So many of our memories are forever entangled with the aromas and tastes of special dishes and special meals. We call them comfort foods but we all know that it’s not the food itself that comforts, but rather the memories that are triggered when the kitchen fills with the scent of baking bread, simmering spaghetti sauce, bubbling casseroles, fried chicken, sizzling bacon, or pancakes on the griddle. Continue reading →

Canned biscuits caused our ruination!

That was the subject of an e-mail I received after my last biscuit post. Who knew biscuits could stir such passion! Apparently, when canned biscuits made their debut, many women quit making them from scratch, even in the southern states.

Even in Tennessee where I’m from, when canned biscuits came out, women quit making homemade ones except for my grandmother who is 90 years old and still going strong. We live in Texas now and it amazes me how many people have never had a great homemade biscuit.

Carmen, the reader who sent the e-mail, went on to explain to me some of the real secrets of making great homemade biscuits and I am now forever in her debt! Continue reading →

I’ve never really eaten a paella because I’m just not much of a seafood eater. But I just watched the latest Mark Bittman video over at the New York Times and I’ve just become a paella convert.

Bittman suggests a much simpler version of the famously extravagant meat and fish-laden rice dish. His is Paella with Tomatoes. I am already a huge fan of tomato-based rice dishes but this paella, rich with saffron and smoked paprika and topped with lightly seasoned fresh tomatoes, looks absolutely amazing. Continue reading →

Like most of you, I read a lot of food blogs. It’s getting to the point now where you can find out just about anything you need to know about any kind of food just by searching food blogs alone.

But I’ve also come to realize that there are a lot of great blogs out there that have nothing to do with food. In fact, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer amount of good, entertaining writing floating around, free for the taking, on the web (I will get to the bumble bee part soon!). Continue reading →

I was lucky enough to stumble upon the Union Square Greenmarket on my very first morning in New York City. As I was jet-lagged and on a crazy sleeping schedule, I was up and out walking in midtown Manhattan at 5:30 a.m. It was a beautiful morning and the only people out were those with running shoes on their feet or dog leashes in hand. I had no idea where I was headed but sometimes there is nothing better than just wandering around a new city alone, absorbing the sights, sounds, and smells. Continue reading →

Just found an interesting tip over at Kalofagas - In Pursuit of Delicious Foods. Roast a big batch of peppers during the summer and freeze them for year-round use! Visit Kalofagas for instructions and while you’re there, check out Peter’s recipe for Htipiti dip - a Greek roasted red pepper dip.

One thing that I don’t talk enough about on this blog is music. But wait, you say. This a food blog, right? Yes, yes, I know. But ask me what the most important appliance in my kitchen is and I’ll tell you without hesitation that it’s my CD player. To me, a kitchen without music is a kitchen without life. Cooking is fun. But dancing around the kitchen with your favorite song turned up? That is living.

Speaking of favorite songs, I was recently asked to be a “Song of the Week” contributor over at The Plugg, one of my favorite entertainment blogs. Once a week, The Plugg writers offer up their favorite song picks, and it’s always a great and eclectic mix. But this week they decided to take a break and let some other bloggers contribute their favorites. If you want to listen to my pick for song of the week as well as see what some other bloggers are listening to, head over and check out The Plugg’s Song of the Week - Blogger Special.

Terry over at Blue Kitchen has a page on his site dedicated to the music playing in his kitchen. He calls it ‘What’s on the kitchen boombox?’, and I plan on copying his idea sometime soon (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?). But until I get my own music page set up, I’ll be filling you in a little more often on what I’m listening to in the kitchen. Hopefully, you’ll do the same! Today I’ve been listening to Rodrigo y Gabriela on my kitchen boombox, what are you listening to?