Recipes from heaven

I thought I had enough cookbooks, but this time, there’s room for more. Dozens line my shelves, yet I’ve found a place for several special additions to The Cookery collection. When one of my sisters passed away a few months ago, she left a little of her own heaven behind in her cookbooks and loosely filed recipes. I’m deeply saddened by her […]

Allergy friendly chocolate bunny hop

Food allergy friends . . . it may be too late to order an allergy friendly chocolate bunny, because Divvies looks as if they’ve sold out for the season. If you’re food-allergy-aware and looking to skip nuts, eggs, and dairy, see the product selection at Divvies.

Good sense for plating your food

The American Institute for Cancer Research speaks up. That sounds like a sensible first step in guiding the runaway bus back on course. Regardless of the name spin, this concept– designed as a food portion suggestion–may help reduce cancer. Check out the AICR’s New American Plate, posted to encourage smarter choices at the table.

Yard chard

There goes my neighbor again . . . showing off springtime in Austin. This leafy green chard turned up in her front yard to add a little garden-fresh inspiration to the neighborhood.  

Packaged for convenience?

It seems as if strawberries have arrived on the local Austin scene in great quantities this week. When I lived a short hop from the California strawberry fields in Salinas, I appreciated the convenience of hand-picking on market days. Picking your own strawberries may not add up to total convenience, but there’s a convenience to selecting […]

UT students collaborate in The Cookery to create meatless meal

The Cookery serves as a subliminal classroom for our family, but last weekend, we opened it up to a mixed group of graduate and undergrad UT students who rinsed, chopped, blended and tasted a sampling of Middle Eastern dishes to create a meatless meal. The menu: saffron rice, hummus, bread, and cucumber yogurt sauce (jajik in my recipe binder). This fabulous meal […]

Couscous carbo load

Can you tolerate a few more carbs in your diet? If you’re on board, try the couscous carbo load. My family lines up for second helpings when we prepare pearled couscous. Prep your own or take a shortcut with Near East’s version of pearled couscous.