Now is the perfect time when ratatouille ingredients are abundant at our markets. Every year, late summer into early fall, versions of zucchini, eggplant, and tomato dishes appear on our table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We enjoy ratatouille as a versatile accompaniment to…
Oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and delicata squash are a clear signal we’re transitioning from summer to autumn meals. This is my third published recipe using delicata squash in as many years (check out here and here for them), and we enjoy this seasonal favorite countess times…
Diana Kennedy is one of my culinary s-heroes. Back in May when I learned of the opportunity to watch the documentary film Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy from my pal Gabrielle, I ordered the movie rental that day (via Rafael @ Home) and signed up for…
It’s the time of year when we’re looking to lighten up our meals, and hopefully lightening up cooking duties after months of large holiday meals. This soup checks the boxes for both and can be made from a well-stocked pantry. Bonus: it scales up nicely…
El Farallon is a favorite restaurant when we are in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California. The tables are right at the water’s edge, with mighty Pacific waves breaking on the rocks, seemingly an arm’s length away. The view is phenomenal – to say the least!…
There is no shortage of vine-ripened, near candy-sweet, cherry tomatoes at this point of summer. If your garden hasn’t already exploded with them, you can join other urbanites and get them at bargain prices at a farmers market near you! When I first spied this…
I have been a fan of delicata squash for a while now. Initially it was more challenging to find outside of a farmers market or produce-forward store, but now it’s everywhere. The attraction is it’s easy to prepare. It doesn’t require peeling and delivers plenty…
For years, actually decades, my family owned the Chinese restaurant within the large Roseville, California farmers market. One of our keys to success was everything we prepared used fresh, quality ingredients and all dishes were from scratch. This included making our own stock from chicken…
We are finally getting our winter storms here – as I write in the first week of March it’s finally raining. Much needed raining! But previous bouts of warmer weather have brought some spring produce to market earlier than usual, and just in time to…
Is it just me, or did September fly by? I must have been ecstatic last month, (“Time flies when you’re having fun…”). So it’s with a bit of a rush that I prepare this month’s Piedmont Pantry column for The Piedmont Post, because I blinked…