Chickweed, dead nettles, dock. You may think these are just pesky weeds overtaking your garden, but they're actually vitamin- and- mineral-packed greens that can add a powerful punch to your dinner. Do you know how to forage for weeds? More
Just as Emma discovered several years back, mulberries can be foraged in abundance at this time of year. We've discovered that we have a mulberry tree in our very own backyard and there are several across the street at a university building that's vacated for summer. Needless to say, we're flush with this fruit and looking for things to do with it: More
A few months ago, at Whole Foods, we bought a canister of Juniper Ridge's Douglas Fir Spring Tip tea. We hadn't tasted, or even smelled, the tea, but we were seduced by the packaging and a romantic description of "summer mountain meadows." Since then, this tea has become one of the most popular drinks among guests at our home and we go through multiple canisters a month! More
So you signed up for a CSA. Your bounty is already starting to roll in, but wait — you're having a hard time finishing things off with your busy spring schedule. That's OK! Here are a few tips to help make sure you don't let it go to waste, and to help you have tasty snacks when your CSA is a snow-covered memory later in the year. More
Wildflowers in a vase on your table, yes. But wildflowers in your food? Sure! Edible wildflowers pack a powerful nutritional punch, and look amazing when sprinkled over pancakes, salads, poached eggs, pizza—whatever strikes your fancy! Read on for the 10 rules for edible wildflowers.
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One of my favorite after-dinner treats is neither a traditional dessert nor a boozy cocktail. In fact, it's more often associated with sunny brunches than nighttime indulgences. But at the end of a long weekday, a glass of elderflower cordial is the simple, sweet delight that I crave. More
Though pink peppercorns are considered an exotic spice, the evergreen trees from which they originate are anything but. Peruvian pepper is an invasive species that—for lucky foragers in California, Florida, Hawaii and other hot climates—are easy to find to make your own gourmet spice. More
Because they've somewhat fallen out of fashion, many cooks don't realize how important a pocketknife is to a culinary life. Sure we have our chef's knife and our paring knife safely ensconced in the home kitchen. But a cook should always be ready for whatever delicious opportunities are thrown her way and a pocketknife is essential for that readiness. Plus, a pocketknife is a thing of beauty and as such should always be encouraged.
Do you have a pocketknife? What do you use it for? More
It seems like this is a good year for mushrooms, at least in Northern California. In Berkeley, you can find heaps of delicious looking wild mushrooms at fairly reasonable prices, especially chanterelles, which come in many colors (white, yellow, black.) But what caught my eye recently is the oddly named Fried Chicken Mushroom. Is it true? Does it really taste like fried chicken? At $8.99 a pound, I picked up a small handful for around $2, and took them back to my kitchen to find out.
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TW Salt Mill by Wil...
