snowmen and forts with my brothers on cold, blustery days, Mom would have steaming hot chocolate waiting for us! Nothing tasted better, and nothing warmed us more, beginning with our frozen…
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Apple Purses in Buttered Cider Rum Sauce
Did you pick too many apples? Our wonderful apple season is in full swing, and after a delightful trip to the orchard this week, apple dishes began to dance around in my head as I stared at my abundant haul. The weather was sunny but crisp, definitely fall air. The leaf peepers were out in…
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(Today’s)Yankee Bean and Macaroni Soup
A New England classic that stands the test of time – inexpensive, quick, and really tasty. When I was growing up, Mom often put together a “Yankee Bean Soup” using leftover beans from another meal and a ham bone for flavor. It was a quick meal, tasty, filling, and usually served up with biscuits. There…
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Love Your Heart Chocolate Pudding
You don’t have to compromise flavor to make a delicious chocolate dessert that is heart healthy and still says “I love you!” It’s fun to make a special treat on Valentine’s Day, but sometimes dietary restrictions can leave you scratching your head to make a dessert that is both delicious and healthful. After my husband’s heart…
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Tomato Rice with Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Garlic
It’s tasty and economical, and with a few additions this humble dish can star at a dinner party! From Mexico to Malaysia, and just about everywhere else, there are recipes for simple rice and tomato dishes that offer a wide variety of flavors and options. A base for the simple or the complicated, they create…
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Aunt Mary’s Salt Cod Cakes
The fish that fed the world, traveled from my Aunt’s kitchen to mine, with a few changes along the way. My Aunt Mary made cod cakes frequently, with a flavor that still tickles the memory after all these years. An old New England standby, these were extremely economical, although usually a bit on the bland…
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Right Now, the World Needs Apple Crisp
And this one’s a blushing delight! You know it’s Autumn when you catch that first whiff of apples cooking, especially apple crisp, and right now, the whole world needs a nice big portion. Irresistible! Who can resist the site, the smell, the texture of the crispy top, and spicy softened apples? In this version, I’ve…
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Three Sisters Succotash
Corn, Beans, and Squash are a timeless combination, and especially delicious in this classic New England dish. We just about live on vegetables this time of year. There are so many wonderful delights just asking to be taken home from the farm stand. Red swaths of tomatoes are everywhere, squashes are turning up in their…
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Sweet & Sour Brussels Sprouts
You don’t have to be a fan of Brussels sprouts to like this dish! When I was a child, Brussels sprouts were not my favorite, and I could tell we were having them for dinner the second I walked in the house. The aroma that permeated the house, cooking them to death, and serving them…
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Maple and Spice Granola
When my children were small, I got in the habit of making granola for them, a big container always graced a prime spot in the larder. With oats and raisins from the bulk section of the health food store, this was a simple and inexpensive cereal to make while on a really tight budget. We…
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Quite a Hodge Podge
Another northern dish with a funny name! This quick stew of midsummer veggies has long been a favorite when we need to sample the new produce, but don’t want to stand over the stove too long! Robbing a few new potatoes from the hills is a tradition around here. Pulling sweet baby carrots is also…
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Garlic Scape Mashed Potatoes with Poached Eggs
These quirky little serpent-like garlic scapes at the end of spring just ask to be used in any number of dishes, raw or cooked. It was a beautiful Vermont Summer solstice weekend morning and my husband, sister, and I decided to hit the farmers market in Norwich, a lovely little village just a half hour…
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Herbed Fingerling Potatoes with Mustard and Lemon
I have met very few potatoes I didn’t like. There was a casserole my mother made when we were camping that used canned potatoes. I’ll spare you the details. There was also the gummy blender mashed potatoes I made in high school; I’d been practicing the new Oster with just about everything. Any way you…
