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, [...]

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. I guess Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby have made chestnuts part of the holiday season for ever. I never really knew what that line was all about until my first holiday season in London, where vendors sell roasting chestnuts from special carts on the main shopping streets, and [...]

I was once invited to bring a soup to a soup potluck and I readily agreed, because I love soup and getting together with friends to eat soup is a great idea.  But I forgot that I had agreed to it, until the hostess called a day before to ask what soup I was bringing.  [...]

The first time I ever heard about ajo blanco, or white gazpacho, was on a family vacation to southern Spain. We were having lunch at the lovely parador San Francisco on the grounds of the famous Alhambra in Granada. When I saw the menu description of creamy garlic and almond soup with grapes, I had [...]

I love tomato soup, love, love, love it.  All kinds, all flavors, hot or cold, even from a can.  But it’s so easy to make it yourself.  I love to whip up a big pot, and stash away servings in the freezer to have on hand whenever the mood strikes.  In the winter months, I [...]

Soup seems to be a universal comfort food. The French have their onion soup, the Italians minestrone, and Moroccans love harira.  For me, to be honest, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich are the most comforting combination on earth. And Vietnamese pho is certainly part of this long list. My parents are big fans [...]

There are moments in the kitchen when you remember why you love to cook so much.  That flash of personal genius that leads to the creation of something really great.  A perfect moment of synergy when you find a way to combine your favorite ingredients into one sublime dish.  This Corn and Blue Cheese Chowder, [...]

In the many years I was planning events professionally, clients hosting lavish buffets, or even rather simple ones, always came around to that one question – “Shouldn’t we serve some kind of vegetable that’s, you know, healthy?” Not creamy spinach dip, or cheesy stuffed mushrooms, but something that would presumably appease the guest who didn’t want, [...]

First off, let me say that this is not my recipe – I don’t think.  I read about this, or someone told me about it, I don’t know.  But it has stuck in my mind for years.  It’s one of those easy ones that you memorize without really meaning to, and then remember when you [...]

Well, it seems that flu season has well and truly descended.  Everyday I hear of yet  another friend picking up kids early from school, then the rest of the house comes down with the yuck.  And I watch the news.  I am considering buying stock in the hand-sanitizer companies. So with that in mind, what [...]