Suggestions for a fulfilling weekend. A perfect blend of getting sh*t done, relaxing, and enjoying the world and people around you.

Inspired by “The Great British Baking Show,” which I binge-watched while wrapping presents, I got a hankering for some seasonal baking.  A quick synopsis for anyone who hasn’t seen the show: it is a reality TV show where amateur bakers compete in a series of baking challenges to find out who is worthy of the […]

The social expectations of the holidays are pleasantly exhausting.  Dinner parties, yankee swaps, ugly sweaters, and gift exchanges.  I was mildly overwhelmed last night as a first time attendee of a friend’s eleventh annual Turducken dinner party, which is aptly named after the main dish.  Turducken is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck […]

Last week I found myself back in high school, in a home ec classroom, complete with an eager-beaver teacher’s pet.  My friend and I took a Mediterranean Cooking Class through CVU’s ACCESS program.  It was both my first time attending an adult cooking class, as well as my first time taking an ACCESS course.  You […]

Travel with me from coast to coast, enjoying unique and tasty gastronomical experiences, everything from pirates to hipster tacos, from Burlington, VT, to Anaheim, CA, to Vancouver, WA, to Philadelphia, PA.

Inspired by “The Great British Baking Show,” which I binge-watched while wrapping presents, I got a hankering for some seasonal baking.  A quick synopsis for anyone who hasn’t seen the show: it is a reality TV show where amateur bakers compete in a series of baking challenges to find out who is worthy of the […]

INGREDIENTS Moussaka 3-4 eggplants (more if they are small) 3 Tbsp olive oil 1 onion chopped 1 garlic clove 1 lb ground beef or lamb Salt and pepper to taste Dash cayenne pepper (or jalepeño) 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or allspice) 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp allspice 1 tomato chopped 1 Tbsp tomato paste 2 Tbsp […]

I can’t quite place where my competitive nature comes from…I come from a family of educators, thespians, and mathematicians – none of which I associate with an attitude of “everything is a competition….and I always win” kind of attitude.  Well, regardless of where it came from, that’s me! As many gardeners are experiencing…it’s tomato season!  […]

I first met Tovar Cerulli, a former vegetarian, when he was in the process of publishing his new book about his decision to hunt game rather than eat commercial meat. I was struck by the emphasis Tovar places on mindfulness, and on the consideration we need to have about everything we eat.

Who isn’t cooking Asian these days? I just had friends over for a dinner of our grass-fed beef short ribs only to be reminded at the last minute that one of them was a vegetarian. Out came my wok, frozen shrimp from my freezer, some snow peas, green onions, red peppers and a variety of soy, oyster and fish sauces, along with some cooking sherry. I improvised and my hungry friend seemed satisfied with the end result, a quasi-Chinese shrimp stir-fry. But, if I’d had Nina Simond’s book, Simple Asian Meals, I might have cooked a dish that would have made my short-rib eating friends jealous.

Cookbook author and friend, Hiroshi Shimbo, writes about the special 7th century vegetarian cuisine still practiced today, Shojin Ryori, which I enjoyed on my visit to a Zen temple in Japan this spring.

Guest blogger Margo Davis returns with a story about her recent trip to one of the best places to eat in the world, San Sebastian, Spain. Enjoy her story of Michelin three-star restaurants and cultural icons!

by Margo Davis
Imagine cooking for the food maven of all times, Judith Jones….