Home and parenting magazines used to baffle me with frequent exhortations about the importance of family meal times. “Always sit down and eat together” read the continual mantra. Weren’t families doing that already? In my parents’ house there was never any discussion about the benefits of this activity. We just did it. Yes, both my [...]
If you’re tired of turning to boneless, skinless chicken breasts for on-the-fly meals, consider turkey. I keep a wide array of turkey products on hand for quick additions to our basic weeknight repasts. Turkey bacon dresses up green salads. Italian-seasoned turkey sausages kick up pasta and pre-cut strips of turkey breast are equally at home [...]
I hope last week’s story on cooking with matcha — the powdered green tea — intrigued A la Carte readers. Fascinated with matcha’s use as a dessert and pastry ingredient at Ashland’s Chozu Bath and Tea Gardens, I just assumed such exotic dishes were out of my reach at home. When I stumbled across several [...]
Browsing the Rogue Valley Growers & Crafters Market is akin to a treasure hunt. Shoppers never know exactly when their favorite seasonal produce will become available and always wonder if someone else has beat them to the prize. That’s all part of the fun in gauging seasonality and adjusting menus according to the freshest fruits [...]
Newspaper readers who delight in recipe-clipping no doubt noticed the conspicuous absence of Quick Fix in this morning’s A la Carte section. To atone for my editorial oversight, I’m offering it today in this blog. Baked Sea Scallops with Spicy Peanut Topping also can be found in the Mail Tribune’s online Recipe Box under the [...]
There are few things more gratifying than plucking luscious fruit from trees in my own yard. Last fall it was apples. No puny orbs, these rivaled supermarket giants and were crisp to boot. I ate the proverbial apple a day, baked apple cobbler and apple Betty and finally had to roast the last three-dozen or [...]
Just when you thought Lillie Belle Farms of Central Point couldn’t create another innovative chocolate, Jeff Shepherd came up with one that’s truly outrageous. His new Smokey Blue Truffle incorporates — you guessed it — Rogue Creamery cheese of the same name. The truffle filling combines the blue cheese and organic milk chocolate. It’s lightly [...]
Cutesy name aside, the concept of “flexitarianism” isn’t all that strange. When planning today’s A la Carte section, I immediately identified with Peter Berley’s philosophy of preparing dishes that will suit a range of dietary requirements or taking a few extra steps to modify a dish for everyone’s enjoyment. That’s because I already cook that [...]
A host of recipes in Wednesday’s A la Carte section should have reignited readers’ fervor for grilling. Kebabs, teriyaki chicken and beef tenderloin all are sure to satisfy. But consider a few unexpected twists when grilling this summer. Tonight I’m barbecuing lamb rib chops with a lavender-pepper rub. I love the sweet notes in this [...]
It’s been almost two months since the Mail Tribune debuted a new Web site, which contains among many other features, an online archive of A la Carte recipes. Since the Recipe Box went live, we’ve added dozens more recipes beyond the 75 or so originals. I did a little more work this week, adding about [...]
