If there were a Homemakers Award system with a Home Baking merit badge, lemon meringue pie would be the final exam. This diner dessert requires mastery of a flaky crust, no-fall meringue, and tempered egg filling. These elements must be managed in quick succession so that they come together for a final bake before sogging the crust. Then, the whole thing must chill before service just enough that beads of moisture do not form on [...]

After sipping my homemade limoncello last week, I decided I hadn’t had enough of this season’s Meyer lemons. I ordered another half dozen from Green B.E.A.N. delivery. When I opened my box I found not six but eighteen petite yellow lemons. I immediately contacted customer service and offered to return them. The quick response: “We can’t take them back, can you use them?” Oh can I? When life hands me Meyer lemons, I feel very [...]

1. I like to make jam but I rarely eat it. 2. Same with pickles. Hence, my pantry is overabundant and I give many jarred gifts. 3. I failed at worm composting last year. I so don’t like squishy creatures that I hated tending the box and turned the wigglers lose in my compost bin in the summer. I am keeping my awesome One20 Farm composter with the hopes that someday I’ll get over my [...]

Earlier this week, we were slated to bring a soup to family dinner with Alex’s parents. I spied our last local pie pumpkin languishing on the counter and thought of squash soup. I typically make winter squash soup by oven roasting the squash, sautéing onions and garlic in oil, and then pureeing everything together. This time I was exhausted from another bout of sinus pain. I didn’t feel like dicing the onion and happened upon [...]

My family has a winter holiday tradition to make egg rolls from scratch. Usually the lengthy process happens on Christmas Day but this year we made them on New Years Day. We all love to cook and working together makes light work of the tedious rolling. A corollary tradition is to stuff any remaining wrappers after the filling is gone with random foods. This year, cocktail cherries and chocolate was a hit. Lil’s roll with [...]

Seasonal foods are hot and heavy in the spring, summer, and fall as we eat our way through herbs and asparagus to peas and beans to tomatoes and squash. What about winter? Hot houses do produce fresh food in Ohio but there are only so many ways to eat greenhouse-grown lettuces and greens. Even homegrown squashes and potatoes are starting to scream “get me out of storage and eat me now!” I expand my local [...]

Way back in August when the grass was green and the weather sticky hot, Flying J Farm opened its (barn) doors to host the Shake the Hand that Feeds You dinner benefiting Slow Food Columbus. Alex, Lil, and I attended with our Japanese exchange student Anna. Chefs from Skillet Rustic. Urban. Food expertly cooked up much of the feast including a lingua appetizer sandwich that helped inspire our sweet heart charcuterie. The family-style meal included [...]