Varieties of the species Brassica oleracea are exuberant plants — it’s a pity we don’t often see them in their glory. Broccoli, the various cultivars of cabbage and cauliflower all produce abundant leaves crowning the head. They sort of show off, profuse in their physical presence. Brassicas are generous and it seems to me fitting […]
Vegetarian
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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 […]
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Peppers Make Summer Last Longer
As long as there are peppers at the farmers market, I can still believe in summer. I sort of understand how, come September, some people start feeling the pull of fall: bowls of steaming soup, glowing persimmons, roasted chestnuts. I love the warm colors of fall and my yearly pumpkin patch pilgrimage; I jump at […]
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A Multitude of Squash
I am not a fan of winter, mostly because of the short days. The only time the word winter brings a smile to my face is in winter squash, one of my favorite foods. Thanksgiving-related cooking activities dominate this week. While I have nothing to add to your tried-and-true set of recipes for turkey and […]
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Pizza by the Sea
When eating in Trinidad, it’s a totally understandable knee-jerk impulse to veer toward fish and chips, clam chowder or crab anything. It’s the seaside atmosphere. But are you overlooking the pizza? In the shadow of its older sibling the Lighthouse Grill and on the former site of the Bergeron Winery tasting room, Headies Pizza and […]
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What’s Good: Surprises
Pizza by the sea When eating in Trinidad, it’s a totally understandable knee-jerk impulse to veer toward fish and chips, clam chowder or crab anything. It’s the seaside atmosphere. But are you overlooking the pizza? In the shadow of its older sibling the Lighthouse Grill and on the former site of the Bergeron Winery tasting […]
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Meatless at the Barbecue Place
Most of the vegetarians at Shamus T Bones (1911 Truesdale St., Eureka) are on the walls — the taxidermied heads of deer, elk and buffalo looming in all directions. And yet the much-discussed Beyond Beef burger ($13.99 with a side) has landed here with its “bleeding” patty of coconut oil, proteins from soy, potato and […]
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Lunch in the Lobby
Open for less than a month, Bandit Savory & Sweet (525 Second St., Eureka) is making itself at home in the lobby of the Vance in Old Town, its winking name and vintage aesthetic dovetailing with the revival of the landmark building. You might have sampled the baked goods before at the Friday Night Market. […]
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The Simple Pleasure of Lentils
On New Year’s Eve, a steaming pot of lentils with whole sausages and slices of traditional cotechino, large pork sausage, was always on the dinner menu at home in Perugia, Italy. In preparing this festive comfort dish, my mother followed a tradition meant to bring prosperity, as lentils have come to symbolize coins. As a […]
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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 […]
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Meet Kohlrabi
It is hard to pass by a basket of kohlrabi without stopping. Pale green or purple, this vegetable naturally attracts your gaze with its bulbous enlarged stem. The name kohlrabi comes, via German, from the Italian cavolo rapa and literally means turnip cabbage. It is not a turnip, though, but a cultivar of Brassica oleracea, […]
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Party in a Crepe
As you circle the hors d’oeuvre tables and snatch deviled eggs and skewered shrimp from passing servers at parties and openings, spare a thought for our introverted friends missing the spread. Even for the most outgoing among us, there are some people whose company is a high price to pay for a well-laid cheese platter. But […]