American history is full of colorful characters, and none more so than the 19th century's Jerry Thomas. Born in New York in the early part of the century, he was at various times a gold miner in California, a sailor, an art collector, a theater producer (in a small...
Growing up, I very distinctly remember the smell of lemon cookies and cakes baking in my mother’s oven. As a child, however, these were not my favorite sweets. I much preferred ooey gooey chocolate chip cookies or a plain piece of white cake with chocolate...
Alcohol is a common ingredient in Italian cooking. In addition to the fact that’s it’s just kind of fun to add a glug (or two) of whatever you’re sipping on to your stock pot, adding a splash of wine to your bolognese or Alfredo can help release flavors that would...
Mornings are sacred. They set the tone for your whole day. They can be a haphazard whirlwind of alarms blaring and coffee spilling, or they can be slow, easy and relaxed. My mornings typically resemble that of the former, but when I want to have that picture...
Summer is here and there are few better ways to celebrate the season than experiencing all the tasty fruits and veggies only a summer harvest can bring. U-pick farms across the Pacific Northwest will be bustling with visitors old and young as they comb through...
My mother has been making this roasted chicken—loaded with garlic, onion, lemon and fresh thyme—for years. It’s what I request when I need comfort food that only a mom can muster up and it’s the perfect pick-me-up for a cold, drizzly day, which—for mid-June—we seem...
Pesto is one of those unique foods that can be enjoyed about one thousand different ways. It can be used as a condiment on a sandwich, a sauce for your pasta or the singular topping on your pizza. Sometimes it’s a condiment, other times is the main attraction. And,...
Five-star meals don’t need to be all-day productions. Sometimes, the best meals require the least amount of work. Consider a pan-seared steak with mashed potatoes. All you need is a frying pan, a pot with water, steak, potatoes and some seasoning. This combination...
Hearty roasts and heavy dinners went into hibernation a couple months ago when unseasonably warm spring weather set in, but that doesn’t mean you can’t fire up the oven and enjoy a lighter, more seasonally appropriate version of your favorite winter staples. Just...
When I first started baking years ago, I was always intimidated by anything French. Soufflé, brulé and any other foreign-sounding custard, cake or dough immediately made my head spin, and that was before even looking at the recipe. It’s true, French baking is hard...
