Maybe it’s my German roots, but I have always loved pickled foods: dill pickles, pickled beets, olives, sauerkraut, and, especially, pickled herring.
One of the things that the celebration of Christmas and New Year’s Eve brings to mind for me is pickled herring. Herring was always one of the special treats my family offered to relatives […]

The discovery that my grandparents raised beans as a cash crop gave me new interest in the “magical fruit,” and I was pleased to discover someone selling great white northern beans at our local farmers’ market. I bought a small amount - probably a cup in measurement - and that sat on our counter […]

Man of La Muncha and I were both on vacation for the week between Christmas and New Year’s, which opened up many possibilities for cooking and eating some of the bounty from our Crown S Ranch meat CSA, using recipes that aren’t really possible during a work week, and not something we tend to want […]

About four years ago, I was laid off from my job during the Great Economic Downturn of 2002.  After the requisite month of blind panic, I settled into what I think of now as an unemployed lifestyle; that is to say, I exercised more, read a tremendous number of books, and made sure that when […]

You know what I love about being sick? Nothing!
The particularly irritating thing about my current cold is that I can’t taste anything. However, I did make some chicken broth. Actually, I’ve been making chicken broth for a long time, I just didn’t realize it.
I learned from Chickenman that the best way to cook […]

When you read that title, did you think of a cylindrical, gelatinous mass, perhaps quivering atop some tuna fresh out of the can, frozen corn kernels and peas, maybe some shredded cheddar?
Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup is the base that launched a thousand casseroles. But guess what’s in it? Most likely, bioengineered food. […]

About two weeks ago, I used some Cooper Mountain Pinot Gris for a leek recipe, with the plan that the Butter Bitch would use the rest to make risotto the following night. Our plans went awry, and by the time we returned to the wine, it had gone vinegary and was not fit […]

Pomegranates are not native to the Pacific Northwest, but here is a good sauce I made by once upon a time. The recipe comes from memory. The sauce goes well with lamb and that Oregon staple, pinot noir. Warm weather natives, rejoice.
Ingredients:
2 pomegranates, or 1 cup of pure pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons of […]

Well, I didn’t manage to use up all of the produce in my fridge before I left, but I made a valiant effort, even having leftover kale and a salad together in one meal. I did have to discard some arugula from the Eatwell box that I had let go too long. It’s funny how […]

In our semi-anniversary post, we asked what you’d like more of on this blog, and two commenters said cooking posts. Truth is, I’m much better at ranting than cooking. I’m not completely clueless in the kitchen, I’m just wildly inconsistent.
Casting pride aside, I’m going to share last night’s disastrous meal. Man of La Muncha may […]

One of the challenges of being half a blogging couple is that we discuss ideas, and then the first person scheduled to write in a week tends to use up those ideas. You wake, thinking idly of the post that is due the following day, only to discover that the other person has written […]

Last Sunday I made my first-ever batch of homemade apple juice.
Earlier in the week, Lady Persimmons, my friend and next-door neighbor, and I decided that Sunday night would be our apple date. I agreed to pick the apples beforehand from the two apple trees in our backyard, and Lady P would […]

This posted is rated NV: Not for Vegetarians.
A friend in the book-publishing industry was dining at our house last week and rhapsodizing about old Joy of Cooking editions, particularly the illustrations from the ’60s. Lo and behold, on my shelf was a 1962 edition my father had given me.
The book opens with an epigram from […]

Do you get seasonal veggies delivered from a local farm, also known as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) box? Ever feel overwhelmed with what to do with everything? A friend just hosted our first-ever CSA Challenge, a lively dinner party that solved that problem.
Here’s how it works. Pick up your CSA box. Invite several friends […]

Seattle is a pork-happy town. I observed the local fondness for pork not long after moving to the city three years ago. In addition to sandwiches and burgers featuring bacon, which is to be expected, pork plays a prominent role in breakfast. “Of course,” some of you say, “ham and eggs for […]