by Paula D.
on December 30, 2025 8:18 am in Recipes
Do you know what icing is made of? I didn’t until I made it last weekend. It’s very simply made from confectioner’s sugar, condensed milk, and lemon. It is different from frosting, which is fluffier and has fat, like butter or cream, and it is whipped. Icing is mostly sugar, has a smooth texture, and is thinner. Frosting is more malleable, and its purpose is full coverage on cakes and cupcakes; icing is better for decorating cookies, adorning cakes, and all that fancy stuff. I’m hoping this year I make Christmas cookies. Every year, I want to, and somehow, with the holiday rush, it never happens. Are you feeling the rush already?
In an effort to make my Christmas cookies and be that woman this year, I’m taking mini steps. Breaking projects into smaller parts helps so much and makes tasks, projects, and life feel less overwhelming. I know Christmas cookies shouldn’t be a stressor, oops!
First breakout: homemade icing. It keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks, or you can freeze it in an airtight container. The internet says the texture changes a bit, but that seems okay to me.
As I was adding the drops of green dye into the homemade icing, I was reminded that some folks are really against food coloring. Things like the scary Red No. 3 have been linked to a higher risk of cancer and possible behavioral issues in kids. This is depressing and not Christmas-y at all. The good news is I only used a few drops and plan on giving my Christmas sugar cookies to adult friends. Adults already have a bunch of damage done from boozing and smoking, and eating potato chips, so I don’t feel that bad.
I’m curious about using natural dyes like beet juice for red, matcha or spinach for green (not sure how that would taste), or blueberries for Hanukkah cookies?
Easy Homemade Icing Recipe
(makes about 2 cups)
Ingredients:
¼ cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
2 cups confectioner’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
Food colorings
Instructions: Use a stand or hand mixer on low to whisk condensed milk, lemon juice, and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Add more lemon juice if the icing is too thick. Add drops of food coloring to batches as needed. Keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freeze. Note: I used sweetened condensed oat mil,k and it worked very well and is way less gross than condensed milk.
Next step: Christmas sugar cookies…
For more baking adventures, follow Paula on Instagram @theglorifiedtomato.
by Paula D.
on December 30, 2025 8:18 am in Food / Recipes
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 vegetarian version by swapping the chicken broth for Better Than Bouillon vegetarian broth. I also added carrots for fun and color and switched the white bread to sourdough. For a rustic vibe, tear the bread apart by hand and give it a quick toast in the oven, if you don’t have stale bread.
Why do we only think of making stuffing around Thanksgiving? This one is officially going into my winter dinner rotation. Give this classic stuffing recipe a try for your Thanksgiving celebration – it will be the talk of your table!
Classic Vegetarian Stuffing
10-by-15-inch pan or divide into two smaller baking pans, serves 16
Ingredients:
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish
- 4 onions (2 pounds), peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
- 16 celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch, diced 1 large carrot, diced
- 10 large fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 2 teaspoons crushed dried sage
- 6 cups Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian Stock
- 2 loaves stale or toasted sourdough (about 36 slices), crust on, 2 teaspoons salt
- 4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups (2 bunches) coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped
- 2 cups dried cherries
Directions:
Step 1: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10 by 15-inch baking dish (or two smaller) and set aside. On a separate tray, toast hand-torn bread in the oven (if not stale).
Step 2: Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions, carrots, and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 3: Add 1/2 cup of stock, stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.
Step 4: Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock and bread. Mix to combine.
Step 5: Transfer stuffing mixture to prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Uncover and continue to bake until the top is golden, 30 to 35 more minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Recipe adapted from: marthastewart.com
by Paula D.
on November 21, 2025 8:39 am in Food
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 say my mother has end-stage COPD, and this past year has been exhausting and scary for our whole family. And still, beautiful things have come out of it. Like the reminder of the bond my sisters and I have, for the way “family first” and our love and commitment to each other were instilled in us by my mother and father. This is rare, I’ve learned. I’m thankful for my mother’s “good days,” like the day we got her in the wheelchair, brought her down to the boulevard, and she went shopping! I’m grateful for my father’s quiet, selfless kindness and his strength through all of this.
I am grateful for Tom.
I am grateful for the Beach 91st Street Community Garden group. I love gardening, the soil, the plants, the whole growing thing. But the real gift has been having a place to channel my energy into something that feels like it does some good / a community service.
I want to do something special with my life. I don’t totally know what that is yet, and I do feel like I’m getting a late start, but the garden feels like it’s pointing me in the right direction. I’m thankful for the people I’ve met through the garden. I hear “our community” a lot around town, and sometimes it sounds like it’s only referring to a small circle. Rockaway is more layered than that. I want to reach people I wouldn’t normally cross paths with and the outsiders, the misfits, the searching ones. The garden has been a conduit for these connections over the years.
I am grateful for my job at the DOE. It’s challenging on a lot of levels, and it’s tiring (to say the least), but through this new experience, I’ve grown and learned new skills. I’m grateful for the little kids I’ve become friends with—for their smiles and their open, candid minds. It’s powerful energy.
And I’m grateful for a paycheck every two weeks and health insurance. In the past, I took those two things for granted. I don’t anymore, and I’m honestly grateful to be humbled by that.
I am grateful for the freedom to write whatever I choose in the tomato column, whether it’s about surfing, the passing of my cat, or Grandma Mary’s artichoke pie recipe. And the writing is an outlet for me, creatively and therapeutically.
I am grateful for you, taking some moments out of your day to read my words.
by Paula D.
on November 20, 2025 2:58 pm in Recipes
I stumbled upon a true wow-factor pancake recipe—perfect timing for the holidays and all our houseguests rolling through. They’re guaranteed to impress. These pancakes are healthy and decadent. Yes, both can be true. Well, they’re about as healthy as pancakes get, with a wheat (not white) flour base, and high-fiber bulgur that adds a unique, hearty texture you don’t get from standard pancakes. That texture pairs beautifully with thick, creamy ricotta, and the yogurt adds a tang. Orange zest is in the mix, and a drizzle of maple syrup ties it all together. Pear is my winter fruit (I’m calling it now), so top these pancakes with fresh slices. This recipe is satisfying and full of layered flavor. Stack them high, pour the hot coffee, and let the magic of a family holiday morning happen… with this breakfast at the center.
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)
- ½ cup bulgur (any grind)
- Salt
- 1cup ricotta
- 1cup yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup raisins, optional
- Butter for frying
Sliced Pears
- Maple syrup, for serving
Preparation:
- Step 1: Put the bulgur and a pinch of salt in a bowl and add 1¼ cups boiling water. Stir once and let sit until more or less tender, 15 to 25 minutes. If any water remains, squeeze the bulgur in a cloth or put it in a fine-mesh strainer and press down on it.
- Step 2: Beat together the ricotta, yogurt, eggs and orange zest. In another bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture, blending well but not beating. Gently fold in the bulgur and the raisins.
- Step 3: Put a large skillet over medium heat and coat with butter. Spoon out the batter, making any size pancakes you like. Cook until bubbles form on the top and pop, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully flip the pancakes and cook until they’re browned on the other side, a couple of minutes more. As they finish, transfer them to a plate. And more butter as needed for cooking. Serve with sliced pears and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Add a freshness element and top with pear slices
Orange zest adds dimension, don’t forget it!
