These made-from-scratch pancakes take only a few minutes of preparation and take full advantage of the height of berry season.  They are a perfect solution to satisfying a sweet tooth without heating up the kitchen with a full out baking project.   I had originally…

In the span of a recent week I had been out for dinner several times and, upon slight reflection, I realize I ordered meatballs every time.  Three meals, three orders of meatballs!  The selections were of a Mediterranean bent, Italian, Greek, etc. and all equally…

A VEGAN recipe?  Well yes, but I haven’t done a 180-degree turnabout from my preferred eating habits.  I recently created this egg and dairy-free recipe for a hostess gift to a dear friend who is seriously allergic to both.   I brought them to a…

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…

Celebrations for Lunar New Year begin on February 16, 2018.  Commonly known as Chinese New Year, this Year of the Dog marks the 4,715th Chinese Year.   I always enjoy the celebrations and festivities surrounding Chinese New Year, and appreciate they go on for a…

Deep in the midst of winter we’re enjoying plenty of hearty fare – stews and soups, braises and beans.  But I also appreciate a lighter side dish, with a salad boasting the flavors of winter.  And, dare I say, a nice change up from roasted…

My publisher made a request for an orange loaf cake – he has a fond food memory of a cake his mother baked; redolent with orange in every bite, including on top of the cake.  So off to my collection of classic cookbooks I went,…

Sometimes that one-pound package of ground beef is begging for an inspired use.  It just sits there, daring me to come up with something slightly out of the norm to give it a sense of higher value.   I worked this up for a quick,…

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…