• Clamming For The First Time

    Clamming For The First Time

    I don’t know if Instagram is making me seem like a good photographer or if I’m really a good photographer and I didn’t know that until I had Instagram. Either way, look at that picture I took of Craig standing on rocks the day we arrived on Eliza Island, where Craig’s parents have a cabin…

  • The Night People Paid To Eat My Food (A Charity Dinner in Bellingham)

    The Night People Paid To Eat My Food (A Charity Dinner in Bellingham)

    A few months ago–what seems like an eternity ago–Craig’s mom, Julee, asked if I’d be willing to donate a cookbook dinner for a charity auction to benefit the Whatcom Center for Early Learning in Bellingham, Washington, where she and Craig’s dad, Steve, live. I said, “Sure” and didn’t think twice about it. Of course I’d…

  • Fried Rice for Breakfast

    Fried Rice for Breakfast

    Along with my chickpea curry disaster, I’d made some white rice in my rice cooker that looked like it was going to go to waste. I could have made rice pudding but Craig hates rice pudding so I put the leftover rice in the refrigerator and forgot about it.

  • The Most Disgusting, Inedible Dinner I’ve Ever Cooked

    The Most Disgusting, Inedible Dinner I’ve Ever Cooked

    We all mistakes in the kitchen, even those of us who’ve been cooking ten years or longer. My mistakes are all documented here on the blog: The Pound Cake That Threw Up. The Fried Chicken That Wasn’t Crispy. The Blueberry Disaster. In all of these cases, the food was salvageable. The pound cake went back…

  • Something Happened At Rustic Canyon

    Something Happened At Rustic Canyon

    On Thursday night, we were supposed to go to dinner with Craig’s former boss and the boss’s wife. A work dinner, so to speak. “7:30 at Pizzeria Mozza,” said Craig, earlier in the day. Then, as 7:30 rolled around, Craig pulled me aside. “I told a white lie,” he said. “We’re not going out with…

  • Almond Cake with Plums

    Almond Cake with Plums

    “Take a risk or play it safe?” That was the question I asked myself the day before Besha Rodell and Rachel Shukert came over for dinner last week. Rachel I wasn’t nervous about. Even though I’d never met her before, I knew we’d click because we’re both musical theater geeks. The food would be secondary.…

  • Breakfast Crêpes with Eggs, Bacon and Cheese

    Breakfast Crêpes with Eggs, Bacon and Cheese

    Our first weekend in the new apartment and it was my mission to make breakfast. I’d carried a box of foodstuffs from our old refrigerator to the new refrigerator so as not to waste anything and that box contained perishables like eggs, bacon, butter and milk. In my pantry, I had flour, sugar and salt.…

  • The Kingston Negroni

    The Kingston Negroni

    Listen up, Negroni lovers. The other night I was with my parents at Hinoki and the Bird and, on the Negroni section of their drink menu, I spied a drink called The Kingston Negroni. The bartender heartily recommended it and so I gave my nod of approval. “Let’s do this thing,” I said, but not…

  • Oven-Broiled Eggplant Dip

    Oven-Broiled Eggplant Dip

    Remember that time I made a stovetop-charred eggplant dip (aka baba ganoush)? Really? You don’t remember that? Because that was like a week or two ago. You really ought to have your memory checked. Anyhoo, I realize that many of you may have been intimidated by the idea of stovetop charring. “Put an eggplant on…

  • Pasta with Chickpeas, Bacon and Spinach

    Pasta with Chickpeas, Bacon and Spinach

    We did a very smart thing this weekend: we invited friends over for dinner on Sunday night which forced us to finish unpacking and get our new place in order. Worked like a charm. By early Sunday evening, all of our boxes were unpacked, our furniture was properly placed and all of the lights were…