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upon further exploration of chard……

One night last month, amidst the gorgeous August that made it’s way in to Minnesota and on a night that seemed as supple as velvet, I was home by myself, bored and restless. Feeling the urge to experiment with some of the food laying about the refrigerator, I poked through the stuffed bags from the […]

the best of a season

This is the second time making an amazing Panzanella salad that I’ve groaned in disappointment when downloading the photos. I struggle with photographing ‘busy’ dishes; ones where a wide array of ingredients take center stage. I look down at it, my breath catching because it’s so lush and lovely, then after the fact, when the […]

recovering……

I came away from a long visit to the Minnesota State Fair this year with two prominent thoughts: #1- The absolute BEST way to attend such a gastronomic event, where most everything is deep fried, with enormous portions, not so very healthy and most always made with meat is to go with a big group […]

the post with the killer knife skills

Knife skills. It doesn’t just mean that you can hold a knife and cut an onion. It has nothing to do with being able to avoid cutting yourself. And it isn’t even about knowing the difference between chopped, diced and minced. (but do you know the difference??) Knife skills are necessary in the culinary world. […]

cheesy corn and kale bake

August is almost over. And even writing that out doesn’t feel like it’s real. But it is; the month is over next week, then September comes and summer fades into the rear view mirror, leaving it’s fingerprints in our memory, waning like a summer tan. It has truly been an amazing and beautiful summer. But […]

surprising creations

What’s that saying? ‘Necessity is the mother of invention?’ Many amazing recipes occur when the frantic need for something to add to dinner comes up and I wildly glance in the pantry to see what I’ve got. What odds and ends are laying about in the fridge? What needs to get used up? What tastes […]

high summer hiking…. and eating

Not even five minutes into my Sunday morning hike and already my shoes are soaked from the dew. I have to make a split second decision as I feel cool, wet water seeping through my socks; turn back or keep going. There might be blisters at the end, surely some chafing from my hiking shoes, […]

so…. what do you EAT?!

DISCLAIMER: This post contains snarky commentary, a hefty dose of sarcasm and extreme frustration. You have been warned. And I will warn too, that it’s for means of discussion and to provoke thoughts on ways to improve our overall health. It is NOT for personal attacks, finger pointing and shame. So be nice. So…. what […]

ratatouille gratin

Eventually, we all know it’s going to happen; the bounty of summer vegetables is going to begin to overwhelm home cooks. This rapid increase of summer heat has brought my tomato plants into full force growth, skyrocketing up in the garden and bursting out buds like crazy. If this keeps up, August is going to […]

pizza like you’ve never seen before

I do realize that’s a pretty strong statement, given the evolution of pizza from your basic tomato pie with sausage or pepperoni to the amazing creations available at any number of fancy wood and coal-fired joints around town. Pizza is one of those food items that’s tireless in it’s ability to transform itself, often gravitating […]