tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52930762012-01-12T02:48:53.563-08:00Based in Berkeley, California, Love and Cooking offers Charlotte's home recipes, experiences feeding the multitudes, restaurant reviews, and other food-related musings. The title is from a "Rules for Life" item often attributed to H.H. the Dalai Lama: "Approach love and cooking with great abandon". Lately I am also heeding the wise words of my friend Serene: "Food isn't love. Feeding people is love."Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.comBlogger2471100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-40639118677396655292011-03-22T20:12:00.000-07:002011-03-22T20:31:22.594-07:00

I just had a clean-out-the-fridge (on rec.food.cooking we call this "Musgovian" - must-go) soup that was incredibly delicious but probably not reproducable. The principles, however, are good. On Friday I made the Chicken in a Pot from Dorie Greenspan's excellent "Around My French Table". That, in itself, was an excellent exercise in Fridge Management because it gave me something to do with all

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-39382801732779106392011-01-20T19:20:00.000-08:002011-01-20T19:28:15.890-08:00

Well, as I just finished writing that last post musing about friends who had passed untimely, I got a call from a friend saying that one of our mutual friends, one of the leading lights of the http://www.ship-of-fools.com forums, had died unexpectedly.Erin loved Tim Tams - she considered the poor availability of them in the US a sign of degeneracy in the nation - so I'm reprising one of my

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-18670761691238904952011-01-03T19:08:00.000-08:002011-01-03T21:58:22.944-08:00

Has it been almost three years since I've updated? It feels like longer. I *have* been There and Back Again, through the lands of Overworked then Unemployed, dead cameras, dead dishwasher, dead fridge, and too many dead friends. I think of Leila (http://bedouina.typepad.com/) every time I make hummus. I could help feed a funeral crowd, and last January I made chili mac for 140 with exactly 2.5

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-57867564687996354782008-02-04T08:56:00.000-08:002008-02-04T09:22:48.943-08:00

Since most of my friends and I are not much in the Football Fan department, my big foodie weekend was the weekend before the Superbowl, where I did a lot of the food production for our Annual Meeting. (More later on our easy pizza dough recipe, and mini-quiches with puff pastry crusts. Those latter are definitely a "party in your pantry" as they can be cooked from frozen.)This past week, I

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-58131938802306323692008-01-26T15:43:00.001-08:002008-01-26T15:53:57.126-08:00

I have a young friend at the church who is allergic to dairy. His name is Patrick and he is in first grade. He is a good kid and a pretty good sport about things. I have started using Earth Balance in some of my baking so he can have something to snack on. (I have also learned what common kid snacks have dairy in them or not. I can report that Nilla wafers are safe for the Sunday school.)

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-21561748728223027382008-01-01T15:03:00.000-08:002008-01-01T15:19:17.427-08:00

I'm trying to get back more in the blogging habit in 2008, so expect more regular updates.I've got the monster sinus thing that seems to be running around, so a lot of my diet recently has been Chicken Soup, Tea, and Toast. After I do some decluttering (I think I'm up for a short round of kitchen clean-up before the next meds-and-nap cycle), I might make my cross between minestrone and Italian

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-63953453454948387662007-05-26T17:36:00.000-07:002007-05-26T17:56:12.390-07:00

Is this thing on?Well, I have now joined the ranks of the "cool kids" and become the Featured Local Blogger in a news feature. I was interviewed by the Oakland Tribune for their piece on vegan cooking. The featured recipe was Josephine's Lenten Chocolate Cake, from Sam's"I can't believe I ate vegan!" IMBB contest.It's not a full-on book tour (with segment on the Today Show!), a full

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-83851774577147112502007-04-06T16:08:00.000-07:002007-04-06T16:15:07.496-07:00

12 dozen peanut butter cup cookies - done, to be delivered to church tonight4 dozen mini-quiches (asparagus and goat cheese) - done, to be delivered(Why, yes, all the pans I found myself with after Christmas have come in handy.)Banana bread - in progress (raisins done, bananas defrosted, might do tonight or tomorrow am)Punch materials - purchasedBefore I leave tonight:start boiling eggs for

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-74252100422984764682007-03-13T16:21:00.000-07:002007-03-13T16:41:19.498-07:00

For years, I have been going to the Homemade Cafe in Berkeley, and not even bothering to look at the menu, because I know what I want.Huevos Rancheros.Two eggs on a tortilla over easy, topped with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa.Served with spicy black beans, some more tortillas, and a pile of the best homefries in town.I would waddle back home, contented, and not need to eat for the

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1157422796606065912006-09-04T18:54:00.000-07:002006-09-04T19:19:56.623-07:00

Before I completely forget here, I was part of the Second Annual Food Blogger's Picnic. It was at the fab Owen's house in Lafayette - pool, deck, the works.I was a bit tired because I had gotten very sunburned at the Giants game the day before (how often do people get sunburned in San Francisco, eh?) and had done coffee hour at the church that morning.I brought Kahlua truffles, and they

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1153276263701930682006-07-18T19:24:00.000-07:002006-07-18T19:31:03.713-07:00

I have had many food-related adventures in the last almost two months.I had my first frybread and a kick-ass green chile burger in Santa Fe.Peaches and tomatoes are in the market. Which I have started going to again.I had some New York style pizza that made me aware of what the damn fuss was about.I met Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini on her whirlwind US road trip. (Yes, she is as lovely and

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1148864359608464422006-05-28T17:44:00.000-07:002006-05-28T17:59:19.620-07:00

