pantry

Rescuing Beans from Disaster

13 February 2011

Who knew that burned cannellini beans smelled like coffee? While lost in recipe editing one afternoon, the smell of malty coffee filtered into the room. This was unexpected.  I was the only one home, and I hadn’t made coffee. Upon entering the kitchen, the source was obvious. I had scorched a pot of cannellini beans. [...]

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Eat a Prune, Start a Movement

14 September 2010

It started when I was about knee-high, perched around the table at my grandparents’ house in Menlo Park. My grandfather told me to eat a prune. They’re good for you, he said. I looked at the strange, wrinkled orb and thought: whoa, that’s asking too much. My response was a lot less sophisticated. I probably [...]

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Madeline Island Meals

30 July 2010

To say that summer is the best time to eat locally is an understatement. It doesn’t take much forethought to make meals taste satisfying in June, July, and August. In many cases, the less you do, the better the result. The only people I know who are more stressed in the summer are chefs. They [...]

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Getting Fresh with Garbanzos

8 July 2010

There’s nothing wrong with dried garbanzo beans. They are easy to prepare–just soak them in water overnight, simmer them for a few hours the next day, and season the beans (which are also called chick peas or ceci beans) and they are ready to be added to a salad or whirled into hummus. But when [...]

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How to Stock a Pantry

28 June 2010

In my pantry, ingredients have different levels of importance. It’s a hierarchical system: not every item is equal, but each part contributes. There are pantry items that I have to have, items that I also use often (though could do without if necessary), and items that make important contributions, especially if I’m trying to prepare [...]

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