Book Review: Heart of the Artichoke, and Other Kitchen Journeys

Our Borders closed.  That's how this story begins. Last summer, the Borders bookstore near me went out of business and had a sale to get rid of the remaining merchandise.  And not just a sale, a sale.  I waited patiently as the prices dropped and dropped, knowing that whatever was left when we hit the …

Easter Wrap Up Or, How I Learned to Stop Dieting and Love Butter

I have a confession: before Saturday, I'd never used a food processor. I'll pause for reaction.  You done? Good.  Let's move on. Now I'm not one of these people who thinks that using a food processor instead of hand chopping, mixing or cutting is a gateway to harder drugs like buying marinara sauce in a jar or …

Never Cook a Chicken in the Microwave…and other lessons

Today is Saturday, and like so many others, each weekend I desperately cling to the idea that I'll do something creative, or at the very least productive.  This is usually preempted by my desire to sleep half the day away.  This morning, however, my body decided to rouse me at a more socially acceptable hour (with …

When the Moon hits your eye like a…wait, what is it?

I love junk food.  I just can't help myself.  I know that as a self-proclaimed foodie, I really should have a taste for fois gras, stinky cheeses, and sauces made with ingredients that sound made up (what is pomegranate molasses?).  And I try.  I try not to eat things one could find in a kingdom whose ruler knows …