I am still not cooking much, although I have ventured into the area of preparing some (very basic) food for myself. I'm almost back up to something resembling "real" food prep. (Trader Joe's has really been my friend lately.) A few observations:I went to Poulet on Shattuck for the first time in forever because Shuna is doing the desserts there these days. I missed out on the caramel cake (that

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1147822737614200842006-05-16T16:35:00.000-07:002006-05-16T16:40:59.266-07:00

As someone who has been involved in TEH INTARWEB!!1! for a while, I think that the current moves to kill "net neutrality" are killing the goose that laid the golden egg of the high-tech boom.Help save the net. Write your congresscritter.Thanks, as is not infrequent in this sort of endeavor, to the fabulous Pim.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1145313890871577842006-04-17T15:33:00.000-07:002006-04-17T15:44:50.880-07:00

It was a busy Holy Week for me in various kitchens, despite still being low energy.Palm Sunday evening - per an inspiration from Nosheteria, I made savory palmiers with Pepperidge Farm puff pastry and goodies from Trader Joe's spreads section inside for the Evensong reception. The experiment in Liturgically Correct Food paid off. Wednesday - made a double batch of dough for Mom's Peanut Butter

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1143425442082263762006-03-26T18:05:00.000-08:002006-03-26T18:10:50.896-08:00

hot cross buns.I have the meshugginah notion that I will make hot cross buns for the parish Easter breakfast. It is meshugginah because I will spend most of Saturday at the church, not home in my kitchen, can guarantee that I will be exhausted when I get home, and need to be at the church around 5 am on Easter.But I pulled several recipes from rec.food.cooking and am going through them. My

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1142345748058543302006-03-14T06:10:00.000-08:002006-03-14T06:15:48.070-08:00

but not cooking much. The only big food news is that I made truffles for the church evensong reception (the guest artist is a special friend of the congregation) and the crowd went wild. I did discover that Fatapple's bakery now sells something they call "Ollallieberry twists", which is o-berries and custard in a puff pastry container. What's not to like?Also, Trader Joe's now sells New Mexico

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1140479213847239592006-02-20T15:31:00.000-08:002006-02-20T15:59:01.403-08:00

Ingredients:50 cans cannellini beans (from the Alameda County Community food bank ... boy, was that a lucky find, given what I already had in mind. Look, ma, no soaking.)One bag onions from Costco (chopped ... the first volunteer to arrive was Tricia, an ex-caterer, and she had those whipped in no time. It was a joy to watch.)Two costco bags celery hearts (chopped)about 20 lb Aidell's

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1140479517868342552006-02-15T19:47:00.000-08:002006-02-20T15:52:37.293-08:00

I had Monday off, and went to the Microsoft SF office for a mini-seminar, so went in early and had lunch at the Ferry Building market: The thing that really made me go "YUM" were the rosemary potato chips at Petite LuLu's. The salmon sandwich was "ehh" and I was similarly not-terribly-impressed by the spring rolls (what I call "summer rolls") at Out the Door. Is there something there that

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1139975547251850382006-02-14T19:35:00.000-08:002006-02-14T19:52:27.266-08:00

I've been making these recipes for so long I haven't even felt the need to record it here so I can refer to it. I got the dipped truffle recipe from my friend Kay Hartman of Los Angeles via rec.food.cooking. The rolled truffles were from a Fine Cooking article. The dipped truffles are a multi-day process; not much work is required every day but things do need to chill. It sounds more

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1139689865580606552006-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:002006-02-11T12:31:05.593-08:00

I've got one batch of chocolate truffles mostly done (and half distributed at the Farmer's Market) and have raspberries for the second, waiting to have enough energy to deal with them. It's how I deal with V Day - spreading the chocolate luuuuuv. Recipe with pix to follow when I edit the pix, which I took last time I made a batch ... but was too knackered to post about due to Weird Things

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1139687917060858942006-02-08T20:52:00.000-08:002006-02-11T11:58:37.073-08:00

At the Fatted Calf stall last Saturday, I saw the fabulous Guy of MeatHenge ... with bags full of winter veg. I was interested to see what he had in mind for the cauliflower and then caught up on my blog reading enough to see this entry from Chez Panisse Vegetables. Oh my. I'm thinking a version with broccoli and cauli ... and it would be good wrapped in a tortilla, for dinner.Since I am

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1138582404340047962006-01-29T16:26:00.000-08:002006-01-29T17:01:58.116-08:00

I love noodles, in just about any form. They are definitely one of my favorite comfort foods. I have branched out from the spaghetti-and-meatballs and mac cheese/mac salad of my childhood into all sorts of international noodle territory and I don't think I've met one I haven't liked. So I was glad when I learned of Amy's theme for IMBB #22.I had grand visions of whipping up some Pad Thai, but

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1138366604426765152006-01-27T04:40:00.000-08:002006-01-27T04:57:25.713-08:00

I've used my new rectangular springform pan (from King Arthur Flour) twice already to make lemon bars. I'm always on the search for a better lemon bar, and Alison from Bake Sale Betty told me that her stunningly good ones were based on a recipe of Alice Medrich, in the book "Cookies and Brownies". The book seems to be OP, but I had given my mother a copy of it a while back - it's the source of

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1137989561793590152006-01-21T18:50:00.000-08:002006-01-22T20:12:41.840-08:00

We ran into a little problem with our monthly Feeding the Multitudes exercise.Shortly after New Year's, a lot of plaster fell dramatically from the ceiling in the parish hall, where we set up and serve. It could have been all the *#$% rain, it could have been sheer old age - that part of the building dates from 1914.In any case, the room was declared by management to be Unfit for Occupation. No

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1137462915380254652006-01-16T17:55:00.000-08:002006-01-16T18:07:10.800-08:00

