Every year, I create a couple of new pestos. When I encountered fava bean greens at the Portland Farmers Market in early April a couple of seasons ago, my first thought was, naturally, PESTO. The
Spring Fever
The Wonderful World of Fresh Pesto
Is there anything in the world of food more appealing than a gloriously fresh pesto, with its vivid green color and bright, bold flavor? I can’t think of anything more wonderful in early spring
Cannellini Bean Soup with Italian Sausage, Fingerling Potatoes & Broccoli Raab
The taste of the spicy Italian sausage really comes through in this homey, hearty soup, as do each of the other individual flavors and textures. It's October, so I've shifted to fall ingredients
Old World Spaetzle: The New Pasta?
I grew up eating spaetzle. But I thought it was pasta. To be even more specific, I though it was NOODLES. It took a curious turn of events to clear this confusion in my mind. Grandma Mary loaded
Curried Celery Soup with Green Apple, Coconut & Lime
Buttery yellow, silky smooth, gently curried, with tart green apple to balance the earthy sweetness of the celery. Heavenly mélange. If you do a quick web search on Celery Soup Recipe, you’ll find 3
Fresh Strawberry-Tomato Dessert Sauce
Strawberries and tomatoes. Together. Take the leap. I did a search on the web before I created this sauce, just to make sure it didn’t already exist. And low and behold, I did find one, but only
Strawberries!
Strawberry Basil Sour Cream Gelato
Strawberries and fresh basil are overflowing Portland farmers markets. Gelato time! Portland, Oregon is ice cream and gelato country. No matter which direction I set out on my walk each day from
Strawberry, Baby Lettuce & Pea Vine Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Syrup
Made with local ripe strawberries, pea vines, and whole-leaf baby lettuce, this sprightly salad nearly screams SUMMER. In the Northwest, we are blessed with climate and soil that produce spectacular
Strawberry Balsamic Syrup
This deliciously complex syrup is an amalgam of caramelized sugar, fresh strawberries and balsamic vinegar. You'll eat it with a spoon. I set out to make a balsamic syrup to go with the pile of baby
Spring & Summer Salads
Baby Red Potato Salad with Applewood Smoked Bacon & Oregon Blue
The 4th of July is coming up fast, and on Independence Day, you will find me (as usual) at the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival on the balmy banks of the Willamette River. Imagine hearing the
Grilled Prawn, Roasted Baby Tomato & Chipotle Mustard Bread Salad
One fine day, as the song goes, I got a note from Colette Becker of Saucy Mama (@SaucyMamaCafe on Twitter). She invited me to participate in this year’s Saucy Mama food blogger contest. Well, it’s
Sweet Cherry & Pea Vine Salad with Basil & Mint
This past Saturday, I walked through the Seattle University District Farmers Market with--gasp--no goal. I let the season’s bounty and the culinary muses set the agenda. The muses, aroused by my
