March 5, 2010
Sikil Pak at CESiaK
Returning to the brutal cold and snow of my Motherland, Cleveland, after spending a lazy sunkissed week in the Mexican Yucatan was just plain old rude re-entry for this self-proclaimed freeze baby. Brrrrr. One snow angel at the first deep snowfall and I am DONE. Once home, I dropped the backpack that carried floaty little beach attire of the last week and zipped into oppressive outer gear, gloves and boots – better outfitted to chip open my ice-encrusted car. A quick trip to the local grocery for staples before nestling in for a few days in hopes that my body thermostat would soon regulate. Eventually, I coaxed myself out of the house for the sole purpose of getting my cold bones to a heated yoga class – ahh, finally warmed to the core. Read More…
February 28, 2010
Back in October of ‘08, I was busy in the kitchen, working happily up to my elbows during the recipe testing phase for Michael Symon’s, Symon Says…Live To Cook book. It was during this time that I was presented with a recipe for pickled lamb’s tongue – remember this post? Read More…
February 18, 2010
Tomorrow I am headed down to Mexico. Goals: to read content that’s longer than a recipe, feel the sun and warmth on my body, listen to the ocean and pay heed to its healing wisdoms, to do cartwheels in the sand, to eat buckets of buttery avocado, tikin xic, sikil pak and sopa de mariscos, drink refeshing coconut water and good tequila, and commit to daily practice of hamacasana – the ultimate yoga pose – which translates to “sitting my butt in a hammock while doing jack squat”. While away, I am doubly delighted to have friends Kari Moore and Herb Brosnan kick off a new feature at the blog. Although we share similar sensibilities in sourcing, cooking and eating whole, real foods, Kari and Herb bring to the table additional cache and breadth of knowledge derived from their many years of forging deep roots and close connections with Ohio’s farming and agricultural communities. Dear readers, I am pleased, grateful and proud to present Kari and Herb, A Week in the Kitchen With…
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February 13, 2010
Mama Jenny has been gracious enough to let me chime in at her fabulous,The Nourished Kitchen, a blog dedicated to the celebration of whole, real foods. I invite you to come read about my own seasonal savior and discover how you can naturally ease away those winter blues. Okay, the solution is not a chaise under a palm tree next to caribbean waters sipping your way through a tray of margaritas that was hand-delivered by a tanned muscular beach boy, but then, what is?
February 10, 2010
There’s a man you might know we’ll call “Barry”.
Thus far, he’s found four gals to marry.
Wife two left this dish,
I’m three – it’s DELISH!
And now make it for Matt, Joe or Gary. Read More…
February 5, 2010
It’s almost The Ultimate Lemon Mousse.
I’m sure you’ve noticed how the deep inhalation of a fantastic scent can elevate your spirits on evening the gloomiest of days. Citrus aromas possess that marvelous sparkling quality which never fail to wake up and deliver a warming yellow glow of sunshine to the olfactory sense. Read More…
January 28, 2010
As we shared farewell hugs before I hopped back into the Jeep headed home to Cleveland from Charlotte, my cousin’s wife, Tamara, showed me a favorite recipe for braised tempeh and declared, “You do know if I’m going to recommend something with a such long list of ingredients the dish must truly be delicious.” Point taken. Tamara has the knack of creating savory vegetarian and vegan alchemy for friends and family with recipes that generally consist of not much more than the short list of ingredients it takes to blend together a batch of her addictive signature pimiento cheese. Read More…
January 27, 2010
Yorkshire Pudding
A Door Just Opened On A Street
A door just opened on a street–
I, lost, was passing by–
An instant’s width of warmth disclosed
And wealth, and company.
The door as sudden shut, and I,
I, lost, was passing by,–
Lost doubly, but by contrast most,
Enlightening misery.
Emily Dickinson
A very fine recipe for Yorkshire pudding here.
January 22, 2010
Is it so wrong to plan Mondays around yoga and a cocktail? My Mondays begin on Sunday which means grocery shopping – everywhere – from the West side to the East and markets stuffed in between. Days which can find my back and legs sore and achy from a weekend of heavy catering, the kitchen a minor or major disaster. Unload, clean, scour, organize, maybe some prep and baking to ready for the next day’s work. Monday morning is the beginning of a long day in the kitchen – lower back tingling, psoas cranking ever tighter, left hip feeling deeply bruised and beaten. What keeps me motivated and focused is the reward of Tami’s Monday night yoga class where I can breathe deeply, stretch and wring out the ouchies. Read More…
