The Feast of the Seven Fishes is a tradition in Pepper’s Italian-American household and can be a long, boisterous day of friendship and joy as family, neighbors and friends pop in for a plate (or two) of seafood and a glass (or two) of wine.
Category: Blog
They Said It Couldn’t Be Done – Pesto Ice Cream
Pixie’s gone rogue again with her pesto ice cream idea. Be sure to read her blog. For the theme music, listen to the Brandenburg Concerto #3 by J.S. Bach.
Pixie’s Gone Rogue Again
The fresh strawberries looked picturesque, in a bowl on the kitchen counter, on a sunny summer Sunday morning. Breakfast-time with fresh strawberries on-hand is just about as good as life gets. Strawberries go with EVERYTHING breakfast-related. Dice up some strawberries for the oatmeal, buttered bagel or toast, or see them sidled up next to the…
On Raising Chickens
Raising chickens, a rooster, the eggs are divine but … not an easy undertaking. Pepper writes about her adventures raising chickens, and the challenges and joys along the way.
Dreams of a Bountiful Garden Dance In My Head
The thermometer read 2⁰ but I waited until it warmed up to a balmy 9⁰ before dragging the dog out of bed and taking her out for her morning constitution. She was not happy with me. “Just think how toasty the house will feel when we go back inside,” I told her. She shot me…
And Just Like That …
And just like that …. We turned back our clocks and slipped into darkness. A strange correlation between the shortening days, darkness when we return from work, dropping temperatures and the political climate. We shudder thinking of what lies ahead for our neighbors, our country, for the beautiful tapestry we call “America” that so many…
Garden Successes and Defeats – A Post-Summer Analysis
Summer has officially ended. The days of our vegetable and herb garden are numbered. Around this time year, some of our plants seem to be in a race to finish what they wanted to get done before the weather overrules them. For example, our tomato plants appear to grow at an accelerated pace in September…
The Spoon
It’s a meme for Italian mothers: the wooden spoon. See one of these coming at you, and you better run! Seriously, though, the wooden spoon is emblematic of a cherished cooking instrument used by many, including the stereotypic Italian mother. When you find that perfect wooden spoon, you hold onto it. In my kitchen, it…
Following The Recipe Exactly – How Hard Is It? Impossible, Apparently.
I often ask myself why it is so hard, impossible almost, for me to follow even the most basic and classic recipe exactly as written. Someone once told me that a recipe is not meant to be a suggestion. Other people see recipes as a jumping-off point. I 100% subscribe to both schools of thought. I…
After the Pandemic
It kind of snuck up on us. Yes, there were headlines here and proclamations there, but we were cautious – afraid to be too optimistic – because we had been disappointed before when we thought the pandemic was over and a new strain, a new surge disrupted life again. It’s odd to walk into a…
United In Food - Uniting Communities Through Food 