Why I Live in California Reason #2: Carrots

Despite grueling traffic, exorbitant real estate prices, and perpetual smog, Jeff and I have decided to stay in Southern California when he ...

Bulgur's 15 Minutes of Fame

Catastrophe struck the other day. My kitchen drain backed up into the bathtub. Unfortunately the last thing I had cooked and washed down the...

What's in Your Basement?

Peter John is my favorite cousin. He has a knack for saying, in a hilarious manner, what everyone else is thinking. At a family dinner he on...

It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's a Super Grain.

We are a culture obsessed with rankings. From the 50 Most Beautiful People to the 10 Best Places to Live, we are bombarded with lists that t...

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like A Big Broccolini Pie, That's Amore

When Jeanne from Cook Sister! announced that pies would be the topic for this month’s Waiter, there’s something in my… food blog event, I k...

Stir Your Risotto Less, Work Your Glutes More

When we first moved to Southern California, we thought we were in pretty good shape; turns out that “pretty good shape” is a relative phrase...

Forget Chocolate, Eat Fennel on Valentine's Day

As a little girl, my favorite candies were Twizzlers ® and black jelly beans. Every Easter I would pick all the black jelly beans out of the...

Of Yankees and Yams

I always thought yams and sweet potatoes were different vegetables. A few years ago a farmer taught me differently. We had just moved to Nor...

Squash's Swan Song

Growing up in New England, I’ve always anticipated the arrival and lamented the passing of the seasons. Having lived in Southern California ...

Waffles, Coffee, and Lentil Soup

At 5' tall, my grandmother was a giant of a woman. She was a dominating figure in my life and my mother's life. We have loved her, ...

Broccoli Marries Pasta

The final featured vegetable of the cruciferous make-over (see Brussels Sprouts on Botox and Cauliflower Gets New Clothes ) is broccoli. O...

Cauliflower Gets New Clothes

The second featured vegetable of the cruciferous make-over (see Brussels sprouts on Botox ) is the cauliflower. And there will be no boiling...

Brussels Sprouts on Botox

It happens every Sunday. Clamoring crowds jostle for space around the popular tables at the farmers’ market to check out the hip Meyer lemo...

Q:"What happened to your neck?" A:"Polenta."

My mom loves to tell this story. One day she went to visit her friend Dee. When Dee opened the door, my mom immediately noticed a half-dolla...

Citrus Crisis

Southern Californians (which now includes me) complain a lot about the weather. If you’re not within 100 mile radius of the 90201 zip code, ...