Anne Wolfe Postic's Recent Articles
Page 4
Recipe: Slow Cooker Tuna Noodle Casserole
When my children were younger, on nights we left them with a sitter to go out for a little adult time, I would leave simple meals — the kinds of dishes my husband and I were far too sophisticated to enjoy. Or so I thought. One night, the sitter canceled at the last minute — after I had already made a box of mac and cheese with frozen peas and a can of tuna. My husband took a bite. “What is this? Why have you never made this before? This is delicious!” Um, oops.
May 1, 2019
Recipe: Quick Balsamic Quinoa Salad
Can you use the word “hearty” to describe a salad? I think so. This filling salad is always a hit with dinner guests, and the leftovers — if there are any — make a nice lunch the next day. I once caught someone (who shall remain anonymous) — ha, ha, it was my sister, but I won’t say which one — in the kitchen after dinner cleaning out the bowl, eating every last bit. The quinoa and pine nuts add crunch, while the corn adds a hint of something sweet.
May 1, 2019
6 Ways My Family Follows the Spirit of France’s New Law
I can’t stand waste. I am my mother’s daughter. She kept scraps of vegetables in a container in the freezer until she had enough for soup, and sent leftovers in our school lunches, even though it wasn’t cool. (But it was delicious, which taught me that not worrying about what was cool often resulted in … a pretty great lunch.) She cut the brown bits off fruit and made it into salad rather than throw it away because we kids thought it was rotten.
May 1, 2019
What Should I Do When My Friend Is Always Late for Dinner? Always.
I love hosting dinner parties. Seriously, I live for them and can’t wait to plan the next one. Because I plan carefully, I want people to show up on time. I certainly don’t expect everyone to sit down and eat right when they get there, so I usually serve something small with cocktails while we wait for everyone to arrive. But what do I do about people who aren’t just 30 minutes late, but an hour or more?
May 1, 2019
How Do I Handle My Drunk Friend at a Party?
I have a dilemma, and I’m not sure if I need etiquette advice or if I should talk to a therapist. My roommate and I love to have small gatherings in our apartment. I’m going to be honest: We like to drink. In my opinion, we handle it pretty well, and so do most of our friends. There are rarely cars involved (we live in the city), and no one leaves wasted — except for our one friend. We call her Lady Drinks-a-Lot, because she does.
May 1, 2019
How Do We Handle Our Overly Flirty Friend?
We have this friend, a former fraternity brother of my boyfriend’s, and he’s a great guy, but he can’t seem to leave our female friends alone. When we invite him over, he attaches himself to at least one of our lady guests, ignoring all signals of disinterest, and follows her around all night. If he doesn’t get a phone number, he asks us the next day.
May 1, 2019
How to Accept Compliments on Your Cooking
You’ve been hard at work preparing your beef Wellington since 8 a.m., then you spent an hour designing your tablescape, another hour choosing the perfect wine to accompany your meal, and even more time preparing individual soufflés and baked Alaska for dessert. Feels good, doesn’t it? Or maybe all you did was toss a bunch of ingredients into a pot on the stove while sipping an ice-cold Natty Light, and somehow turned out the perfect pot of chili.
May 1, 2019
Why I Embrace the Kids’ Table at Thanksgiving
No, I don’t embrace sitting at the kids’ table — just its existence. I get plenty of kid time, every single day. But on holidays, I’m happy for the younger crowd to have a table, a whole room even, of their own. I have fond memories of the kids’ table in Nana’s parlor, including a rip-roaring Thanksgiving involving two Russian exchange students and more than a few nips of Nana’s vodka. The kids’ table is fun. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
May 1, 2019
Why I Break the “No Television During Dinner” Rule
I never thought I would be the kind of parent who lets her family eat while staring at a screen. I also never thought I’d have a husband and three children, or that I would end up settling in South Carolina. But life comes at you fast, as they say, and so you go with it — and my family loves sports. Only some of us like playing them (not it!), but we all enjoy watching, pulling for a team together, or not-so-gently ribbing each other when we’re on opposite sides.
