Also there was the honey tasting. We’d gone grocery shopping before we started the bread/cookie extravaganza and we bought two new types of honey. So we had to taste them (plus a few others we already had in our pantry) while the bread was rising… Chili Honey Sweet fire in a jar! I’ve never had […]

Our friend Dr. Sally Steindorf came over for dinner this evening, and we found out just how much this beautiful new kitchen has changed us. Especially me. Sally is a vegetarian, so we decided to make penne with fresh tomato sauce. No, not the red, gloppy business that comes in a jar labeled Pragoo, which […]

This turned out to be a fantastic recipe, one that we’ve since made a number of times. The dish makes excellent leftovers as well, since the flavors continue to meld and turn into a wonderful, delicious dish. Baked Beets with Dried Cranberries and Sun-Dried Tomatoes This recipe turned out to be “alchemical,” which is to […]

MENU: gazpacho with minced cucumber, onion & cilantro garnish angel hair pasta with cherry tomatoes, gorgonzola and fresh basil fresh baguette with anise honey fresh fruit vanilla ice cream store-bought butter cake (not gooey) chocolate chip cookies GUESTS: Michael Booth Austin Lines Austin’s Parents One thing I like about our new kitchen, something that keeps […]

Saffron Risotto INGREDIENTS: 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil 2 shallots, peeled and chopped 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads 1 1/2 cups arborio rice 1/2 cup dry white wine 6-7 cups vegetable stock 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus a little extra to garnish) salt and pepper to taste SERVES FOUR. Heat the butter or […]

MENU: walnut bread with fireweed jelly saffron risotto grilled salmon grilled beets salad grilled peppers chocolate chip cookies pear mouses GUESTS: Michael Booth Eric Mack Nelleke Mack Nick Metzger Michael caught the salmon for this meal on the Copper River in Alaska this summer, and he also made the fireweed jelly while he was up […]

I remember making pear mouses with my Grandma Pratt in Birmingham, MI when I was little (in the early 1980’s), but these are somewhat different. Here’s how to make the Serafini Pear Mouse: BODY: • 1/2 a fresh, ripe bartlett pear, peeled and cored Cut wedges into the pear half where the ears will go. […]