I had the day off today, so managed to eat a dinner that was not completely or substantially pre-prepared. I made roast chicken and potatoes. I used the "Cook the Chook!" spice rub my pal Tammy gave to me after Christmas. That felt good.In other food news, I swung by Bakesale Betty today after I took Maggie to the vet (the verdict: "thriving") and picked up my prescription. Betty is now open

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1136774715356158452006-01-08T18:29:00.000-08:002006-01-08T18:45:15.373-08:00

Lawrence Bliss is the happy winner of the L&C raffle prize in the Menu for Hope II raffle. He will not be recieving curd, as he lives in Maine. But here's a picture anyway of a jar I made New Year's Day: I will be sending some Sacramento County Meyer lemons, some Berkeley-manufactured Scharffen Berger, and some gizmos and recipes as soon as The Cold From Hell subsides enough so that I have

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1135996456600267622005-12-30T18:26:00.000-08:002005-12-30T18:34:16.600-08:00

It's been wet here lately. As I was going home tonight I was wondering what to have for dinner. I had a slight hankering for tuna-noodle casserole, but that would have involved going to the store for cheese. Other supplies are a little bare at the moment because I "ate down" before Christmas and have eaten through the turkey breast that I got sent home with.But en route I thought that I could

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1135995961974152562005-12-27T20:18:00.000-08:002005-12-30T18:26:12.013-08:00

I had a Most Excellent Christmas from a foodie perspective - good food, good wine, and great gifts.Brother got me some goodies from the Baker's Catalogue (*Go King Arthur!*)Mom and Dad got me a KitchenAid mixer bowl and two wonderful cookbooks I had requested - More from Magnolia (mmmm cupcakes) and Cooking One on One.Santa left me lots of lovely coffee from Boulevard Coffee and Tea, Dad's

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1135995524403502342005-12-23T22:02:00.000-08:002006-02-14T20:13:51.230-08:00

As my grandmother Alice always said, "It's the day before the day before".I got to go home early today. I wanted to, because I am providing goodies for the Christmas coffee hour on Sunday.After the incredible stress of the past week and more, it was good to get home and do something relatively uncomplicated like BAKE.My efforts were not met with unmitigated success - I burned my first batch of

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1134534174434683712005-12-13T19:57:00.000-08:002005-12-13T20:24:04.476-08:00

The fabulous Pim has once again blown me away with her energy, enthusiasm, and her GREAT BIG HEART.A Menu for Hope is a foodblogger event in support of Unicef's relief efforts for the Kashmir earthquake. "Donation fatigue" seems to have set in post the tsunami and American hurricanes, and many people are still in desperate need of our help. Some absolutely fabulous prizes are being raffled

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1134532633733204442005-12-11T08:54:00.000-08:002005-12-13T19:57:13.750-08:00

Well, no more disasters after Friday night. I was unable to find the Medrich lemon bar recipe I copied out on T-day, so ended up making something from Luscious Lemon Desserts instead.It's cooling now. We'll see if it works. The locusts will no doubt devour it.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1134229781447998552005-12-09T20:40:00.000-08:002005-12-10T07:49:41.456-08:00

I finally made something in the Actually Functioning Oven last weekend - Delia's Christmas Cake. I (stupidly) forgot to put a pan under it, which apparently caused some leakage.Tonight I went to Trader Joe's after work and picked up some eggs for this weekend's baking adventures - I am going to try Alice Medrich's lemon bars and hope they are as good as the ones at Bake Sale Betty's - and I got

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1133057331966535012005-11-26T17:56:00.000-08:002005-11-26T18:11:07.656-08:00

The gallon of cream I bought at Costco has been mostly used. I am going to make a couple of more batches of truffles, but most of it got used at various dinners, for Kahlua Eggnogs, and for my cousins' other grandmother's (may she rest in peace) cranberry-marshmallow-whipped cream salad.I got lots of pix of truffle-making, which shortly I will write up with recipe (the better for holiday

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1132524597475247092005-11-20T13:31:00.000-08:002005-11-20T14:09:57.493-08:00

On Friday I took the day off so I could go shopping with the folks who obtain the food for our Feeding-the-Homeless gig at the Alameda County Community Food Bank. It was a eye-opener.We serve 120+ dinners and 100+ sack lunches once a month (third Saturday). We need to work within the parameters of what's available the Friday before, as we have no storage to speak of. This requires creativity

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1132025127884637232005-11-14T18:44:00.000-08:002005-11-14T19:25:27.896-08:00

I did actually do some cooking over the weekend. Yay me! It's been a while. The schedule and the energy level haven't been conducive.I made some Creole Stuff a la Janine (no green beans or zukes this time). I also did some Power Baking for the church's Evensong/Organ Recital reception. I also made a double batch of hummus.I made some of Barb's Famous Orgasmic Brownies. I had a *preen*

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1131833204964593772005-11-12T13:49:00.000-08:002005-11-12T14:06:44.976-08:00

The charming Clare's planned hiatus from hosting Weekend Cat Blogging took a nasty turn when she and Kiri were attacked by a dog, landing her in hospital. To make things worse, poor Kiri is getting blamed ('cause he ended up biting Clare, a lot).I don't have anything "hearty" to send Clare, Casey, and Kiri, but I do have a funny photo of Maggie doing-what-kittens-do to hopefully at least bring a

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1130620219435152772005-10-29T13:38:00.000-07:002005-10-29T14:13:58.276-07:00

The charming Clare at Eat Stuff is inviting everyone to the adorable Kiri's birthday party!Maggie (who celebrated her first birthday in late July) is here in her best bib and tucker: Is she cute or what??! (She was about six months old at the time. She still tries to crawl out sleeves, but she is a lot larger now so she usually gets stuck.)Two of my very favorite and very social cats have