May 1, 2019
This Is How I’m Shopping with Intention
My micro resolution for the year was to be a better grocery shopper. Now that my husband and I are both working away from home all day long — for the first time in 17 years — we’re trying to be more diligent about planning meals. And it’s hard! But we’ve done pretty well, and hitting the supermarket with purpose is a big part of that. Before I get into groceries, though, let’s talk about working parents.
May 1, 2019
6 Ways to Make the Slow Cooker Work When You’re Gone All Day
In theory, with a little effort in the morning, a slow cooker greets you at the end of the day with a home-cooked, ready-to eat-meal (martini not included). Opening the door to the smell of lasagna, chicken soup, pot roast — to almost anything — is heaven. But most recipes call for three to six hours of cooking, so for those of us who are operating on more of an eight- to 10-hour schedule, that isn’t so convenient.
May 1, 2019
5 Strategies for Shutting Down the Party
Have you ever been a bartender or waited tables? Were you ever forced to stay at work much longer than expected because some lovebirds were too busy staring deeply into each other’s eyes or, let’s be honest, practically making out on your bar? They were impervious to your passive-aggressive encouragement as you cleared every item from their table, stopped offering refills 20 minutes ago, and took out the broom. So what do you do?
May 1, 2019
10 Reasons You’re Not Packing Your Lunch (and How to Fix Them)
It seems so easy. Why would you wait in line to spend money on a sub-standard lunch near the office when you could bring your own well-prepared meal from home? Like so many other things that seem simple, the office lunch is anything but for some of us. I know because I spent my first few weeks at work eating out at lunch (after staying home with the kids and not eating at the office for 17 years in a row). It got old fast and emptied my wallet even faster.
May 1, 2019
My Neighbors Complain About Neighborhood-Hopping Trick-or-Treaters. They’re So Wrong.
Does your neighborhood have a Facebook group? Is there a little (or a lot) of drama in that Facebook group? If you’re like me, you try not to get involved. But there is one subject where I just can’t let go. Every year, a fair number of kids drive or are driven to our neighborhood to trick-or-treat. It’s also known as “neighborhood hopping,” and I have very strong feelings about it. I love it so, so much.
May 1, 2019
The Perfect Date Night in for You
It’s officially sweater weather, which means we’re getting excited about getting cozy inside — with boyfriends and best friends, pets and partners, little ones and other loved ones. To us, date night in is just an evening when you make plans with someone else (or just yourself!) to do something special at home. It’s as simple as that. This month, we’re exploring all the different ways to have date night in, starting with our (as always, strictly scientific) quiz.
May 1, 2019
5 Reasons You’ll Never Find Me in a Store on Black Friday
The dishes from Thanksgiving aren’t even dry. The leftover turkey sandwiches haven’t been assembled. And you’re already thinking about the shopping you’ll do on Black Friday. Maybe you looked into deals ahead of time and you have your attack all planned out. You may even be heading out at midnight to get the real bargains. Sound familiar? For a lot of families, shopping together on the big day is as much of a tradition as turkey and stuffing.
May 1, 2019
I Shopped at Aldi for the First Time and Here’s How It Went
Aldi has quite a following, as I learned when I asked one simple question on Facebook: “Friends who love Aldi: I’m about to make my first trip there. What’s good?” Sixty-something comments later, I was on a mission. I like inexpensive groceries that taste good, and I always bring my own bags (a requirement at Aldi). I made sure I had a quarter (more about that later), and got on the road.
May 1, 2019
A Short Guide to Navigating the Farmers Market with Kids
Our youngest child grew up at the local farmers market. Our market opened around the time he was born, and we welcomed the opportunity to walk to a local shop and buy food in the parking lot, from local vendors. The market’s founder even hired our toddler to “help” him, which consisted of playing with said founder’s phone and occasionally giving people change. His help enabled us to take our time at the market, make friends, and carefully consider our purchases.
