Category: Food

I’ve seen enough “gourmet” cookbooks to know they’re mostly just expensive paper designed to make you feel like you’ve failed at a simple task. You don’t need a dozen exotic spices or a sous-chef to master how to make soup from leftovers; you just need a heavy pot and a bit of common sense. I […]

I was standing in the kitchen last Tuesday, staring at a single, lonely potato and a tin of beans, wondering how I’d let the week get away from me again. It’s a familiar feeling, isn’t it? You start Monday with the best of intentions, but by the time the evening chill sets in and the […]

I remember standing in my kitchen back in ’84, staring at a pot of raspberry preserves that had turned into something resembling industrial-grade glue. I’d followed a recipe from a glossy magazine that suggested I needed a specialized thermometer, three different types of pectin, and a level of patience usually reserved for saints. It was […]

I saw a advert in the local paper last week for one of those fancy, computerized bread makers—the sort that costs more than a decent set of masonry tools and promises to do all the thinking for you. Honestly, it’s a bit of a nonsense. People seem to think you need a gadget with a […]