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1130020045039001372005-10-22T15:21:00.000-07:002005-10-22T16:04:17.226-07:00

I finally had one of the donuts available at the Farmer's Market at the Bennett Valley Bakery stall.It was filled with lemon curd.I became one of those "walk obliviously down the aisle" people as I made sure all that curd got into my mouth.(I was there to buy some broccoli rabe and some Calabrese sausage from Fatted Calf, because the rapini-and-Calabrese pasta I made last week was Most Excellent.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1129499207164952092005-10-16T14:18:00.000-07:002005-10-16T14:46:47.173-07:00

Has it been over two weeks since I updated my blog? I guess it has. I haven't been high-energy in the kitchen lately; was working hard, and coming down with a cold, so wasn't cooking much (if at all). As a note on how hard I've been working and how tired I was, I haven't even been reading food (or other) blogs much. (And I got hit by a wave of comment spam. Verification is now on.)I got all

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1128049333839379522005-09-29T20:01:00.000-07:002005-09-30T18:07:00.060-07:00

Apologies for the blurry quality of the image, I took this pic at an odd angle. I am a dedicated omnivore and am no stranger to eating vegan (no meat, no fish, no dairy, and no eggs). One of my favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants in town, Vegi Food, is 100% vegan and everything there is incredibly tasty. The Asparagus with Black Bean Sauce I did for IMBB #11 (and as an early IMBB participant

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1127687323838769022005-09-25T14:55:00.000-07:002005-09-25T15:28:43.846-07:00

I haven't been doing a lot of cooking lately; my physical strength is inching back up towards "normal" but work has been taking it out of me. Interestingly enough I haven't been in the kitchen much during our Feed-the-Homeless gig; I've been working the front of the house, in training for coordinating the whole shebang. (If you'd like to help, we do it on the afternoon of the third Saturday

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1126751657907683192005-09-14T19:14:00.000-07:002005-09-14T19:34:45.096-07:00

Four years and three days ago (I have been a bit busy), I woke up way too late to get to work on time to what I thought was NPR's version of "War of the Worlds", because I couldn't believe that what was coming out of the radio was true.There was a dinner that night, or maybe it was the next night, with my freaked out ex-New Yorker friends, one of whom had a double whammy because her brother in

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1125954117298096072005-09-05T12:00:00.000-07:002005-09-14T19:46:14.050-07:00

For this weekend's special NOLA-themed Paper Chef event, I was inspired by Janine, a South Louisiana Cajun lady of my online acquaintance, who put together something very similar in her crock-pot for a Mardi Gras gathering of people from the group (at which I was sadly not present) and posted her guidelines to the group's ongoing recipe thread. It was the holy Louisiana food trinity of

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1125761034571566102005-09-03T08:15:00.000-07:002005-09-03T08:23:54.580-07:00

Jill at Cookies in Heaven made a comment on my last post that was way too great an idea to leave buried in comments. I challenge other food bloggers to give aid to those who worked in the food industry and made New Orleans so flavorful:New Orleans Hospitality Workers Disaster Relief Fund A fund has been established to benefit employees of the hospitality industry of the Greater New Orleans area

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1125628752985999382005-09-01T19:31:00.000-07:002005-09-03T09:05:58.470-07:00

I have been utterly stunned at the extent of the one-two punch in the Crescent City and in the MS/AL gulf. I think that every city in this land should have a jazz funeral to commemorate the dead and the diaspora, and do Fat Tuesday/crawfish feeds for relief charity. I challenge food bloggers to do something on their blogs to salute one of the Great Food Towns on the Planet. (I am, alas,

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1125369961790332702005-08-29T19:37:00.000-07:002005-08-29T19:46:01.790-07:00

Sam has posted the roundup for her "Be Rachael Ray for the Day" challenge and it is well worth reading:Around the World in $40 DaysIt was big fun ... I seem to not be alone in not having had banh mi at Saigon Cuisine in SF (banh mi almost figured in my day, but I decided to keep within walking distance) but I certainly am probably the last foodie in the area to have not had pastries at

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124667619377754982005-08-22T18:39:00.000-07:002005-08-24T06:56:51.593-07:00

In the spirit of the Eat Local Challenge sponsored by Jen at Life Begins at 30, my entries in Sam's Dine and Dish #4 challenge (aka "Be Rachael Ray for the Day" - I've never seen any of Rachael's shows because I don't have cable and barely watch TV, and in my current anemic condition, I Don't Do Perky) are all from places walking distance from my house in west Berkeley, California, and on or very

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124768175394193332005-08-21T20:23:00.000-07:002005-08-22T20:36:15.400-07:00

Today would have been my grandfather's 100th birthday. He was both a loving man and a forceful personality and I still miss him, eighteen years after his death.Foodwise, he was famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it ... my mother and her sibs all became excellent cooks in adulthood, no doubt in rebellion) for a number of things. He was a trout fisher par excellence and a Mighty

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124564347037763202005-08-20T11:53:00.000-07:002005-08-20T16:18:47.320-07:00

I found this on the "non-fruiting" passiflora vine on the front fence:I've seen "fruit" before, but very rarely. Must have something to do with the weird climate conditions we've had this year.Unfortunately it was far less tasty than it looked. In other news, I'm still eating out a lot, but am thinking I'm up for some low-impact cooking this week. I want to make minestrone (the disadvantage to

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124332678344287992005-08-17T19:31:00.000-07:002005-08-17T19:39:05.290-07:00

Steve aka Manboy of the Blue Bottle Blog has posted about attempting to settle "it" (whatever "it" was) with Biggles at the Food Bloggers' Get-Together.He didn't settle "it" but he acquired a helper in the form of Tiny E: who looks well on the way to the Barista Hall of Fame: Thanks, Steve, for the perfect finish to a wonderful meal!

