Did you start the new year with a wish to eat more vegetables? If not, you still have time to make one. Either way, here’s my suggestion on how to put such aspiration into practice: a vegetable-rich soup. Winter weather in its various versions of rainy and cold is an invitation to have a pot […]
Soup
Posted inEat + Drink
It’s Cold Outside, Let’s Make Soup
Late fall at the farmers market makes me think of the fourth movement, Finale, of Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Farewell” Symphony (No. 45, dated 1772): During it, one by one the musicians leave the stage until at the end only two violins are left to play the final notes. One by one, the summer markets have […]
Posted inEat + Drink
The Soup Doctor
Fall is quietly approaching and chilly days are not too far away. It’s the season to nourish our bodies, as my mom used to say. She would make special seasonal soups to prevent us from getting colds and to keep us healthy. She would spend hours in the kitchen making a pot of soup with […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Lentils: The Great Leveler
The worst lentils I ever ate were the ones I appreciated the most. In the early ’80s, my husband, Barry, and I joined hundreds of other North Americans and Europeans and went trekking in the Himalayas. We chose to walk the three-week Muktinath Pilgrimage trail, a windy, mountainous route along the Kali Gandaki gorge, the […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Crab Cioppino
My mom’s recipe for crab cioppino became well known at the Ivanhoe in Ferndale when my dad owned it in the late 1940s. They were raising my two older sisters before the rest of us were born. Maybe my mom was raising them, as my dad was a bar owner. Her recipe was locally famous […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Thanksgiving in December
I started writing this article to submit it well before Thanksgiving, but life had other plans and I had to abandon my original plan. What I wanted to say, however, is still relevant and the recipe still in season, so I picked up where I left off and finished it. My big heartfelt thanks to […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Blackout Soup
Looking back on the Darkpocalypse of October 2019, I found my household was ill-prepared for this type of event, not to mention any greater potential disaster. Yes, it’s on my to-do list now to gather our supplies, stock appropriate emergency provisions and generally be more prepared. But here’s the thing: I’m fortunate to have this […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Lemony Soup for the Soul
Greek lemon chicken soup is luscious, bright with citrus and soothing. It’s perfect for a cold or a cold night, which are still plentiful in Humboldt in April. If you’ve had soupa avgolemono, you know what I’m talking about. It is one soup that lives up to the adage that chicken soup is food for […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Around the World, One Pot at a Time
Half the population of Humboldt has worked at Ramone’s Bakery and Cafe at some point in their life, myself included. I worked as line cook, caterer and the occasional cookie decorator during holiday seasons. The schedule was flexible and co-workers were family; they could be annoying and have issues but you loved them nonetheless. And […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Last-minute Thanksgiving Recipes
Whether you had grand plans for the holiday meal or you’re flying by the seat of your chef’s pants, these Thanksgiving-ready recipes might come in handy. Stuck for sides? Nothing could be more fitting than a soup of acorns, a traditional indigenous food staple. Stuffed acorn squash is a winner and even works as a […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Cremini!
Real cream of mushroom soup has been so thoroughly overshadowed by the Warhol-esque army of cans at the market that we no longer remember the original. Instead, we recall the sound of the congealed stuff, its vacuum suck and plop into the pot. Not that we don’t love Aunt Martha’s green bean casserole when it […]
Posted inEat + Drink
HumPlate
Recommending food is a little like matchmaking — oh, the smug joy when it goes right. You’ve got to introduce someone to the right dish at the right time and let the sparks fly. Here are some of the magic moments we’ve been having this month.