Cooking
What are you doing to celebrate the Fourth of July? I'll be at my folk's place. For as long as I can remember my parents have held a Fourth of July party. It's their one big party every year and a great chance to catch up with most everyone they know. Here's how it works. My dad barbecues a whole array of international sausages--Italian, Polish, German, etc. My mom makes a fruity iced punch and later two flavors of homemade ice cream. Added to this, each attendee brings a potluck dish, either an appetizer, a salad or a dessert.
Over the years I have noticed that the potluckers fall into three archetypes. The first is the Shopper. With no desire or ability to cook they resign themselves to shopping instead. Their contributions range from insipid to inspired. The second is the Repeater. This person made something wonderful once and got so many raves they figured, why mess with success? And so they trudge along bringing the same thing year after year after year. Frankly, for better or worse, it just wouldn't be the same without their dish. The last is the Overachiever. Not satisfied with last year's effort they continually try to outdo themselves. Last year was Shrimp Stuffed Endive? Then this year will be Scallop Wellington's! Guess which category I fall into?
So truth be told I haven't decided what to bring yet. Mom says "bring salad" and three candidates seem to be coming to the forefront. One is a version of the watermelon feta salad popularized by Nigella Lawson a few years back. Another possibility is a nectarine salad with a Thai style peanut dressing. Recipes abound but I would put my own spin on it using rice stick noodles and leaving out the chicken. The final possibility is my version of a love story in which a lemony greek salad and a pasta salad meet, fall in love and move in together. Which will it be? Come back on Monday and I promise my final, tried and tested, original recipe for one of the above will be waiting...
- Bok Choy Salad Recipe
Recently I learned that bok choy is the number one vegetable in China. It seems to be the number one vegetable in my CSA box lately. It's a very healthy vegetable with a ton of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K plus and is even a good source of calcium...
- Pomegranate Avocado Salad With Miso Dressing Recipe
Happy New Year! It's hard after the holidays not to want to take a break from all the indulgence and make sweeping resolutions. My diet resolutions this year are simply to eat more soups and salads. Sure, I'd love to eat healthy, exercise more...
- July Fourth Eats
These little cheese and herb phyllo pastries have yet to be baked, photos of the finished product later. July 4th is American Independence Day. But I prefer to think of it as a holiday that celebrates self-determination and freedom. This July 4th liberate...
- Fourth Of July Salad
Six Degrees is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. You may remember a few years back there was both a movie based on...
- Happy Birthday To Us
Some years ago, I saw what is, to this day, my favorite Fourth of July memory. A photo of a boat, anchored somewhere in a river in England, bearing a sign that said: "Happy Birthday America, Love Mom" This year, I felt we should have a slightly more...
Cooking
Potluck Possibilities
What are you doing to celebrate the Fourth of July? I'll be at my folk's place. For as long as I can remember my parents have held a Fourth of July party. It's their one big party every year and a great chance to catch up with most everyone they know. Here's how it works. My dad barbecues a whole array of international sausages--Italian, Polish, German, etc. My mom makes a fruity iced punch and later two flavors of homemade ice cream. Added to this, each attendee brings a potluck dish, either an appetizer, a salad or a dessert.
Over the years I have noticed that the potluckers fall into three archetypes. The first is the Shopper. With no desire or ability to cook they resign themselves to shopping instead. Their contributions range from insipid to inspired. The second is the Repeater. This person made something wonderful once and got so many raves they figured, why mess with success? And so they trudge along bringing the same thing year after year after year. Frankly, for better or worse, it just wouldn't be the same without their dish. The last is the Overachiever. Not satisfied with last year's effort they continually try to outdo themselves. Last year was Shrimp Stuffed Endive? Then this year will be Scallop Wellington's! Guess which category I fall into?
So truth be told I haven't decided what to bring yet. Mom says "bring salad" and three candidates seem to be coming to the forefront. One is a version of the watermelon feta salad popularized by Nigella Lawson a few years back. Another possibility is a nectarine salad with a Thai style peanut dressing. Recipes abound but I would put my own spin on it using rice stick noodles and leaving out the chicken. The final possibility is my version of a love story in which a lemony greek salad and a pasta salad meet, fall in love and move in together. Which will it be? Come back on Monday and I promise my final, tried and tested, original recipe for one of the above will be waiting...
- Bok Choy Salad Recipe
Recently I learned that bok choy is the number one vegetable in China. It seems to be the number one vegetable in my CSA box lately. It's a very healthy vegetable with a ton of vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K plus and is even a good source of calcium...
- Pomegranate Avocado Salad With Miso Dressing Recipe
Happy New Year! It's hard after the holidays not to want to take a break from all the indulgence and make sweeping resolutions. My diet resolutions this year are simply to eat more soups and salads. Sure, I'd love to eat healthy, exercise more...
- July Fourth Eats
These little cheese and herb phyllo pastries have yet to be baked, photos of the finished product later. July 4th is American Independence Day. But I prefer to think of it as a holiday that celebrates self-determination and freedom. This July 4th liberate...
- Fourth Of July Salad
Six Degrees is the theory that anyone on the planet can be connected to any other person on the planet through a chain of acquaintances that has no more than five intermediaries. You may remember a few years back there was both a movie based on...
- Happy Birthday To Us
Some years ago, I saw what is, to this day, my favorite Fourth of July memory. A photo of a boat, anchored somewhere in a river in England, bearing a sign that said: "Happy Birthday America, Love Mom" This year, I felt we should have a slightly more...