Chris Nordquist
One Saturday morning Julia asked me, “What kind of ice cream are you making today, papa?” It’s a summer weekend ritual. I make ice cream, and Julia usually sits on the counter and helps, or at least jumps in when it’s time to lick the dasher. When I answered, “Indonesian palm sugar ice cream, Sweetie,” […]
Our friend Ellen isn’t responsible for the recipe for this delicious, deceptively simple cake. (We can thank Sister Angela at the Convento de la Purisma Concepcion in Penaranda, Spain for that.) Indirectly, though, she is responsible for introducing us to this delicious dessert. Ellen has an allergy to wheat. Of course, she’s too gracious […]
Here’s the third installment of our Speedy Gourmet series, where we have just five ingredients and 15 minutes to make a meal. (Salt, pepper, water and basic cooking fats don’t count against the five because, well, I make the rules.) The idea for today’s dinner came from our friend (and Julia’s godmother) Marta, and it’s […]
Memorial Day weekend is here, and we traditionally celebrate with strawberry shortcake for dessert. This year, though, I’m going to vary a little from that theme and make a strawberry trifle instead. Trifle is a very old English dessert –or really a class of desserts– that layers cake, fruit (and often many other things) with […]
For a few weeks in spring wild ramps sprout in woodlands all over the eastern US and Canada, and foodies rejoice. Don’t be put off by the hype, though. The ramp, a sort of wild leek, is a tasty onion-like, leek-like, garlic-like plant that can turn a simple dish into a special seasonal treat. I […]
The last pizza in our little video series is a family favorite. Its name is a bit misleading, though, since a lot of its flavor comes from green things –fresh sage and green olives (use the sweet, meaty Castelvetrano olives from Sicily if you can find them), which, along with a hint of garlic, enliven […]
Here’s another pizza I often make at home. Sauteed wild mushrooms are paired with soft, mellow Italian cheeses –Taleggio and Fontina, accented by fresh thyme leaves and bits of bacon or speck. I think a whole wheat crust (recipe below) complements the toppings’ rich flavors, but, of course, this pizza is delicious on a traditional […]
Delivery is handy, but there’s nothing better than tucking into a pizza fresh from the oven, waiting to devour it only long enough to avoid burning your mouth. Fortunately, with just a little practice, making pizza at home is quick and simple. And it’s fun too, whether you’re entertaining families, kids or a bunch of […]
My grandparents had several very productive walnut trees in their garden, so we always seemed to have an unlimited supply when I was a kid, which we in large brown grocery bags stored at the very backs of cupboards to keep them cool and dark. We mostly ate them raw or baked with them (I […]
“I didn’t know the Easter Bunny baked!” That was the first thing four year-old Julia said last Easter morning. The night before, this particular Easter Bunny had baked one of her favorite treats –a tender, gently sweet breakfast bread– into the shape of her name and set it out with her Easter basket. I think […]
