Tomato sauce for pasta is one of the easiest things to make. Everything gets dumped into one pot, then you turn the heat to low and let it simmer to mellow out its tomato-y-ness (pucker!) and richen its flavor. I’ve yet to make a pot of tomato sauce without leftovers, and the remaining always [...]View Post →

  One of my dreams is to write a children’s cookbook. One that doesn’t promote sneaking brussels sprouts in brownies or spending an hour carving a bunny rabbit out of an apple. Not that I don’t think it’s cute, but I just don’t have an hour to play with an exacto knife on my vegetables [...]View Post →

  When it comes to Fourth of July, are you a traditionalist or adventurous when it comes to the food? For our family, we’ve pretty much stuck to the traditional fare: grilling hot dogs, hamburgers and finishing off the meal with a swim in the pool and super-cold watermelon slices. This year, I can’t decide [...]View Post →

  If Cinco de Mayo isn’t a drinking holiday, then I don’t know what is! During B.C. (before children) years, my friends and I would map out our itinerary that started the Cinco de Mayo celebration on the evening of Quatro de Mayo. We only thought it would be proper to devote every available hour [...]View Post →

One of my culinary shortcuts is called compound butter. Well, truthfully, just plain ‘ol butter is my shortcut to a better dish, but I want to show you how easy it is to make some fancy schmancy butter with some spices and fresh herbs. Compound butter is just butter + stuff mixed in. Though calling [...]View Post →

  Many of you who are the organized, early planners probably have your Easter feast all figured out already, down to napkin colors, wine selection and which unlucky person has to sit next to crazy Uncle Teddy. Then there are some of us who frantically throw things together at the last minute, hopping around the [...]View Post →

  The best way to get my kids to eat something is to fill it in a dumpling or wrap ‘em in a tortilla. I could stuff wontons with pickled pigs feet and the boys would chomp it all up! Who can resist a cute little two-bite package? Especially if it looked like little fishies! [...]View Post →

  You might think I’m a little early for 4th of July, but there’s another holiday in between Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. Yes, it’s Flag Day! As if I needed an excuse, June 14th is another day to celebrate with food, though no chicken, pork chops or steak—just delicious desserts. I figured [...]View Post →