Basil is the quintessential herb of the garden. The plants are grown as annuals in zone 7 where I live as they are frost sensitive. I must confess that hard as I have tried, I have never been able to grow basil inside. My kitchen is too drafty, dark and cool in the winter. I […]
My passionate interest in food surprises me at times; much like when we moved to the country and I fell in love with gardening. I thought I had a scathingly brilliant idea of starting a cooking club a year ago but none of us have the proportionate size kitchen amenable even to a small group. […]
As much as I love the fall, spring is the perfect season of rebirth. If I have said it once, I have said it a million times, I love to get my hands in the dirt, enjoy mowing the tall weeds and anticipate what I will cook from the spring harvests. It is also a […]
I have enjoyed being in the kitchen since I was a young girl. I do not feel that cooking is a chore but rather a way to express my creativity. I am not artistic in any way shape or form, cannot hold a tune and I dance like Elaine in the infamous Seinfeld episode when […]
A somewhat humble root vegetable, the leek deserves its time in the spotlight. Easy to grow but dirty and requires a good cleaning prior to use. I believe the leek is taken for granted and so I grow it from seedlings annually. The leek is in the same plant family as onions and garlic, genus […]
The very first subject that I wrote about on Ali’s Epicurean Gems was tomatoes. Once again, I find myself drawn to new tomato recipes as the season winds down. Growing tomatoes is often a peculiar challenge. There are so many variables in the outcome – rainfall, temperature, soil and insects just to name a few. […]
Most people cannot believe that I love fresh okra simply because I won’t eat fresh lima beans (affectionately known as lima bullets among my siblings). There are so FEW foods that I will not eat because I will try anything ~ I suppose that I am fearless when it comes to food. I feel bad […]
My dear 92-year-old momma was tormented by me as a child who, like many others, hated vegetables. As some of you may remember, I used to swallow peas and lima beans whole in order not to chew or taste them. Oddly, I loved celery and still do. Mom would place cut celery stalks in my […]
I am itchin’ to cook while in winter hibernation. On Fat Tuesday, instead of pancakes, I prepared gumbo which my husband adores (see previous post from February 1, 2013 ‘Creole or Cajun’ for my recipe). I was disappointed in the dish as I did not feel it met my usual standards. It is now the […]
I recently heard saffron referred to as the ‘Diva’ of spices. It is certainly worthy of that title because it is pricey, beautiful in color and a bit earthy, yet sweet in flavor. Paella immediately comes to my mind for dishes requiring saffron but I don’t have the pan (I know, lame excuse) and have […]
Ali's Epicurean Gems 