Recipes: Parts and Pieces Cooking — 3 Easy Mix ‘n Match Salads Great for Lunches

Left-Handed Cooking I got a shoulder replacement last week. Of course it was my right shoulder so I am learning to cook mostly with my left hand which is very awkward! I wanted to share my fumbling cooking efforts with you as encouragement that you don’t have to be super skilled in the kitchen to … Read more

What if cooking is just plain burdensome?

“Cooking last week was so tiring and, frankly, just plain burdensome.” So concluded Kris, one of the participants in a class I taught recently. I loved her honest assessment of the previous cooking week, especially the word “burdensome.” What a “perfect” word! I had never attached that word to daily meal making but it really … Read more

Feel like there’s no time to cook?

Check out this idea This weekend was the second time I’ve seen an article recently about social media detoxing. Among the many benefits cited by detoxers: Suddenly they had time to cook! And they liked it! One detoxer described how he became more centered on finding meaningful activities, like exercising more, taking up old hobbies … Read more

Kitchen Tip: The Most Under-Appreciated Condiment

Quick Question: What’s languishing, all but forgotten, on the condiment shelf in almost all our refrigerators? Mustard, of course! Poor mustard waits patiently for hamburger nights but you can almost hear it begging for more: “Give me a chance! I can do so much more than just spice up a burger!” Indeed I have found this … Read more

Crockpots, Instant Pots, Microwaves and Meal Plans: See What Other Readers Are Saying

Who would have guessed that crockpots, instant pots, meal planning and microwaves would generate such interesting feedback? I got so many thought-provoking comments after the last couple posts that I wanted to use them as a springboard for further conversation. Meal Planning Here is Carolyn’s response to last month’s article on meal planning, “Why Most … Read more

There’s a Problem with Instant Pots?

Hard to believe there could be a problem with Instant Pots. So many people rave about them. But I’ve noticed one problem, and it lies in the word “Instant.” In our time-starved world, that word is enough to send anyone racing to buy one with visions of instant meals, instantly available. And yet . . … Read more

Recipes for Seasonal Eating: Rhubarb

Just a reminder that it’s rhubarb season. Here I show it getting washed and dried along with a bunch cilantro (which pair nicely with each other, BTW.) Don’t miss out on the burst of sweet-tart flavor rhubarb adds to a dish. And remember that it can be used in savory dishes as well as sweet. … Read more

Kitchen Tip: Easy Cilantro and Parsley Chopping

By the time I get home from grocery shopping, I just want to put things away and get on with the rest of my day or evening. But if there is cilantro or parsley in my shopping bags, I force myself to wash them immediately and set them to dry in a colander for the … Read more