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124242831296207702005-08-16T18:32:00.000-07:002005-08-16T18:40:31.303-07:00

Lots of lovely photos, and a much better memory than I have for names, from:Our HostSamFatemehAmyand the BunrabsPics of the Shuna Pie (which I stupidly did not photograph) and All. That. Meat. I didn't get any of the beef, but it's not like I went hungry. Reminded me of rec.food.cooking events: arrive early (with lots of food), prepare some more on site, keep eating, stay late, waddle home.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1124080179200095922005-08-14T21:08:00.000-07:002005-08-17T19:30:35.393-07:00

Bay Area food bloggers got a chance to "meet and greet" at the home of MeatHenge's Dr. Biggles. What are you looking at, foo?Fatemeh, Sam, Amy, and Jen co-hosted. The weather was fine, the company was great, and the food and drink was beyond outstanding.I was a little later than planned because I attended the 10 am service today and there was birthday cake and what turned out to be extended

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123819081351303502005-08-11T20:51:00.000-07:002005-08-11T20:58:01.356-07:00

Well, I've been eating out more this week; definitely a function of being too sick and tired to cook last weekend. But I have my cash card back, so I've been goin' out! I am trying to do very local places as prep for Sam's Dine and Dish challenge (Note: some graphics may not be work safe on that last link).More on my slap-up dinner at Sea Salt, the hot new fish place in my neighborhood, when

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123474754121397082005-08-07T20:46:00.000-07:002005-08-07T21:19:14.126-07:00

It's been a pretty bad week, healthwise, at L&C headquarters. But the food wasn't bad, and I mostly managed to feed myself (instead of getting meals out). Although when I had to get some prescription medicine, I thought it was a Sign from God that I should get lunch at the fabulous Genova Deli, because I keep my prescriptions at the pharmacy next door to it. The roast beef sandwich (my

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122948409801356842005-08-01T18:49:00.000-07:002005-08-02T19:56:21.306-07:00

Famous local foodblogger and all around Cool Dood Dr. Biggles of Meathenge decided to get some more ideas for not-horribly-complicated weeknight cooking by holding a contest.Now since I am a home cook and like to keep it simple, I was all over this one. I did a whole series of posts on it. Quickie lunch, dinner strategies, a quick and flexible dessert, and my favorite dinner in Real Tomato

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122860684478011382005-07-31T15:38:00.000-07:002005-07-31T18:44:44.483-07:00

Yesterday I went up to the foothills with my parents to attend a soiree (food and tastings) at Sierra Vista Winery. My parents have visited this winery many, many times and were among the first of their "club" members. The nibbles were first-rate - excellent bread and cheese (an Affinois that was like buttah), grilled veggies, and quite tasty roast pork with aragula and aoili sandwiches on

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122437123971819162005-07-26T20:57:00.000-07:002005-07-27T18:18:58.746-07:00

The basil went in a sudden decline after our 90 F day Saturday. I checked it this morning and two of the three bunches (the two older ones) had noticeable die-back. I see pesto in my very near future!I went to the Tuesday FM to avoid being basil-less next week (I will be leaving town before the market on Saturday) and got a bunch that was already rooted and so tall I need to keep it in my large

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122387354782335212005-07-26T07:14:00.000-07:002005-07-26T07:15:54.786-07:00

According to a friend of mine (and I haven't checked this out yet), Hershey has bought Scharffen-berger.Remains to be seen what will happen as a result. In the best of all possible worlds, Hershey will not mess with the product, but it will open up its distribution channels.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122245091823756462005-07-24T15:26:00.000-07:002005-07-24T15:44:51.830-07:00

It's Sunday, and I have a confession (food related) to make.While I have been pimping out my favorite recipes and tricks for getting dinner on the table ... which in my case usually also means getting lunch to work with me ... I have just had a not-very-enthusiastic week in the kitchen and I just haven't really been practicing what I preached.Bagging peach chutney in favor of peach crisp (with

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122149433831519732005-07-23T12:55:00.000-07:002005-07-23T13:10:33.840-07:00

The basil I bought at least three weeks ago from Terra Firma Farms is still going strong and looks much better off than the basil purchased after it, and stored under the same conditions (in my kitchen in a mason jar full of water). This bunch has definitely rooted, which is why I will, in future, buy my summer basil from TF.I took that photo last week, but it still looks good. (Yes, I am

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122145037384370902005-07-23T11:29:00.000-07:002005-07-31T19:16:41.720-07:00

I'm still looking for a no-fail-for-me pie crust (must try the Kitchen Aid method again ... maybe next time with Plugra to reduce the water content), but in the meantime, there is summer fruit to be consumed.Occasionally our Feeding the Multitudes exercise at the church gets fruit (I have to ask if it's from the food bank or it gets bought at Costco like the milk, butter, and salad greens), which

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1122086047902268332005-07-22T18:47:00.000-07:002005-07-28T06:34:51.690-07:00

I love tomatoes. I have High Tomato Standards because I grew up in the southern Sacramento Valley, where a lot of commercial tomato-growing happens. My mother, who taught me a lot about produce, knew all the farm stands on her regular routes and was always stopping to get some. Several years ago I discovered heirloom tomatoes at the Farmer's Market and was transported back to the sun-ripened

