My introduction to this French country dish was, oddly, in London.  And the first time I had it, I had never heard of it.  Since my graduate school days, I have made an annual pilgrimage to London, extending the trip each year, to spend enough time to settle in and not feel rushed or overwhelmed.  [...]

Years ago, during my event planning days, I helped a client plan a lovely riverside party, with a good old-fashioned fish fry.  This client was very particular.  About everything.  But particularly about slaw.  He insisted on vinegar-based slaw, not mayonnaise dressed.  The caterer took copious notes on his slaw pronouncements and produced what I (and [...]

Italian egg-drop soup.  That’s how I have heard versions of this soup described.  And there appear to be many versions, with light chicken broth, or added spinach or chicken. In fact, the first time I concocted this soup, I didn’t know stracciatella was an actual thing.  It was pure kitchen happenstance, and one little discovery [...]

French Onion Soup is such a classic.  It’s what you eat on your first trip to France, and even if you eat it at the restaurant down the street at home all the time, it is still special and memorable.  Soupe à L’oignon Gratinée. The rich onion-y broth, the crispy bread soaking up the flavor, [...]

I love community cookbooks. The great and broad recipe collections gathered together by Junior Leagues, Junior Auxiliaries, symphony groups, historic homes, garden clubs.  I have a large and ever-growing collection of these treasures.  Some of them are quite professional nowadays, with editors and trained photographers.  But I particularly love the old-school cookbooks, from the Forties, [...]