To quote Julia Child, “French cooking isn’t fancy, it is just GOOD cooking”. French food sounds so because it is in a foreign romance language. For instance, Coq au Vin is simply chicken stew. So be fearless ~ try new recipes even when they require long prep times. Always buy the freshest and finest ingredients […]
The pursuit of the win-all football trophy by the Ravens in New Orleans got me thinking about the delectable food in this Louisiana city. I also recently viewed on the Cooking Channel an episode of “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” that inspired me to research how Creole and Cajun compare in terms of their origin and more […]
When I was growing up, my family and I visited my mother’s relatives in Philadelphia quite often. As a young girl, I wanted to be considered a ‘northerner’- those city folk seemed so sophisticated. I was born in Washington, DC and have spent most my life living in Maryland; which as you know is south […]
Vince Guaraldi is a wonderful composer and musician who brought us the music for “A Charlie Brown Christmas”. Always helps to put me in the spirit. Don’t let the holidays overwhelm you. Step out of your comfort zone and invent a new tradition for family and friends. Perhaps try a new recipe, host a small […]
And the goose is getting fat! No worries, I don’t prepare goose at Christmas although it is very traditional in some European countries. Thanksgiving here was not just a feast, it was a party – great food, friends, family and alot of laughter! However, I do feel the need to mention some tidbits about what worked and what didn’t with some of […]
If I didn’t have to taste all of the dishes I prepare at Thanksgiving then I would have room for dessert, too. I have never been able to eat anything else after consuming at least 1000 calories in one sitting. Something light and sweet seems so appropriate to me to relieve that over-stuffed feeling. Fresh […]
America’s iconic meal is the pilgrim’s feast. Some of my father’s ancestors supposedly came over on the Mayflower. Therefore, I try to incorporate foods that were historically present at the first Thanksgiving. But I cannot help myself ~ my Thanksgiving menu looks like I am preparing a smorgasbord. I have a firm belief that this meal […]
Turkey hunting season on the Eastern Shore of Maryland is in the late spring. I believe this must be a conspiracy with the farmers who raise turkeys. Just as well ~ I am sure wild turkeys taste just as gamey (and quite frankly as nasty) as a wild goose or duck. Wild turkeys are hilarious to […]
The end is near. Not the end of the world, silly, October is the end of crabbing season in Maryland waters. Fall is the best time to eat them, unbeknownst to many who don’t live here. Maryland blue crabs are larger, meatier (fat and happy) and noticeably sweeter~ probably from ‘bottom feeding’ all summer long. […]
Thomas Jefferson would be the number one guest invited to my dream dinner party. We all know how brilliant he was- statesman, inventor, architect and farmer, to name a few. His garden at Monticello not only revolutionized farming in our country, but must have inspired thousands if not millions to this day to start their own […]
Ali's Epicurean Gems 