Cooking class in Tuscany

In early July I wrote that I had bought Congress a t-shirt — one for every member. The boxes are here. Each shirt comes rolled and compressed inside a little plastic baby bottle small enough to hold in your palm. Unroll it and it reads: For Babies’ Sake, …

I made this cobbler the summer my peach tree produced more fruit than I could eat, and the blackberry bushes along the back fence were heavy enough to pull the branches to the ground. Four cups of sliced peaches and two cups of blackberries, mixed …

Quick bites from around the food safety arena There are now more than 20,000 cases of cyclosporiasis related to current outbreaks. The actual number is likely much higher. CDC is expected to update its patient counts next week. A source of the parasite for the largest outbreak …

I made this for a Saturday lunch when I wanted something more interesting than cold potato salad from a deli. Potatoes and onion sliced into thick rounds, tossed with oil, salt, and pepper, and grilled until charred and tender. Soft boiled eggs, seven minutes in …

A majority of American voters say they have little or no confidence in government oversight of food safety, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll conducted in the last full week of July, as the country’s largest recorded Cyclospora outbreak spread past twenty thousand cases by the states’ own …

Cantaloupe in a sorbet? With strawberries, mint-infused simple syrup, and a tablespoon of vodka? It sounds like a smoothie that went too far, but it works. The cantaloupe softens the strawberry and the mint syrup connects them both. The syrup simmers sugar, water, and lemon …

Moussaka is not a quick dinner. It is a project, and it rewards every minute you put into it. Layers of roasted eggplant, a cinnamon-scented lamb sauce. A thick, golden bechamel that puffs up in the oven: this is Greek home cooking at its most …

Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods of Richmond, VA, is recalling 22,880 pounds of baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler products that may be contaminated with foreign material, specifically metal slivers, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced today. The baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler items were …

Fresh figs in a smoothie was not an obvious idea to me until I tried it. The figs break down into a jammy, honey-like sweetness that is completely different from banana or mango. Paired with crunchy peanut butter, the smoothie has both a smooth base …

I gave up on hollandaise on a Tuesday morning when I did not have butter, lemons, or the patience to stand over a double boiler before coffee. What I had was cream cheese, kale, tomatoes, and eggs. I spread the cream cheese on a toasted …