Maple Madness Maple is one of those ingredients that always makes me look. If I come a recipe in a magazine or cookbook for maple anything, I just have to read it, then usually cut it out or mark it with a post-it. Of course, sometimes I end up disappointed that these recipes only call for “maple flavoring,” which appeals to me not at all. It seems like cheating or faking. … [Read more...] about Maple Spice Crinkles
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
I don’t do Halloween. Of course, as a kid it was my favorite time of year, what with the candy and all. I used to spend weeks thinking about my costume, and they were almost always homemade. I was Darth Vadar one year in a navy blue blanket and German helmet a neighbor kid’s grandfather brought back from World War II. One year I had chicken pox and my … [Read more...] about Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce
Candy Corn Mousse
That’s right. Candy Corn Mousse. I am one of those people who loves good candy corn. Only at Halloween, never at other times of the year, and never in great quantities. When the first bags start appearing at the stores, I get excited. It means fall is here and good fall food and I can start wearing sweaters and then it’s Halloween, then Thanksgiving…. I just had to try … [Read more...] about Candy Corn Mousse
Belgian Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnades Flamandes)
In Bruges When I was young and foolish and full of high ideals, I spent a semester away from college studying European politics in London. The whole merry band of scholars was ushered to Brussels for a week to visit the European Union headquarters and NATO and lots of other sites twenty year-old college student find fascinating. We were, however, granted a free day to … [Read more...] about Belgian Beef and Beer Stew (Carbonnades Flamandes)
Southern Pecan Pie
Tough Nut to Crack Pecans, it seems to me, are thought of as a particularly Southern nut. I cannot tell you anything about its growing condition or to what region or country the pecan is indigenous, but the trees proliferate around here. And the nuts feature prominently in Southern cooking from classic pie to divinity candy to pecan cheese straws. You rarely see pecan … [Read more...] about Southern Pecan Pie
