I spend most of my time in the kitchen. It’s my favorite space in this house, a house my father has always called a kitchen with a bedroom attached. It’s a large, open space, with a fully fitted kitchen, lots of counter space and a den attached where I do most of my work on the computer. The den opens on to a sunroom with huge windows so the light pours in. That’s where I … [Read more...] about Smoky Bacon and Onion Soup
tomato
Homemade Bloody Mary Mix (with canning instructions)
When tomatoes are is season, or growing on my vines if I’m lucky, I preserve them in any way I can think of. I make sauce, tomato soup base and just plain old puree and stack them up in ziptop bags in the freezer. Sometimes I can whole tomatoes, but now I’ve learned you can freeze them whole for later cooking. This year, I’ve been looking for a new and … [Read more...] about Homemade Bloody Mary Mix (with canning instructions)
Tomato Aspic
Nothing motivates one to get in the kitchen more than a funeral. We all seem to harbor that primordial need to comfort with food. And there are fixed ideas – recipes that we keep in mind, or maybe on a card at the front of the recipe box for easy access. A hearty, comforting dish that we know how to make and how to make well that we can whip up the instant the call comes. … [Read more...] about Tomato Aspic
Tomato Soup Base
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 make it with good canned Italian tomatoes, but in the summer when local tomatoes are in abundance I go fresh … [Read more...] about Tomato Soup Base
Fire and Ice Tomatoes
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 … [Read more...] about Fire and Ice Tomatoes