From Scratch

With local apples ripening and our pie-intensive holidays approaching, it seems like a good time to devote five days of posts to making pies, with an emphasis on crusts. Starting October 8 I’ll be providing tips, tricks and recipes I hope will help you to become a better pie maker or to make your first […]

Not that we ever wondered — or even thought about it at all — but we learned straight from the top this week there are no gays in Iran. Olle Johansson of Sweden might have been thinking, Well duh, when gave us this cartoon on Friday.

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The police, since my trouble, have not worked out for me.”
OJ Simpson, after his latest “trouble” two weeks ago in Las Vegas. This time he’s facing multiple felony counts for the robbery of sports memorabilia, including some of his own. Oh, make that alleged robbery. Like alleged murder. Of two people.
Second-best quote: “He’s facing a lot […]

Just as some people await the sight of the first robin as a harbinger of spring, I anticipate the first bags of wonderful cranberries as a sign autumn has arrived. And it has. It’s like a holiday here.
Cranberries are one of my favorite foods. They’re tart, healthful, low in calories; frankly, with all that good […]

We’ve long known about the health benefits of eating apples, especially for the phytochemicals in their skins, but the juice of the fruit has been regarded by many as the black sheep of the family. Mere sugar water. But two new studies show the juice, especially unfiltered varieties and cider, has something going for it because the apple seems […]

Back in January I clipped an article from The New York Times about a Yalie who uses a microwave to take dining hall food to a new level. Not that Yale food isn’t good. “It is,” Zach Marks told the Times, “especially compared to most colleges.” But he learned that “by playing around, you can make […]

President Bush thinks Hillary Clinton will be the Democrats’ nominee next year. In an interview for a book, he broke his self-imposed rule not to discuss presidential politics.
He also thinks the Republicans will win the election after “a tough race”, but has not publicly singled out a candidate for his own party. He has expressed surprise […]

There’s nothing that’ll cut down on pizza consumption faster than moving from the Big Apple to the Little Snowball. The local pizza joints’ pies range from bad to worse to inedible. At least one of them uses frozen crust already rolled into a thick circle and all of them have chewy, doughy crusts. That’s blaphemy for someone […]

Remember Richard Nixon’s propensity for using both arms in a V-for-victory gesture? I think that’s what RJ Matson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch had in mind on Monday.

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Who doesn’t enjoy a change? I am so happy to have found a good recipe for a crisp that doesn’t have the usual oatmeal in the topping. And oh my, the filling has a dab of cream cheese.
Back in August, on a really hot day, I saw Southern Pear Crisp on my cyberpal jolynna’s blog, Turkey […]

Wishing you an easy fast

I’ve never paid much attention to the price of those pre-fab pie crusts because I don’t use them — I don’t think they’re good, but that’s not the focus here – but the price jumped out at me last night from an in-your-face sale display: $2.49, which is $1 less than the store’s regular price. That’s […]

I really ought to call this “mac” and cheese because I always use penne; today’s is dark whole wheat. And it’s grownup in two other ways: it’s lighter, both in fat and cholesterol, and the flavors are not bland. Far from it. 
When I wrote about excessive pasta portions in July, I mentioned a recipe I’d seen that […]

The New York Times will end its premium service, TimesSelect, tomorrow, the second anniverary of the service. The change will open the archives to 1987 without a $4.95 fee per view or a $49.95 subscription and will allow access to columnists, such as Tom Friedman and Frank Rich, who’ve been locked behind that blasted door.
TimesSelect has generated […]

When chilly weather arrives, as it has in The Little Snowball, my thoughts turn to hot tea or coffee and the flavors of autumn. Tea and shortbread are linked in my mind, so when I found a recipe for cinnamon shortbread bars in my inbox I moved it to the top of the “to try” list. […]