The home I grew up in could very well have been the original inspiration for the mantra, “Reuse, Repair, Recycle.” My dad, the quintessential progeny of The Great Depression, still saves everything from empty jam jars, to twine from UPS boxes, to old socks, to almost-moldy tomatoes, and puts them to use again in some […]
recipes
Spontaneous Carob and Date Pancakes
Thanks, everyone, for all your wonderfully supportive and encouraging comments about the osteopenia diagnosis. I’ve been boning up on the topic (sorry-ouch) and have some great recipe ideas to share in the next while (and even one today). I’ll also get to my responses asap. . . sorry I’ve fallen behind a bit! Last week, […]
Shock and Ossify: Raw Fig and Cherry Bars
[Yep, another raw bar. . . and so soon! But there’s a good reason. . . ] Well, it’s finally happened: after years of needless anxiety before every annual medical check-up (only to be told each time that nothing’s wrong). . . this time, something was wrong. And I must admit, I’m shocked. When I saw […]
Radish and Grapefruit Salad
In the past, I’ve always thought of radishes as kind of a poor cousin to beets: smaller and more anemic, they obviously missed out on the family jewels. Without well-heeled connections or an established vocation, they’re much like the street punk with the pugilistic attitude, slamming your jaw with a peppery punch every time you dare take a bite. And besides, […]
Flash in the Pan: Cocoa Nibbles (or, La”Raw” Bar)
[EDIT, February 2012: You all know I love Ellen DeGeneres, right? And Ellen loves this recipe! I couldn’t be more thrilled that she decided to share on her Going Vegan with Ellen page. Thank you, Ellen! 😀 ] Sometimes, you just want to eat something now. I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in […]
You Say Potato Curry, I Say Aloo Masala
In my imagination, I’d love to live on a farm. I say “in my imagination” because, in my reality, I’m actually the farthest thing from a farm type of gal (“What the-? What do you mean, 5:15 is the normal time for the rooster to crow?!!” OR, “What do you mean, it’s almost 2 hours to the closest Barnes […]
When Cheesecake is Love*
*apologies to Geneen Roth [Well, I really hadn’t meant to write about my mother for two entries in a row. Maybe it was all of your wonderful comments about yesterday’s “mom story”; maybe it was an offshoot of Mother’s Day earlier in the month; maybe I’m just feeling all mushy and sentimental after watching the over-the-top , tear-filled […]
Kale and Potato Lasagna*
*Or, Mastering the Legacy of Mush and Goo When I was a kid, my mother was a fairly conventional 1960s housewife (well, except for the Valium) whose cooking style, too, adhered to convention; she’d cook pretty much the same seven dinners every week, according to the day: Mondays were hamburgers and mashed potatoes. Tuesdays were veal chops and green beans. Wednesdays were franks and beans. […]
Dolmades, Deconstructed (Mediterranean Rice Casserole)
Back when I was an undergraduate at the University of Windsor, my first boyfriend and I (hiya, Mark! How’s tricks?) would regularly venture across the Ambassador bridge to the Greektown in Detroit (quite literally, a stone’s throw away). That’s where I first tasted saganaki–kefalotyri cheese (like an aristocratic feta) doused in brandy and set aflame in the pan, right by your table, […]
Swiss “Cheese” in a Mosaic Salad
When it comes right down to it, (and like most Canadians), I’m pretty happy living in this country. Oh, sure, I complain about the health care system and the excessive taxes, but secretly I’m proud. When I went to Europe, I openly displayed a Maple Leaf on my backpack (in those days, only actual Canadians did […]