There is a moment late in March in my part of the world when the world changes. If you look closely, you will notice tiny chartreuse sprouts poking up through the ground that were not there the day before. And then, if you are watching for it, within a week, you will also notice that first robin beaking for food around the no-longer-dormant ground that you’ve seen since maybe September.
Spring.
One of my favorite recipes for spaghetti squash is this amazing casserole based on one in Moosewood It is a great side dish or a main dish. Lose the pancetta (you won’t really miss it) and you have a delightful vegetarian entrée.
In keeping with the theme, we served our Arroz Con Pollo with fried plantains. And guacamole. And ceviche. And kale and spinach salads. And there were plenty of tequila shots to go around. Plenty of tequila shots. And hot-hot-hot salsa dancing to boot.This was a keeper.
Alice Waters and Martha Stewart featured and popularized Meyer lemons and now they are commonly found in many American produce departments. A citrus fruit, they are soft and juicy and may be either yellow or orange. They are tart – with the edge taken off tart.
I experimented a lot making this soup, tasting a lot of French onion soup along the way. I did it all on your behalf.
Here’s what I learned.
1) Like most soups, this one is best if you make it a day in advance. Two days is even better.
2) Use Gruyère cheese and plenty of it.
Tyler (who just turned 5) wants to be a baker, Fellow FoodBeest. He also loves science and what better science is there than what you get when you mix flour with sugar and butter and baking powder and then add heat? We got to use two machines: the food processor and the stand mixer. A little noisy, but fun. And the outcome was strawberry cupcakes.
Lovers of Mexican food and Mexican culture, we had enjoyed both Frontera and Topo, but never Xoco, and had heard about their amazing breakfasts and lunches and especially the churros, the Mexican version of our own terribly hip donut.
These bourbon-glazed short ribs are perfect for a winter dinner. They are rich, filling, sweet, tangy, savory, and just a little spicy all at once. You’ll want to serve it with something to mop up the sauce, like mashed potatoes or polenta. Good crunchy bread isn’t a bad idea either.
Sadly neglected by most of us, parsnips are a real treat. If you are unfamiliar with them, they are surprisingly sweet. Some people have described parsnips as buttery, slightly spicy, and sweet, and compared them to butterscotch, honey or cardamom.
