January is a good time to turn to simple food as we seek balance after December’s excesses. One of my favorite cookbooks to consult right now is Good Food from a Japanese Temple. And one of my favorite recipes from that book is Horenso no Neno Goma-Ae or Spinach Crowns with Sesame Dressing.
Flexibility is not an easy attribute for many people, yet being a cook (and a host) often requires advanced coping skills to adjust to constantly changing and often challenging circumstances. If we don’t have a little flexibility in us to begin with, you can be sure the kitchen will teach it to us in no time.
In November I reviewed — raved about! — The Canal House Cooking cookbook project by Christopher Hirsheimer and Melissa Hamilton. Read on for a review of one of my favorite (and seasonally appropriate) recipes from their latest volume: Fall and Holiday.
After all the (so delicious!) holiday indulgences, my body naturally craves clean, green and simple foods to bring me back to center. Here in San Francisco, we’re fortunate that nettles are showing up at the farmers’ markets, just in time to for a new year’s cure: a simple nettle tea that is healthy, balanced and comforting. Oh, and it tastes good, too. Perfect!
A farmers’ market in the deepest of winter is a magical thing, a miracle almost. Here on the temperate west coast, we have the privilege and pleasure of fresh produce in our winter markets but even so, the experience is one of restraint. For me, there is such beauty and discovery in this restraint, and abundance, too, if I open my eyes and slow down enough to receive the offerings of winter.
Merry, Happy and Joy, everyone! 2009 was a wonderful year in The Kitchn. I was so happy and inspired to be in the company of my fellow bloggers. Each week offered an opportunity to discover, explore and conjure up new tastes, handy tips and useful tools. Here are a few of my favorite posts.
Do you even notice the solstice? Does this time of year make you sleepy and sad, or full of energy and good cheer? Where will you be on the longest night of the year?
I’m paying an unexpected visit to my ancestral home in Wisconsin this week to take care of my mother who is recovering from surgery. It’s been an interesting few days so far, what with various medical administrations, a big winter storm (snow plus lightning!) that prompted a power outage, loss of heat, followed by sub-zero temperatures. Not to mention a new not-quite-housebroken puppy. Oh, and frozen drain pipes.
We all make mistakes. We also do bad, or at least not very helpful, things. We misread a situation, forget something important, say something stupid, follow an unwholesome impulse, act selfishly, cause harm, screw up.
The ability to say we’re sorry and extend our hand in peace is the mark of our courage, civility and compassion. When we back that up with a plate of homemade cookies, well, sometimes we can move heaven and earth.
The Canal House Cooking is a series of beautifully produced cookbooks that you can either subscribe to or purchase individually. Right now there are two volumes. Volume I is for Summer and Volume II, which was just released, is for Fall and Holiday cooking. Volume III will be released next year and will be for Winter/Spring. The series will continue, with Volume IV looping us back to Summer again.