It seems to me that there are two kinds of rice pudding in the world–the creamy, stovetop kind and the more dense, baked-in-the-oven kind. Both are delicious, old-fashioned foods. If you prefer the creamy, stovetop kind, this recipe is excellent and has never failed me (although I cut the sugar in half). This creamy, stovetop [...]
From now until March 3rd, you can watch this entire movie for free using this link. I highly recommend you take an hour of your time to watch this movie, starring some of my favorite people on the planet, Joel Salatin and Michael Pollen. It will inspire you to find and get to know your [...]
Virtually every culture on earth incorporates some kind of delicious fermented food into their cuisine–sauerkraut, kimchee, lacto-fermented pickles, cheese, beer, yogurt, sourdough, to name a few. Fermentation is magical and awesome. Fermenting food is of course a natural way to preserve food, but I’d also argue that humans possess an innate instinct to practice traditional [...]
“Nutcakes” sound like something a hobbit would pack for a journey, or Jemima Puddle Duck would serve with hot tea. Really what they are are pancakes, but made with rich, finely ground almond flour instead of flour. We have been making these for breakfast and find them to be much more filling, satisfying and less [...]
From the birth to age one month, my parents were undecided about my name. My mother wanted Rebecca, but lots of people felt that that was an old lady name, so there was some debate. For that first month of life, my very young hippie parents just called me fava bean. I don’t know if [...]
A long day at work, a rainy commute and level three sleep deprivation all made a Manhattan at the end of the day seem like a genius idea. The Manhattan was (probably) invented in the 1870s in New York by an unknown, but clearly masterful, mixologist. The recipe has not changed much in the last [...]
Cooking dried beans is such a cheap, easy way to make a healthy family meal. We love beans around here and eat a ton of them, and although we do sometimes rely on canned beans, nothing can match the flavor and consistency of beans that you cook yourself. The traditional way recommended to cook dried [...]
I saw this recipe in an old cookbook, California Cooks!, which was published in 1970 and gives a fantastic overview of 1960′s California regional cooking. These cookies caught my eye because of their profoundly un-sexy name. Saddle Bag Cookies? Probably the name is meant to imply that they travel well, but what they suggest to [...]
So I had in mind to post a nice, refreshing, icy cocktail today, but is freezing cold outside! Now, I won’t complain too loudly because I know people in other parts of the country are thinking “shut.it.” I know it is colder other places, and there is horrible weather in other parts of the country [...]
What is it about kids and meatballs? I swear my kids would eat virtually anything if it were presented in meatball form. In fact I do hide many nutritious things in there–chopped kale, or spinach or mushrooms. A friend of mine who is from El Salvador says that her mother puts chopped radish tops in [...]
A new bill introduced in Iowa makes it a first degree felony to take a photo of a farm! Think about it. These proposed “ag-gag” laws are so un-American, so un-ethical and so outrageous, it would almost be funny if it were not so scary. What sad shape our farms must be in if [...]
This is a super quick and easy dish that takes minutes to assemble and delivers great flavor. Asparagus is beautiful and inexpensive right now. Look for tight, shiny heads and plump, smooth stalks. To trim, grasp the stalk towards the bottom third. Gently bend the stalk–it will break at the exact point that the stalk [...]
I know this is going to be a shocking and possibly upsetting statement, but I’m going to be totally honest and say that I think that the crisp may the best dessert. Now, I know my cupcake loving friends are thinking I am crazy right now, but I don’t like cupcakes. I just don’t. [...]
People all around the world eat some version of chicken and rice. It is cheap, easy, quick and healthy. Some variation of it shows up on our dinner table on a regular basis. This is a Spanish version adapted from The Foods and Wines of Spain by Penelope Casas. Casas is an excellent recipe writer [...]
When we moved back into our house last fall, after the random house fire, and 7 months of hotel living, I did a major purge. We had lived without any of our stuff for 7 months, and although it was logistically challenging at times, life went on. The night the fire started, we walked out [...]
There is nothing like a good scone and a hot cup of coffee. This morning after a cold, blustery and slightly surreal run with my amazing run group, I came home wanting baked goods. I love scones, but it is hard to justify the traditional recipe–white flour, butter and cream. I altered these to make [...]
