Monthly Archives: April 2009
Ruhlman’s Ratios are Kitchen Revelations
A rainy spring weekend is a great excuse to stay inside, read, and putter in the kitchen. I picked up my awaited copy of Michael Ruhlman‘s latest book (Ratio, The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking) at our … Continue reading
Equipment Failure
I realize that cooking equipment gets used in our house with greater frequency than in some American households, but it’s hardly America’s Test Kitchen here. There are only two people, and we don’t have guests for dinner every week, as … Continue reading
New Season of Friendship Circle
We’ve started a new round of Friendship Circle projects, and this time, we’ve simplified the process. Each hostess gets to choose a block that she’d like members of the group to make, for at least a portion of a quilt. … Continue reading
The End of an Era? Or the Dawning of a New One?
Yesterday started out as a typical Saturday. I was cooking, working on two recipes at once. I was making chocolate ice cream for a dinner we’re hosting on Thursday (It took 30 plus years of cooking until I really understood … Continue reading
Thanks, Adelia!
Last month we went to Oklahoma to a wedding, and to visit some long time friends of DH’s family. One of these friends is Adelia H, who has been a foodie much longer than being a foodie has been chic. … Continue reading
The Whoopie Pie Adventure
A good friend of ours who is a chocolate fiend recently had a birthday. It’s fun to make her birthday treats because both she and her beloved (a coworker) are so appreciative. Knowing that C & M both love chocolate … Continue reading
Quick Tomato Sauce
To accompany our homemade pasta this weekend, we tried out a new recipe from Cook’s Illustrated (May & June, 2009 issue). According to Keith Dresser, who wrote the article and did the recipe testing, high quality canned tomatoes are the … Continue reading
Homemade pasta all’uova, in moda moderna
I am the type of person who would like to move to Emilia Romagna for a month to have some elderly woman teach me the proper way to make homemade fresh pasta by hand, and to spend a month or … Continue reading


