From the category archives:

Farmers Market

Lamb Burger with Mint and Pistachio Salsa Verde

August 16, 2010
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Summertime is the season of burgers. Be it beef, bison, turkey, tuna, lamb, or tofu—I find myself craving a burger and its supremely satisfying proportions on a frequent basis.  I love making new variations on the classic theme of burgers.…

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Strawberry Rhubarb Compote with Pistachios

July 21, 2010
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Some words carry flavor. Speak aloud the familiar syllables of coffee, chocolate or toast, and the brain fires memories of taste. Flash: a steaming cup of Sumatra, soft and gently acidic washes over your tongue. Your first taste of waxy…

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Vacation Cocktail: A Sangria Recipe

May 25, 2010
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If a vacation back home could be distilled and put into a glass, I think it might taste a lot like sangria.

The simple moments–the naps on the couch, dinner table conversations, picnics, garden time, observing the changes in…

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Goodbye to the ‘Naughts

December 31, 2009
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This first decade of the new century has been a doozy. In just ten years, life stories have been written and re-written by time, chance, good fortune, and circumstance. These first ten years have been marked wonderful little moments,…

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Where To Buy Turkey in Los Angeles

November 19, 2009
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I’m not sure how it happened, but I completely forgot to order my Thanksgiving turkey. My husband snapped me out of my ignorance of current calendar dates last night. He was gentle, but pointed.

“Chef Quinn ordered…

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A Whole New Beet

September 19, 2009
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I was five years old when I remember eating my first beet. It was from my mother’s garden, picked earlier that day. She cooked the red root vegetable for dinner and I remember being skeptical that

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Expert advice on essential pantry herbs

August 5, 2009

Every home cook has basic items they always stock in their kitchen’s pantry. Requirements slide up and down a varying scale of basic essentials to gourmet necessities. While some gourmands require jars of caviar, blocks of chocolate and imported espresso…

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An improvised recipe for Maryland Crab soup

July 29, 2009
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(Photo credit: from Diane at White on Rice)

There’s something really beautiful about having the confidence and skill to improvise. Musicians do it when they see beyond the black notes on a chart and close their eyes to jam.…

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Farmers Market Cocktail Recipe

June 15, 2009
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I’m one of those people that go to the farmers’ market with nothing more than a handful of dollars and a culinary mind that’s ready for inspiration. A vegetable’s texture and bright color sets my mind racing. A ripe…

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A Beet Recipe for My Mother

March 28, 2009
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I became mortal last week. One phone call and one letter took away that lingering innocence of youth and reminded me that no one, not even myself, can live forever. Here, in the center of my being,…

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