Small Plates
Remember me? It has been awhile
Dear Small Plates readers — It has been a long time since I posted. I don’t know whether you’ve wondered where I’ve been, but I do know I haven’t forgotten you. Not for a day. I guess I was just uninspired about making new dishes, so I neglected this blog. I’m writing today, however, because a […]
My Boeuf à la Bourguignonne needs help
I haven’t had much luck making beef stew. My mother used to make it, and I never cared for it. So I tried again, this time following “Boeuf à la Bourguignonne” in a well-respected cookbook. It was good. Not fantastic, in my opinion, but pretty good — too much wine, I’m convinced, for starters. However, it was […]
Thai shrimp my new favorite for Lenten Fridays
I’ve been busy in the kitchen. I’ve made Julia Child’s Boeuf à la Bourguignonne that is in Saveur’s “New Classics Cookbook” and a red curry shrimp with pineapple dish in Nancie McDermott’s “Quick & Easy Thai.” I was happy with both, but way more pleased with the Thai dish. It’s a perfect Lenten recipe for a […]
I’ve warmed to stuffed peppers
I’ve started to write about stuffed peppers four times now. Nothing worked out. The peppers just didn’t inspire me, even though they made a fine dinner in a hurry. I can’t blame our current snow and ice on being uninspired. I first made these back in early December. One note of caution: I wish I had made two peppers instead […]
Cioppino linked to Christmas Eve tradition
This column first appeared in Northwest Catholic, the magazine for the Catholic Church in Western Washington. I don’t remember the first time I had cioppino, the hearty Italian-American fish stew that Genoese immigrants created as they made their living as fishermen off the coastal waters of California. I do, however, remember the first time I […]
Pork with spicy green beans on election night
OK, let’s try this again. On Election Day, I was sure that Hillary Rodham Clinton would become 45th president of the United States. With confidence, I blogged about a post that popped up on my Facebook feed and made plans to deal with the pork chop in the fridge: “I will be so glad when this election […]
Blessings on our beloved pets
This column first appeared in Northwest Catholic magazine, a publication for Catholics in Western Washington. St. Francis of Assisi’s Oct. 4 feast day puts focus on the animals in our lives Years ago on a beautiful October day, I took my aging German shepherd, Barnaby, who was suffering from arthritis and hip dysplasia, to a […]
Back to school, so what’s for lunch?
This column first appeared in the September issue of Northwest Catholic. Boring meals, especially for older students, get poor grades, so try stuffing falafel or caprese salad into pita pockets Hello, students. It’s back to school and time for new adventures — old and new friends in the classroom and a year to explore your interests, […]
Thanks indeed to the kind person who found my keys
Janet, Abby, and Lisa Johnson This is a post about kindness, not about food, though I wish I could share a meal with the person who saved my day. Dear kind person who found my keys on the Beacon Rock trail: I am so grateful. I wish I knew your name. Here’s what happened: My […]
Lunch with two friends from way back
My Portland State days are far behind me, and I’ve had a milestone birthday that I couldn’t imagine reaching. This week, however, I had a good reminder of days gone by when two friends from our undergraduate days came to lunch. It’s not that I haven’t seen them at all since the late 1960s. We would periodically get together in the […]