Kaleidoscope

Before you, a riot of colors.  Not just amidst the tablecloth and on the dinnerware, but within the meal itself.  Vibrant reds, yellows, greens and oranges bejewel the grains, which are crowned with a snowy white dollop and a dusting of crimson powder.  That’s just one part of the plate, too.  Off to the side…

There Once Was a Chef on Nantucket…

Who used oysters and clams by the bucket Until one day the market ran dry So the chef asked, “Why not give lobsters a try?” To those who think chowder means clams, I say…” The rest has been lost, but you might speculate. Point is, summer often includes a trip to the beach, and shore…

It Began Here

Gliding through the millennia, we find ancient Romans enjoying savillum, a dessert that’s wended its way to us as cheesecake.  No less a personage than Senator and historian Marcus Porcius Cato (better known as Cato the Elder) provided instructions, 160 BC, in his De Agri Cultura: Make a savillum thus: Mix 1/2 libra (*1) of…

Busy Little Honeybee

Not only do honeybees pollenate our crops, bringing the next round of fruits and vegetables, but they also produce a smooth golden nectar (honey) that enhances much of our cooking.  Pretty amazing accomplishment for a small insect buzzing along happily.  Here’s one of the culinary superstars now, taking nourishment not too far from the kitchen:…

L’Chaim!

To life, indeed.  When greeting the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah, coming up this week), it’s customary to share Honey Cake as a means of encouraging similar sweetness in the coming year.  With two cups of amber nectar in each diminutive cake, it’s only natural such a dessert is enjoyed prominently in Israel, “The Land…