DIG IN

For the 11 weeks of quarantining in residence, the social pinnacle of my week is a Wednesday 6am date with City Market grocery store. I don’t like shopping in general but I do like food shopping. These days I’m almost giddy when I walk over to the market....

We’re bidding good-bye to quarantine week 7 as many of you begin the re-entry process to new-normal. What will that look like? No one knows. How do you recalibrate a World? Life is like sports, (I’m paraphrasing author Isabel Allende now ) “you train and train and...

WE ARE THE WORLD Let’s take Time Out to praise our food supply chains, paying homage to those who grow, harvest, haul to market, manufacture and sell the stuff that keeps our bellies full. Iowa Maid-Rites are delicious loose meat sandwiches with a cult following....

During a recent 7am marketing trip, I unloaded groceries at my favorite clerk’s checkout counter. As my items, including Rhodes Anytime Cinnamon Rolls, M&M’s and black licorice, rolled along, Lisa gave me a glance. Those definitely weren’t usual purchases. “I’m...

Lunch at Le Hibou, Paris When I arrived in Paris last Friday afternoon, I intended to unpack and then have dinner at Au Chai de l’Abbey, a small cafe located across the street. By the time I did get settled and get my technical world up and running, I was not up and...

As you’re reading this, I’m in Aspen about to board a flight to Paris. This week I drove back to snowy Colorado, dumped my belongings and grabbed a packed suitcase labeled France. Yep, the gypsy thing. Still living it. Note also, only one suitcase. Chupe de Quinoa...

PUDDING CHÔMEUR This post has it all. And, why not? I was happy writing it. I am even happier to share with you. True, we are bouncing from here to there to everywhere but ending with two fabulous recipes you can pull together this weekend. PASTA with CABBAGE, WINTER...

What’s a good thing to do after walking into the house, leaving your frenetic day at the doorstep? One answer could be go directly to the kitchen, fill the pasta pot with salted water and get it boiling. With that one gesture, a mid-week meal for 2, a family, even a...

WELL DONE, YOU SWEET & SMOKY ROASTED CARROTS Countdown to 2020. Five days until we step into a new decade. If nothing else the 2010’s have been for me about what I can’t control. That’s terribly uncomfortable on so many levels but, as I understand, it's called...

Scrumptious Shrimp Tacos with Chipotle Cream, Salsa, & Avocado Mash Here’s the thing about this week’s blog. I need to step back from gingerbread, cheese balls, eggnog and other seasonal-related flavors For. Just. One. Meal. While you won’t find an ounce of...

MAGNIFICENT PLATES by MADDY WEBER O'CONNELL Let’s just put it out there … one week. Thanksgiving. Followed closely by our December holidays nipping at its heels. APPLE CUSTARD CRISP by DORIE GREENSPAN Light-bulb moment: Promise yourself, right now and out loud, to...

MISO-GLAZED SALMON For someone who doesn’t like to cook, my friend, Deb Overeynder, certainly knows the way around her kitchen. Whatever she makes, she goes big, at least doubling the recipe. That’s why I often get a text, “Mary, do you feel like chicken enchiladas...