Yes, these little New England natives have a funny name, and they don’t look like much more than a mouthful, but these mid-winter natives remain popular. Rainbow smelts are a saltwater fish that, like salmon, spawn in fresh water tributaries, particularly on the Maine coast. These little gems are an extremely popular target of ice…
A “New” New England Boiled Dinner
New England Boiled Dinner is a classic winter dish, although the protein used is a point of disagreement among many. This version avoids the argument completely. Ask a New Englander what is in a New England boiled dinner, and you will get a wide range of replies, and every one is considered to the THE…
Eggs in Purgatory
A spicy tomato base with its potato cousin studded throughout. A favorite of family and inn guests as well! You’ll find this dish throughout the mediterranean and mideast, referred to by many names, including “shakshouka” which is lots of fun to pronounce and seems to be on menus everywhere these days. The dishes feature variations…
Cabbage and Carrots With Caraway
Under pressure, this nutritional side dish is made quickly (and without the aroma penetrating the entire house all day) Cabbage is a cheap New England staple vegetable. In the autumn, you can find heads larger than your own at the farm stands for little money, and the winter co-ops and CSAs offer these local treasures…
Socca with Garlic and Herbs
Quick and easy, this chickpea flatbread tastes like nothing else! This unique, crunchy chickpea pancake, hails from the south of France, a rustic Niçoise street food. Made simply with chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, water, and olive oil, there are also versions of this dish in Italy. It is perfect in its simplicity, but that doesn’t…
Love Your Heart Chocolate Pudding
A Valentine treat that you can feel good about! Deep chocolate flavor, and no dairy! (You don’t need to reveal the secret ingredient!) It’s fun to make a special treat for your sweetheart on Valentine’s Day, but sometimes you don’t want to add all those extra fat and sugar grams to the diet just to…
Roasted Vegetables Make the Meal
Roasting vegetables enhances the flavor––who doesn’t love those caramelized edges? I love roasted vegetables, and I love the process of prepping and roasting them. From potatoes to Brussels sprouts, it is hard to think of any vegetable that doesn’t benefit from the added flavor and texture when roasting. I grew up in a time when…
Homemade Limoncello
Just three ingredients, and a flavorful lemony liquor is yours––well, in just a month or so! But it’s worth the wait! Picture this. Warm summer afternoon. You are sitting under a lush lemon tree in Tuscany, chatting with your friends, birds are singing, there’s a gentle breeze floating through the green countryside, and you are…
A Winter Vegetable Curry
What produce do we have locally in Vermont right now? Roots, fresh greens, more roots, and frozen vegetables. But that’s a lot! The snow is piling up, and we need something to warm us up! The gardens are buried, most of the farm stands are closed, but we…
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake
This is an easy to make cake for Valentine’s Day, and you can modify it to please everyone, well, except for those rare folks who do not like chocolate! There are some flavor combinations that are always a hit: chocolate with orange, chocolate with mint, and chocolate with raspberry! This cake takes just one bowl,…
Homemade Hummus with Roasted Chickpeas
If you make it from scratch with dried chickpeas, this dip not only tastes better than what you find in the market, but it is quite economical as well. I love hummus. I always have some in my refrigerator and I use it for dips and as a spread on sandwiches or crackers. As delicious…
Pots de Crème
Transform dark (or white) chocolate, heavy cream, and a handful of other ingredients into a memorable dessert in no time at all! Pots de Crème are rich little pudding/custard desserts, and if made with dark chocolate, one of the nicest way to end a special meal, especially around Valentine’s Day. It’s rich, so you will…
Party Wings & Other Things
Use this Maple, Ginger, and Garlic Marinade on wings, or cauliflower florets, and everyone is pleased! Most of my family loves wings, some love them spicy, some love them mild, and some don’t eat meat at all but love the spicy flavors! Since everyone does not eat meat, there is no one-shop recipe….
Black Bean & Rice Stuffed Red Peppers
A little salsa, a little heat, a simple makeover of Mom’s “Stuffed Peppers” Back in the day, not really so long ago, if you followed a vegetarian diet, you were instructed at every turn to combine your foods so that you had “complete protein” in every meal, and that often meant rice and beans. Since…
The Life of Spice
Your own Spice Blends will save you time and money and ensure your flavors are truly unique to your own kitchen. One of my rituals of the new year is to go through my spice/herb shelf and take inventory. I usually have a lot to replenish after the cooking of the holidays, and this is…
A New Take on Classic New England Stewed Beans
This New England classic can be slow cooked all day on the stove, in the oven, or in a slow cooker. Or, you can make them in a fraction of the time in a pressure cooker, or one of the more modern multi-cookers that everyone seems to be using these days. My mother was…
