“Make sure you get the handwritten ones – they’re the best,” said my Uncle while I was looking through the hundreds of recipes my Grandmother created and saved over decades. Her recipe for Cardamom Glazed Carrots caught my eye for a couple of reasons.
These slightly sweet, slightly tart pickled red onions can be eaten right out of the jar. Or, in a hundred other ways.
Have you ever grilled a garden salad? Not the loose-leaf type, but wedges of lettuce heads with glorious nooks and crannies where you can bury your vegetables, fruits, nuts and cheese treasures. (Don’t have a grill? You can also pan fry them over high heat.)
Fish baked in parchment paper: Fancy, impressive dinner party, or very quick, easy and customizable weeknight meal? Yes.
It’s chilled summer soup time! Gazpacho, Vichyssoise and Borscht are the most common. And for that reason, summer soups can be polarizing. Sad. Instead, try chilled zucchini soup. Cool, light, healthy and so, so refreshing. Happy!
Challenge accepted! We all have favorite go-to recipes that we stick with because they are either foolproof or we love them. But could any of my grandmother’s three dozen coffee cake recipes unseat my current favorite recipe of several years?
What’s in a name? And what’s in the meaning of the name? Think of meatballs. Dense, heavy, satisfying? Maybe. But what if you used a mild whitefish instead? But let’s not call it a “meatball,” ok? Because that just doesn’t sound as light, lemony and tender as they actually are.
My grandmother just celebrated her 100th birthday! My favorite cookie of hers? Potato chip. Potato chips in a cookie? What?! She was ahead of her time. And still is.
Pickled cucumbers don’t have to be your plain old dills. Far from it. Make these and you’ll never have (or want!) to buy another jar again.
Panna cotta: It’s easy to make, it can be made ahead, and is a good alternative for a cold dessert. This version leaves a haunting flavor with fresh bay leaves and the sweet/savory intrigue of a strawberry-balsamic-black pepper combination.
Greg Nelson Cooks 