If you eat, thank a woman. Women grow almost half our food. If you’re celebrating Women’s History Month (and you should), celebrate the femme farmers in your life. A shout-out to my local farmers. They are dynamic, they are diverse, they are organic, traditional, urban, hydroponic, they every flavor of Miami, and they’re all women….
Three Lowcountry Women — Preserving History and Making it
Among my culinary crushes, Vertamae Smart-Grosvenor stands tall. She stood tall in real life, too. She was as statuesque and extroverted as I am short and nervous. We met in the pages of her 1970 cookbook/memoir, Vibration Cooking or The Travel Notes of a Geechee Girl. I’d never heard of Geechee before, and like the…
To the Women in Food – A Women’s History Month Tribute
Welcome to Women’s History Month. This month, I pay tribute to the women in food, some celebrated, some unsung, who’ve inspired me at the keyboard and in the kitchen. If you’ve been reading me for a while, you know Paula Wolfert has long been my culinary muse. Before her, there was my paternal grandmother Marcella,…
Extraordinary Italian Taste, Extraordinary Generosity
Last week, thanks to the Italy-American Chamber of Commerce, I made dinner with Michelin-starred chef Cristiano Tomei. Tomei is in lockdown in Lucca, I’m in Miami and the other 90-odd participants are scattered all over the world. We came together out of love of true Italian taste and the magic of Zoom. Zoom cocktails with…
Life After Covid-19 and the Cooking Club We Can All Belong To
Txoco. It’s the Basque term for a private cooking club. They aren’t clubs the way Americans think of clubs. They’re bare-bones communal kitchens where circles of friends gather to cook and eat, talk, drink, and laugh. America hasn’t really had a txoco equivalent and hasn’t needed one. Until now. Watching online cooking classes and having…
Just Add Water Part 2 – Pasta Water | Conscious Cookery Day 5
When Americans cook pasta, most overlook the magic that’s left behind from cooking — pasta water. In Italy, as the country prepared for coronavirus lockdown, people hit the markets and grabbed boxes of pasta. In the UK, pasta sales almost doubled. Here, pasta sales have gone up an unprecedented 400 percent. Forget March Madness. We’re…
Just Add Water – Cocina Povera | Conscious Cookery Day 4
We waste up to half our food in this country. This is unacceptable in the best of times and now, in this time of lockdown, well, just don’t do it. Give produce bits and bobs the second chance they deserve. Make vegetable broth and agua fresca for free. Free. Do I have to say it…
Sprouting – Cocina Povera | Conscious Cookery Day 3
I wish we had a recipe for a coronavirus serum. But there’s some immunity-boosting magic we can all do. Sprouting. Sprouting pulses (dried beans) ups their digestibility and nutritional profile. They’re living foods with all their natural goodness intact. Besides, sprouting gives you another option for all those dried beans you stockpiled. Sprouting is cheap,…
Get More Whole Grains Into Your Life
If you’re like me, you keep wondering what you can do to protect yourself from the coronavirus — and ensuing craziness. Wash your hands. Hydrate. Avoid crowds. Load up on hand sanitizer (if you can get it). And eat whole grains. Wednesday is Whole Grains Sampling Day, your friendly reminder from the Whole Grains Council…
Chilling in the Days of Coronavirus — Freezing Fresh Produce | Conscious Cookery Day 2
Did you know that freezing fresh produce is not only possible but a great way to extend its life? Since COVID-19 took over, it feels a little like life has stopped. It hasn’t. We need to keep going. I mean, just look at your produce. It hasn’t stopped. Fresh fruits and vegetables add brightness, flavor…
