Sunday’s Soup: Scotch Broth
When you have good ingredients–especially homemade stock–on hand or nearby, it is easy to make a delicious soup.… Read More »
Soup, Beautiful Soup
As promised in Seasonal Pantry, here’s my version of traditional borscht, along with a recipe for a chilled clear borscht perfect for your holiday table. … Read More »
Jook , Congee, Porridge: By any name, it is an easy delicious dish for stormy weather
When its storming, we want comfort food and jook–also known as congee and porridge–is easy, delicious and inexpensive. But does it prevent hangovers? Why not try it and let us know?… Read More »
Fresh From Our Farmers: Tierra Vegetables Farm Stand in Santa Rosa
When you can’t get to a farmers market, there are several local farm stands that provide excellent alternatives to supermarkets. Tierra Vegetables is one of the best for anyone who lives in northern Santa Rosa, Windsor or Healdsburg and for anyone who passes along the Highway 101 corridor. Produce sold at the farm stand is grown on site, within just a few few feet or few yards of the stand itself. Prepared foods are made in a nearby kitchen in… Read More »
Fresh From Our Farmers: Santa Rosa on Wednesdays
The Santa Rosa Original Certified Farmers Market has always taken on both Wednesdays and Saturday yet et even after several decades at the same location, the east parking lot of the Veterans Building at the corner of Maple and Brookwood Avenues, the Wednesday market is nowhere near as well attended as the Saturday market. But this market is an excellent mid-week resource, offering both opportunities unavailable on Saturday. Parking is easy, as is getting into and out of the market,… Read More »
Muffuletta Wars
The day after Christmas, I was walking along Decatur St. in New Orlean’s French Quarter, heading to Central Grocery Co. for a muffuletta to take home to Hattiesburg. Just as I was realizing the famous store was closed, a scruffy guy about three-quarters of the way into a serious drunk, leaned over and said, “Hey, baby, it’s closed and that’s a good thing. Frank’s muffuletta is better and they’re open.” He pointed a few doors down and I followed his… Read More »
Fresh From Our Farmers: Sebastopol
The first Sebastopol farmers market of the year opened under a huge bowl of clear blue sky with no promise of rain. The chilly morning warmed quickly; by 11 a.m., shoppers were loosening their scarves and shedding their coats. The market has gone year-round for the first time and local folks still express surprise that it is up and running. But it is thriving. Paula Downing, manager, has reduced the number of vendors; all fit in the parking lot.… Read More »
More Meatball Recipes & a Request For Yours
Today’s column, which you can read here, promised more meatball recipes, so here you go. Over the next day or so, I will add a few more recipes so check back. And if you have a favorite meatball, tell us about it in the comments section of this entry. If you want to give us the entire recipe, please email it to me at catsmilk@sonic.net. One more thing: If you have trouble making meatballs, tell me the difficulty and I’ll… Read More »
Fresh From Our Farmers: Santa Rosa
In January. farmers are reading seed catalogs and planning their spring strategies. Many are farming, as well; we are blessed with year-round farmers markets with plenty of freshly-harvested produce. The Santa Rosa farmers market is our largest and it thrives in the winter. In addition to market regulars, heavy hitters like Triple T, Bernier Farms and Orchard Farms, which attend weekly with a great diversity of crops, others come and go, as their harvest and the market’s space allows. In… Read More »
More Changes: McCoy’s Cookware Closing
After 25 years in the retail cookware business, Louise McCoy is closing her sweet little shop, McCoy’s Cookware. She first opened the store in 1986 in Railroad Square, near where Hot Couture is located. In 1990, she moved to the current location at 2759 Fourth St., next to what is now Safeway but was then Petrini’s, a well-loved market still missed by many long-time residents. McCoy’s shares the space with Pearson & Co., which will take over the retail space… Read More »