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1121818346955504322005-07-19T18:01:00.000-07:002005-07-19T19:10:37.410-07:00

When I come home from work, I've usually had a day full of solving other people's problems, I'm tired, and I don't want to spend too long on my feet cooking. I also don't want to eat too late, as I find that I start gaining weight when I do so consistently. I used to resort to take-out and plain (butter and cheese, or store-bought pesto sauce) pasta a lot, but have expanded my weeknight horizons

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1121658379353041292005-07-16T20:14:00.000-07:002005-07-17T20:47:45.440-07:00

I got the idea of purchasing Italian-style olive-oil packed tuna from the estimable Meg formerly of ba.food, rec.food.cooking, and the like. She stated that she had it in her earthquake supply kit, because if she was going to have to eat cold food from cans, she wanted it to be good.One summer day I got the idea of opening up a can as the centerpiece of a salade nicoise, and the rest was

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1121350972959772732005-07-14T07:15:00.000-07:002005-07-14T07:22:52.966-07:00

Plans to catch up on blogging (including putting some pictures on entries now that I got a new camera cable) have been foiled by a couple of things. Will try to catch up soon.In food news, this week has been remarkable so far for two things:1. Went out with Ayse on Tuesday night to Angel Fish, which was The. Best. Sushi. Ever. And now I can find the place again (it's on Bay Farm Island, so is

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120535641305628802005-07-04T20:33:00.000-07:002005-07-15T18:56:58.913-07:00

For me, July 4 is not about the fireworks ... it's about the food. The old rec.food.cooking guard has a potluck.So it's cook, cook, cook all morning and eat and drink all afternoon.I made the cherry buckle. It was well recieved (as it should have been ... I had the Quality Control piece shortly after I arrived).I also made something suggested in a piece about Thomas Jefferson's garden in the

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120484789541702082005-07-03T18:41:00.000-07:002005-07-04T06:46:29.546-07:00

With all the summer produce just bursting around here, what did I have a strong jones for yesterday afternoon and go to the store for milk for?Scalloped potatoes, that's what.Okay, I've been thinking about them to go with the last of the ham for a couple of days. No real recipe - slice potatoes and soak in a mix of butter, milk, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup because that's how my momma made

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120357257784445382005-07-02T18:52:00.000-07:002005-07-02T19:20:57.790-07:00

Or, "I need to get out more".It was bad enough that I learned of Bittersweet Chocolate Cafe through Stephanie, who lives in Chicago for Gawd's sake, when I used to live pretty near College Avenue myself. OK, so Stephanie used to live here, but still.Clara from the church was the one who told me that the cafe at University and Acton (for you non-locals, that's really close to my house) was the

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120355309689964752005-07-01T13:41:00.000-07:002005-07-02T18:49:35.496-07:00

The cherries held on my tree pretty well over my vacation: As is traditional, I will be bringing something cherry to a late-June/July 4 rec.food.cooking event. This year I have enough that I think it will be a cherry version of Fruit Buckle. This will give me an excuse to finally use my birthday present to myself, the bargain Kitchenaid: I consulted the LJ Food Porn community about struesel

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120358630785396002005-06-29T21:41:00.000-07:002005-07-02T19:43:50.790-07:00

I had a long meeting at work today and an even longer one at the church for the web committee.I was really really glad that I laid in a supply of Dagoba chocolate. The lavendar with blueberries was just the thing to calm me in between, and after. No thoughts of homicide, or the bottle. (I think my period is about to start. I am craving chocolate. The Green and Blacks I got in Colorado is

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120354653095840222005-06-29T06:32:00.000-07:002005-07-02T18:37:33.096-07:00

I had time issues before I went off to NM/Colorado, and have been busy since then. But I got a couple of minutes to edit a photo of my birthday dinner at the fabulous Cafe Rouge: Now that's a steak!

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120354319923883232005-06-28T21:18:00.000-07:002005-07-02T18:31:59.930-07:00

Each year during June I eagerly check the Farmers' Markets for signs of heirloom tomatoes. Well, I was busy during mid-June this year, but I went off to the Saturday market to say hi to Biggles and found that, despite the late rains, that the heirlooms were starting to appear.They aren't in their full glory yet (a couple of weeks should do that) but here are some of the ones that came home with

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1120360477523292492005-06-27T20:05:00.000-07:002005-07-02T20:14:37.526-07:00

Being away for a week plus really has meant a break in the kitchen; I was trying to eat it down before I left, and a lot of what got left got thrown out this weekend.I stocked up with food at Trader Joe's, Cheese Board, and the Farmers' Market.I also ended up in the church kitchen without planning to as I got a somewhat distressed call on Saturday and ended up helping with coffee hour, even

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1119835283325503272005-06-25T18:13:00.000-07:002005-07-02T18:18:19.863-07:00

It's hard to remember this sometimes in the fogbelt, and I was a bit swoonier than usual due to my return from the Actual Hot Weather.But, at the Farmer's Market to see Biggles take over the Selling of the MEAT at the Fatted Calf stall, I found ...The seasons's first HEIRLOOM TOMATOES!Tomato Sandwich, here I come. Pix when my computer recognizes my camera again. Edited to add: Here's Biggles

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1119740106989525062005-06-24T20:21:00.000-07:002005-06-25T15:55:06.993-07:00

For anyone visiting Albuquerque or the Santa Fe area, I can recommend the following dining establishments. All but the place in Taos have been enjoyed by yours truly on her recent whirlwind tour, and my friends vouch for the Taos place. Albuquerque:Church Street Cafe (Casa de Ruiz), on Church Street behind San Felipe de Neri on the Plaza - I had the spinach stacked enchiladas. Twice. Ask to

