Sea salt,
preferably coarse: Salt of the earth, grain of salt, worth one’s salt—there’s a
reason so many common expressions involve salt and that “salary” is derived
from the word. It’s a necessary mineral in the human body, not just an
ingredient, and offers sensual satisfaction as well. Unfortunately it’s often
applied with an indiscriminate hand, but a judicious amount of salt enhances
the flavor of just about anything, and can even be transformative. Think of the
difference between plain potatoes and potatoes with a sprinkling of salt…no comparison.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Essential Ingredients
Now that the dust has settled in my kitchen
after the Thanksgiving frenzy, and the leftovers have dwindled to a pot of soup
in the fridge, it’s time to think about December cooking and baking. I’ve
written about some holiday favorites before, but lately I’ve been thinking
about essential ingredients—what goes into those favorites, what I cannot do
without. They break down naturally into the five sensations our tongue’s taste
receptors respond to: salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami. For those not familiar
with umami, a more recent addition, it’s the Japanese word for “savory
deliciousness” and is associated with foods high in glutamate, such as fish,
meat, specific vegetables, and fermented and aged foods. Although difficult to
define, it’s glaringly obvious when umami is missing. I found it challenging to
come up with a list of just ten essentials, but have narrowed it down by
limiting it to ingredients I never eat on their own.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
What I'm Thankful For
Every year at Thanksgiving we begin
the meal by going around the table and saying what we’re all thankful for.
We’ve been doing this since our girls were little and were first starting to
talk (a popular contribution at that age was “Pie!”). Our guests are always
invited to join in, and they always do, bringing their personalities and
varying levels of comfort to this family tradition. What I’m thankful for each
year hasn’t really changed over time, although in an effort to not allow the
food on our plates to grow cold, I usually compress it into a sentence or two.
But here on my blog, I have ample room to elaborate. So elaborate I shall, in
the spirit of the upcoming holiday. Here goes.
I’m thankful for my family. That’s always first. For Chris—and
nearly 25 years of marriage to my best friend. Who, notwithstanding some
challenges along the way, loves and accepts me—weaknesses, flaws, and all. He’s
still my dreamboat, and life is rarely dull.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Monday, September 22, 2014
Inconstant Gardener (or Life Lessons I’ve Learned from Gardening)
First official day of fall today, although we had our first hard frost a few nights
ago, always a more definitive marker for the end of summer than a date on the
calendar. It’s felt like fall for a few weeks now, though, with Isabel back at
college and Faye absorbed in her busy high school life. Chris is back to
teaching, and I’m trying to buckle down to a more productive work schedule
myself. At the same time, September weather is usually the best of the year,
with clear skies, crisp air, and a gentle sun. It drifts through the skylight
above my desk, pulling me away from my computer and outside for a hike, bike, kayak
or, so I can reassure myself I’m still being productive, to the garden.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Island Time
When most people
think of Vermont, one of the first things that comes to mind is the Green
Mountains, thanks to their popular ski slopes and hiking trails. But an equally
notable natural resource, and a highlight of the state for me, is Lake
Champlain. Friends from out of state are often surprised to hear that it’s the
sixth largest freshwater lake in the country, after the five Great Lakes. Spanning
120 miles along Vermont’s western side, it’s flanked by New York’s Adirondack
Mountains and also offers spectacular views of the Greens.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Southern Exposure
I’ve been on the road again, this time to
the Southeast, specifically Virginia and North Carolina. We packed up the car
and drove down, crossing the Mason-Dixon Line near the town in Maryland where I
spent most of my childhood. Growing up, I didn’t think of myself as a Southerner.
Maryland, despite being below the Line, was technically a border state during
the Civil War. The Battle of Antietam, which resulted in Lincoln’s Emancipation
Proclamation, was just down the road, but at the same time one of my high
school acquaintances was a direct descendent of Robert E. Lee. And the street I
grew up on has a former slave auction block, now partially obscured by some
shrubbery, on one of its corners.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
The Big Boy
I just graduated—from a small, charcoal kettle
grill, that is, to a 6-footer, gas/charcoal combo grill that I’m affectionately calling
The Big Boy. It’s an impressive piece of equipment, with cast iron grates and a
warming center in both sections, and a side burner that I haven’t even tried
out yet.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Route 100 (Partial) Food Tour
Food tours are all the rage
these days, but much as I love food I have yet to sign up for one. I prefer to
explore an area on my own and discover its food personality based on my own and
my companions’ tastes. In Vermont, legendary Route 100, described as one of the
most beautiful roads in the world, lends itself well to a self-guided food
tour. Extending the length of the state from Canada to Massachusetts, this
scenic route skirts the Green Mountain National Forest and runs parallel to the
273 mile Long Trail, a precursor to and inspiration for the Appalachian Trail. Known
as the Skiers’ Highway, this two-lane byway connects many of Vermont’s major ski
resorts as it meanders across farmland and alongside rivers, past covered
bridges
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Bizarro McDonald's
Very few American cities can claim to not have a McDonald’s
within their limits, but Burlington, Vermont, is one of them. A while back a Golden
Arches did exist downtown, but in an unusual turn of events, it quietly closed
its doors. After an inspired renovation, The Farmhouse Tap & Grill opened
up four years ago in its place to fanfare that hasn’t stopped since.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Mmmmmorocco
In celebration of my fiftieth birthday, Chris and I
recently went on a long-awaited trip to Morocco. Morocco is a country that’s
intrigued me ever since I read the novel The
Sheltering Sky, one of my Top Ten, over twenty years ago. I had never been
to Africa before, nor to an Islamic country, and it proved to be no less
fascinating and enchanting and bewildering than I had anticipated.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Sweethearts
I’ve been busy working on an exciting project
(more on this soon!), so this post is going to be shorter than normal. But of
course it’s important to take the time to pause and celebrate Valentine’s
Day.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
24 Hours in BTV
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