Say it with Brownies

Monday, January 25, 2010

One of the many unexpected benefits of  having a child has been remembering some of the pleasures of my own childhood. Brownies, for instance.  As I searched for the brownie of my childhood, though, I found that a really good one is hard to come by.  Some were dry and chewy and tasted only vaguely […]

Eco-Bubbles: the Sodastream System

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Maybe it’s my advancing age, or the fact that I spend a lot of time carrying an increasingly heavy (yet adorable) child, but the strain of lugging cases of San Pellegrino home from the market was beginning to test my love of sparkling water. And the energy it took me to haul it the last […]

Get in the Mood with a Valentini

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

There was a time where the whole concept of Valentine’s Day irritated me.  Of course, it’s a perfect example of a Hallmark Holiday; that is, a day that seems to have no genuine cultural purpose other than buying gifts.  And even its ostensible purpose is unclear:  it seems to be a celebration of romantic love, […]

Chicken Fricassee with Creamy Leeks and Vadouvan

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

I’ve made this dish more times than I can count, and it’s become a family favorite.  In fact, I think this dish, a Tunisian-style lamb stew and bananas are in a three-way tie for our 17-month old daughter Julia’s favorite food.  (For now at least, her culinary adventures seem only to be limited by her […]

A Double Gift: Wine and Flowers

Monday, January 18, 2010

I can’t take any credit for this beautiful host gift, except, possibly, for my taste in friends.  It was given to me recently by my friend John, who is a prominent physician in San Francisco and also one of the most creative and thoughtful people I know. Around a bottle of wine, John made a […]

A Light Squash Soup with (or without) Vadouvan

Friday, January 15, 2010

When the cold weather comes around, I always like the idea of butternut squash soup, but I don’t really like most of the soups themselves.  Generally they’re too sweet and heavy for my taste.  I’ve kept at it, though, and I’ve come up with a recipe that I really love.  If you’re fond of squash […]

Franco-Indian Magic: Vadouvan

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

I’m always on the lookout for secret ingredients, little culinary gems that can quickly turn simple dishes into something special and new.  Preserved lemon, discussed in my post here, is one of my favorites, and this is another.  Vadouvan is an Indian spice blend with a French accent.  It’s roots are in Pondicherry, a former […]

Consolation Prize: Cool Reading Glasses

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A few months ago, I was sitting across the table from my friend Jon at a cozy (that is, rather dimly lit) restaurant in the West Village, squinting at a menu I held inches from my eyes.  Jon whipped out a pair of chic horn-rimmed reading glasses and carried on without effort. When I complemented […]

Houseplants or Plants in the House?

Monday, January 11, 2010

I’ve never been very enthusiastic about houseplants, by which I mean those species of plants meant to live indoors indefinitely.  It’s just a matter of personal taste, of course, but, aside from in places like sunrooms, atriums and grottoes (none of which I have), I prefer changing displays of cut flowers and greens. Cut flowers, […]

Father-Daughter Breakfast: Cream of Wheat Revisited

Friday, January 8, 2010

In spite of the fact that neither of us are morning people, or maybe because of it, my 16-month old daughter Julia and I both like a hot breakfast, and one of our father-daughter rituals is making it together.  I hold her in one arm and set out all of our tools and ingredients with […]

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