How is it already late January? Usually, the quiet weeks that follow the chaotic holiday season seem to drag on and spring seems like a mirage far off on the horizon. Here in Chicago, we are enjoying the violent extremes of midwestern weather with weeks of sub-zero temperatures punctuated by days in the mid-’50s when […]
Over the last several months I have been rigorously testing some cookware from legendary French maker Mauviel, and it has totally changed the way I cook. From searing meats to simmering velvety sauces or baking perfectly golden desserts, nothing cooks like copper. Even a thick steak won’t chill a hot copper skillet, and perfectly even […]
A few months ago I was having trouble sleeping and for some reason I kept waking up at 4:35am. I didn’t even need to look at the clock to know, I already knew before looking that it was 4:35. What does that mean? It went away for a while but recently it has started up […]
Women love shopping, and I’m no different. While most women are shopping for shoes and handbags; I would rather browse shops and markets for herbs, spices and fresh ingredients. My favorite section is produce, this is where I really get inspired and the ideas start flowing. Soups, stews, casseroles, salads, or just heirloom tomatoes and […]
I know, I know… apple galette’s, coq au vin, a decadent chocolate cake, casseroled artichokes and then I write a post about White Castle hamburgers. What is going on here? They’re called cravings people. We get cravings living overseas for food from home. Sometimes, lying in bed, we take turns naming things we miss most. If I […]
It all began on a cold February morning in 2000. I had a severe cold and a term paper due in twenty minutes that I had been up all night writing… As I was sitting in the computer lab adding the finishing touches and printing it out, I noticed a guy looking at me from […]
I don’t like Sundays. Who does? It’s the last day before a new week starts, before the hustle and bustle of a monday morning, a flood of emails, pointless meetings and never-ending projects. When I start to get the case of the “Sundays”, I think back to when it was the day when, like most […]
I went in the kitchen today to make a pasta salad and as I grabbed the vine to twist off a tomato, the scent of the vine hit me. It’s a lovely smell only vine-ripe tomatoes have, and one that takes me back to my childhood. Tomatoes hold a special place in my heart. I’ve always […]
A Cook's Canvas 