Companion Crops

When savoring good company — with friends, family or even pets — we all benefit. The same goes for favorable food match-ups, from eggs with bacon to soup and salad. Even though a fine panini capably stands alone, a marriage comes together when a sandwich joins a side dish. Burgers with golden fries may not […]

Too Good to Toss

Thanksgiving, with its signature feasts, is a fitting time to thank the farmers, bakers and specialty food producers who make it possible for us to find mounds of fresh vegetables, pastured poultry and cut-to-order domestic cheeses. While families and friends usher in the high season for sharing food and drinks, your to-do list should include […]

All-Purpose Pasta

Although average strands of spaghetti dressed with a homemade sauce typically fill the dinner plates at our house, there’s no argument that to appreciate the beauty of true noodles — prepared with eggs, flour and a little olive oil — you need fresh pasta. For fine pasta selections, like the hand-rolled pasta at Manhattan restaurant […]

Chocolate Reserve

It often pays off to stash a little chocolate — and cocoa  — in the cupboard. The confectionery staples embellish everything and cool weather calls for cocoa. To those who temper chocolate, temperature matters beyond the chocolate thermometer. As autumn arrives, chocolate delicacies hold up longer, while demand from chocolate lovers increases. When temperatures dipped, […]

Share an artichoke

Cook On: 1 part chaos, 2 parts calm Hearty Flowers By Mary Ann Ebner Artichokes sprout a few thorns, but underneath all that armor, their tough leaves protect delicate creamy flesh. Harvested before they blossom with spiky flowers, artichokes are actually unopened buds from a type of thistle plant. The plants produce clusters of large […]

Salty Twist

Quarts of local blueberries, ears of Hudson Valley sweet corn and a mess of fresh greens boasted just-picked prominence at the Beacon Farmer’s Market last weekend, but crusty-on-the-outside, delicate-on-the-inside pretzels added to the market’s choice. These weren’t the stadium-style commercial fare thawed at the riverside and warmed up in assembly-line fashion, but individually prepared pretzels […]

Fish Taco Fill-Up

Summer may not always live up to its lazy reputation, but when the season arrives, meals come together with a little less prep and a lot less urgency. With July’s warmth and a more relaxed pace, salads and raw food medleys stand in as main dishes. And with minimal time at the grill while the […]

Share Shopska Summertime Salad

Fresh from Bulgaria By Mary Ann Ebner A savory aroma met me at my front door and led the way to our kitchen as a spicy blend of sweet and sour promised the evening’s menu included no regular fare. But before any tasting, a cross-cultural lesson was in order. My personal chef-for-a-day, working away, wanted […]

Upgrade the Pickle Platter

Cook On: Pickle Relishing By Mary Ann Ebner Whether kosher, old fashioned, garlic dill or bread and butter, when a crunchy layer of pickles stacked across a slice of bread turns a basic sandwich into a spicy snack, cucumbers deserve a nod. The crisp green vegetable rules the pickling palate with distinction, but pickles come […]

Storied Cooking

Ideas for putting a new meal together crop up around fine dining tables, farmers’ markets and food trucks. There’s no shortage of inspiration whether from a bunch of baby carrots waving their green tops to an endless stream of tempting digital food photos just a swipe away on the phone. Though traditional cookbooks may seem […]