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1119283806299075652005-06-20T09:02:00.000-07:002005-06-20T09:10:06.303-07:00

I spent 2.5 days last week in New and Improved Mexico last week and enjoyed the fine local cuisine, including my intro to breakfast burritos NM-style (covered with chile) and sopapillas at the restaurant in Chimayo. (Highly recommended to foodies visiting the area.) I had previously been acquainted with stacked (NM style) enchiladas, but had a great one in Albuquerque at the Church Street Cafe

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1118460488484794012005-06-10T20:24:00.000-07:002005-06-10T20:28:08.486-07:00

Haven't been cooking much this week; hot weather, a houseguest, and leftovers from the get-together I had on Saturday.That was remarkable for two things: the non-puffing pita (I thought I knew what I was doing when I modified things ... I didn't) and the incredibly delicious frozen thingies from the halal grocer that were pureed potatoes in pastry cases. mmmmm potato puffs.Title is because I

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123940165959192272005-06-01T22:34:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:37:16.533-07:00

Sopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup)Chicken BrothCurried Lentil SoupRoasted Tomato SoupMinestroneItalian Wedding SoupGazpacho

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123940050726274482005-06-01T21:22:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:34:10.733-07:00

Master Recipe for Crisp ToppingBarb Schaller's Famous Orgasmic Chocolate BrowniesMeyer Lemon MarmaladeApple PieIMBB#10: Triple Ginger CookiesIMBB#10: Robert's Chocolate CookiesIMBB#10: Mom's Peanut Butter Cup CookiesIMBB#8: Bill's Kahlua EggnogIMBB#8: Domestic Goddess Banana BreadIMBB#7: Apple-Blackberry DumplingsSummer Berry PieMom's Lemon CurdFruit BuckleIMBB#3: Pound CakeOrange-Nut Bread

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123939340734794152005-06-01T21:19:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:22:20.740-07:00

Bill's Butterflied Leg of LambSopa Azteca (Tortilla Soup)Asparagus EnchiladasRoast ChickenIMBB#11: Asparagus with Black Bean SauceCurried Lentil SoupPot RoastLatkesBrined TurkeyMinestroneItalian Wedding SoupFresh Tomato and Goat Cheese PastaSesame-Peanut NoodlesSimple Tomato SauceLamb on a StickIMBB#6: Central Coast Tri-TipIMBB#5: Fish TacosRoasted Tomatoes

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123941056214201992005-06-01T05:48:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:50:56.216-07:00

Master Recipe for Crisp ToppingMigasBarb Schaller's Famous Orgasmic Chocolate BrowniesApple PieIMBB#10: Triple Ginger CookiesIMBB#10: Robert's Chocolate CookiesIMBB#10: Mom's Peanut Butter Cup CookiesFocacciaIMBB#8: Bill's Kahlua EggnogIMBB#8: Domestic Goddess Banana BreadIMBB#7: Apple-Blackberry DumplingsMom's Lemon CurdFruit BuckleIMBB#3: Pound CakeOrange-Nut BreadIMBB#2: Goat Cheese Toasts

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123940886149326232005-06-01T05:44:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:48:06.150-07:00

Meyer Lemon MarmaladeLemon ChutneyIMBB#11: Asparagus with Black Bean SauceSesame-Peanut NoodlesSimple Tomato SauceMom's Lemon CurdRoasted TomatoesCharlotte's Bread Salad

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123940522849541222005-06-01T05:37:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:42:02.850-07:00

"Antipasto" SaladMiddle Eastern Chopped SaladLeila's Lebanese-American HummusRanee's Saudi-American HummusRoast AsparagusRoast CauliflowerSoybean SuccotashCharlotte's Bread SaladRoasted Tomatoes

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1123940668644223462005-06-01T05:34:00.000-07:002005-08-13T06:44:28.646-07:00

Middle Eastern Chopped SaladLeila's Lebanese-American HummusRanee's Saudi-American HummusArtichoke-Parmesan DipIMBB#9: Goat Cheese TortaFocacciaSusan Hattie's Goat Cheese TortaRoasted TomatoesIMBB#2: Goat Cheese Toasts

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1117427518797185242005-05-29T21:22:00.000-07:002005-05-29T21:31:58.796-07:00

I went up San Pablo Avenue to the El Cerrito Lighting store today to get bulbs. They were closed. But I salvaged the trip by swinging by Ba Le Banh Mi, which I had noticed on my trips up there before, but which had been heartily recommended by that meat-lovin' phool and all-around great guy, Biggles of MeatHenge. This is in the "Peppermint Tree" strip mall, on San Pablo, slightly north of

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1117426919680592722005-05-27T21:02:00.000-07:002005-05-29T21:33:38.823-07:00

On one of the hottest days of the month (this past Saturday).With an absolutely minimal supply of volunteers - most people were wisely avoiding campus area on graduation days (hey, we charged $10 for "event parking" in the church garage for non-volunteers), and otherwise enjoying the lovely day.We did it. Fortunately Shepherd's Pie is easy to put together, after you have peeled, boiled, and

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1117286706052516592005-05-26T06:10:00.000-07:002005-05-28T06:25:06.056-07:00

Since I plugged Ranee's hummus on this blog, I have learned that she has set up her own food blog, Tales from the Kitchen, so that her food posts don't take over her knitting-and-other-stuff blog.I'm going to attempt pita bread from her recipe again soon (the first time turned out well, but it was a lot of work), but to go with the hummus (and, sadly, store-bought pita) for lunches/dinners this

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1117285761399877682005-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:002005-05-28T06:10:07.146-07:00

