For decades, Better Homes and Gardens has peddled the notion of turning food into kid-friendly sculptures. More recently, Martha Stewart has taken the trend to new heights, literally. I recall a friend scoffing over Martha’s hubris that anyone would actually have the time or inclination to carve an entire chandelier out of pumpkins for Halloween. [...]
The cook in me loves to host family and friends for dinner. But the planner in me wants a little more than a day to prepare, particularly if I’m anticipating a special trip to the grocery store. I was delighted to hear last night that family from the Portland area would be arriving in the [...]
Preparing today’s A la Carte story on making tortillas gave me the chance to break out a handmade tortilla press that had been languishing in my cupboards for the past year. The wooden contraption was a gift from friends and a reflection of their Mexican-American culinary tradition. I was honored they would extend such a [...]
When I was in grade school, entering a cheesy essay contest was practically mandatory for students who could string together complete sentences and turn in perfect spelling tests. Teachers and parents always talked up these writing competitions despite the fact that savings bonds (blech!) were the predictable prize. It’s just too bad these competitions didn’t promise [...]
