Posts categorized as Food

Christmas Day at my grandparents’ house had an order. Antipasto galore followed by “Sauce” Supper. When that finally “ended,” the nuts and fanuk (fennel) were set in a basket, on my grandmother’s beautiful Christmas table. This was the official “break” period before dessert came out — a pause that still involved… eating. It gave the women time to disappear into the kitchen, clean up, and pull out the nice dishes for the grand finale, while the men lit cigars, broke out the cards, started gambling, and cracked the nuts with those silver […]

Tom introduced me to a new version of lentils: lentil stew. It has a totally different feel and taste from the lentil soup I’ve been making for as long as I can remember, my father’s recipe. And I love lentils—and since I’m vegetarian (hard to believe), two versions are welcome in my kitchen. This stew is thick and cozy, and the secret is using an immersion blender. I can’t fully explain the magic, but it gives the stew a “meaty” heartiness and pulls all the rich flavors together in the best way. This is […]

Every time I’m in CVS and see the endless wall of candy canes, I think of Jesus. It’s theology hanging right next to Snickers bars and cat toys. Be open to a whole spiritual moment in aisle 7 because candy canes represent a lot in Catholicism. The shape: turn a candy cane upside down, and it’s “J” for Jesus. Flip it the other way, and it becomes a shepherd’s staff. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who works to gather the one lost sheep. This passage is one of my favorites,  Luke […]

Martha Stewart is perfect, and so is her classic Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. Martha proclaims the stuffing is crisp and buttery-golden on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, and she’s right. The flavor comes from a generous amount of sauteed onion and celery, plus lots of fresh parsley and sage. She suggests adding toasted pecans and dried cherries for extra texture and a nutty–tangy moment – definitely include these ingredients. I couldn’t find the cherries and substituted them with cranberries; it worked nicely. I’ve adapted the recipe to a […]

With the Beach 91st Street Community Garden food drive wrapped up, I’ve been thinking a lot about what is important to me, how I want to use my time, and what matters big picture. The outpouring of support from friends and neighbors was truly overwhelming. And with Thanksgiving next week, I’ve been thinking about what I am grateful for in this year of my life. So here goes… I am grateful my mother is still alive. I haven’t written about this, and someday I will go deeper—but for now I’ll […]

Potato Fest 2025 is Saturday, Oct. 11, 12–4 pm, at the Beach 91st Street Community Garden. This community event is a joyful celebration of the beloved root vegetable—and a chance to get together with friends and neighbors in the garden to share a meal of (mostly) potatoes. The dishes are home-cooked by community volunteers—thank you to everyone cooking!! Expect hands-on, potato-inspired fun and activities: a hot potato showdown, a potato art craft, a Mr. and Ms. Potato Head play corner, and an education station to explore the fascinating journey of […]

I have wonderful news. I’m predicting a fantastic tomato harvest this year! The NYC Zone 7 tomatoes are going to be spectacular due to all this rain we’ve been schlepping through. It is a juicy, divine blessing for our tomatoes. Let us be grateful. NYC Zone 7 tomato harvest is gonna be spectacular this year due to the consistent rain this summer, and when your tomatoes are ripe and ready, make my decadent tomato pie. One of the biggest problems for heirloom tomatoes is inconsistent watering — we get busy, […]

I’m so excited to share that the old potato I had sitting on my kitchen counter—the one that started sprouting—has actually started growing in my garden! Honestly, I didn’t have high hopes for it. I just threw it on the ground for fun. If you remember, I wrote about this a few weeks back: How To Grow A Potato From A Potato. One month and a week later, the leaves are a vibrant green, sturdy, and healthy. The plant is about 4 inches tall, and at maturity, it can be […]

After my stamping art project with compostable foods, including the potato, I started to wonder… How do you grow a potato from a potato? I’m a gardener, and I’ve never grown potatoes. Embarrassing to admit, but here we are. I checked in with fellow Beach 91st Street Community Garden members last Sunday during our second meeting of the season. Kilee and Dan have both grown potatoes from sprouting spuds found right in their kitchens. They confirm it’s totally easy. Store-bought potatoes (Red Bliss) like this aren’t as disease-resistant as certified seed potatoes since […]

I pulled out the Easter decorations, and one of my favs is the two-foot-long twine carrots. I splurged a few years back – I have ten. I got them at Michaels Craft store. I display them in the kitchen on my open shelving. Thinking about the holidays reminded me that I’ve never used the KitchenAid immersion blender my mother got me for Christmas. A sin! So, it became clear—I’ll make creamy carrot soup. Carrots are packed with beta-carotene, which our body converts to vitamin A—an essential nutrient for our eyesight. […]