Well, after Leila's visit to L&C (just before she got in the paper for one of her non-foodie activities - whoohoo!), I had to make HER hummus when I finally started getting over the cold.I appreciated its lemony freshness, although I probably could have done with one lemon because I was using one off my tree and it was huge.Leila's Hummous1 can (15 oz.) chickpeas (garbanzos)2 - 3 tablespoons

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1116380944945037642005-05-17T18:47:00.000-07:002005-05-18T18:52:54.860-07:00

In checking my food blog after this last grim week, I was extremely pleased to see that Leila of Dove's Eye View had stopped by. She waggled her finger at me slightly for plugging Ranee's hummus instead of hers in my recent post. (Which is only a data point in my contention that there are about as many variants as cooks.)Well, of course, that means that, as soon as I stop coughing, I have to

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1116290094464848032005-05-15T20:31:00.000-07:002005-05-17T18:45:25.040-07:00

I haven't been cooking a lot this past week. I had a lot of supplies at the beginning of the week - the Cursed White Bean Soup, frozen sausage and English muffins for breakfast, and meat and veggies from Trader Joe's. In the middle of the week, I came down with a cold, which means that my diet was tea, toast, scrambled eggs, hot and sour soup (usually I make my own, but I got it take out), and

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1115698944141826332005-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:002005-05-09T21:24:58.766-07:00

I normally don't miss the Evensong (with organ recital, and reception afterwards) at my church unless I'm really, really tired. I have recently, no surprise, gravitated into the role of one of the people who helps make the party possible. I enjoy this even though I am "working" as I really like the Usual Suspects, it feels like an important hospitality gig (people come for the organ music,

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1115504941665118732005-05-07T15:21:00.000-07:002005-05-07T15:29:01.670-07:00

Well, not yet. Even the sweet cherries aren't in the shops in much quantity. But I am hopeful that despite the strong recent rain, these lovely blossoms, photo taken a couple of weeks ago, are portents of sour cherry baked delights to come: The white of Eastertide (c.f. Housman's poem) is little in evidence as the tree leafs out and the little green cherry fruits appear. In other food related

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1115092288076875552005-05-02T20:48:00.000-07:002005-05-02T20:51:28.076-07:00

Not only did I slice my finger (including nail) somewhat when I was cutting an onion for the white bean soup, my gas match ended up catching on fire during the final simmer when the full point boiled and caused the burner to flare up.I was not in the kitchen at the time. Good thing I went back there to take a break from usenet! No harm done, I think; the finger is bandaged and does not hurt (

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1114485637925809712005-04-25T20:06:00.000-07:002005-04-25T20:20:37.926-07:00

For this latest round of Church Potluck, I decided to do Something Completely Different, as I was told a barbeque, complete with Grill Master, would be present.In honor of Easter (it's still Easter season for us!) and Passover, I decided to make my dad's barbequed butterfly leg of lamb. It was a smash hit and all twelve pounds of meat disappeared. I enjoyed a piece of it with the other yummy

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1114484797543905432005-04-23T17:03:00.000-07:002005-04-25T20:06:37.543-07:00

I was able to pull together the ingredients for a very presentable quick dinner (despite my exhaustion) for a guest with a little judicious shopping: salmon, asparagus, and rice. Well, I was going to use one of those pre-cooked rice packets, just for sheer kicks and giggles, but I ended up making "real" rice instead.Thirty minutes from groceries to dinner.

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1113770285814839102005-04-17T13:14:00.000-07:002005-04-17T13:38:05.816-07:00

Okay, I am a nut, but I have managed to dodge the bullet of coordinating the big patronal feast wing-ding next week. I will show up with food (butterflied leg of lamb, to be barbequed) and perhaps even make myself useful beforehand setting up, but I am all set to enjoy the party. (Actually if I end up helping, I will have spent three of the four weekends this month doing something foodie at the

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1113057365968589962005-04-09T07:20:00.000-07:002005-04-09T07:36:05.970-07:00

but back to a more normal schedule. I was cooked-out at Easter and extremely tired afterwards. Being on-call did not help matters, as my sleep schedule got a bit disrupted. I did enjoy that Ikeda "razzleberry" (it tasted mostly ollalieberry, which is Not A Bad Thing) for breakfasts and ate out more than usual. On Saturday I went to Cheese Board and finally got myself over to Trader Joe's, and

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1111977094894645322005-03-27T17:36:00.000-08:002005-03-27T18:31:34.896-08:00

The title is from a sermon that my rector preached some Easters back that has made its way into the church lore. I arrived after the time but have certainly been told about it by a number of people. And when she set up the line in today's Easter sermon, you could tell who the "regulars" were, because they completed it. We like food, and we have given up our normally glorious coffee hours for

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1111684060158608162005-03-24T07:46:00.000-08:002005-03-24T09:07:40.166-08:00

It's the (symbolic) two-year blogiversary for Love and Cooking. I started it on Maundy Thursday 2003, after an experience helping feed the multitudes at Grace Cathedral. The moveable nature of the date of Easter means that the actual first post was in mid-April (Easter really is early this year), but I've got the church calendar burned in my brain, so it's much easier for me to remember the

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293076.post-1109740650838880912005-02-27T21:09:00.000-08:002005-03-01T21:17:30.840-08:00

I still had a lot of broken tortillas left after the soup episode. Fortunately I remembered hearing about migas on a food newsgroup. This is apparently one of these homey dishes that every Mexican knows about but rarely makes it to menus because it's, well, leftovers.But recipes were available on the web and I decided to roll with it for my breakfasts. It was pretty tasty so I will keep it in

Charlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06124847109117072966noreply@blogger.com42