May 1, 2019
Do You Call It a Slow Cooker or Crock-Pot?
That thing that saves my weeknight dinners? I don’t call it a Crock-Pot®, or even the more generic “crockpot,” which technically isn’t a word, at least not according to spellcheck. I call it a slow cooker, because that’s what it is and I’m a stickler when it comes to words and not the least bit dogmatic when it comes to dinner.
May 1, 2019
5 Things First-Time Thanksgiving Hosts Should Never Buy
After years of attending Thanksgiving dinners in other people’s homes, it’s finally your turn, and you are pumped. You can’t wait to return some of the hospitality you’ve experienced over the years, and your Thanksgiving dinner will be the best one ever because you are pretty darn good at this. Or maybe you’re more of a reluctant host. You got “volun-told” you were hosting because no one else in your family wanted to do it.
May 1, 2019
The Unexpected Way Going Back to Work Improved My Marriage
“What pan do I use to make the soup?” he called from the kitchen — and I lost it. First of all, the soup was already made, so it needed to be heated, not “made.” Semantics aside, the question was ridiculous. What pan? The one that fits the soup, obviously. My husband, the one who’s been using the same pans I have for the last 20 years, needed my help to heat soup.
May 1, 2019
12 Things No One Tells You About Going to Costco for the First Time
Are you surprised there’s someone left in the world who hasn’t been to Costco? Well, my husband and I may have been the last two. (Turns out even our children have gone with other people.) To be honest, we aren’t big bulk shoppers. We don’t have a lot of storage space, and I’m afraid of commitment, whether it’s to one brand of cereal or anything else. But I keep hearing good things about Costco and finally decided it was worth a try.
May 1, 2019
The One Thing Costco Does Almost as Well as the French
Much like Oprah, I love bread — particularly good bread. I blame my husband; he’s half French and definitely a bread connoisseur. We spent some time in France this summer, visiting with family, sharing his culture with our kids, and eating lots and lots of bread. Now that we’re home, there’s only one baguette for us, and it’s from Costco.
Apr 30, 2019
Pillsbury Created a Food Star You’ll Actually Love
The Pillsbury Bake-Off, at least in my mind, has always espoused certain values: good taste and convenience in the kitchen. This year, the Bake-Off rewarded something else: story-telling. Every recipe has a story, and those stories have inspired a now-familiar blog format. Readers are treated to a glimpse into the author’s life, followed by a recipe that ties it all together. It’s a format we love, because who doesn’t want to know what people eat?
May 14, 2018
How a Trip to Italy Inspired My Family to Tackle Food Waste at Home
Several years ago, we spent time with friends in their Italian country house. (Yes, this was easily the best summer ever.) My friends are generous and lovely people, so there was always a full house, and we did a lot of cooking, which required a lot of food. The house was isolated, and my family learned to be even more mindful of food waste and extra trash. The grocery store was quite a drive and excess trash resulted in fines for our gracious hosts.
Feb 25, 2018
This Is the Most Helpful Thing You Can Do at Your Family Thanksgiving
Don’t you love Thanksgiving? Your family’s traditions, the delicious food, hanging with your cousins in the rec room after the meal is over — you look forward to it every year. And your parents look forward to seeing you! No, they insist, you can’t help with the cooking. Setting the table? Thanks, but they did it early this morning while you were still in bed checking Facebook on your phone.
Nov 21, 2017
The Unexpected Way Going Back to Work Improved My Marriage
“What pan do I use to make the soup?” he called from the kitchen — and I lost it. First of all, the soup was already made, so it needed to be heated, not “made.” Semantics aside, the question was ridiculous. What pan? The one that fits the soup, obviously. My husband, the one who’s been using the same pans I have for the last 20 years, needed my help to heat soup.
Nov 3, 2017
5 Ways to Make Your Guests Wash Their Hands
We’ve all been there: You have friends over for dinner, you notice your dining companion about to dig in, and, for whatever reason, you also know they haven’t washed their hands. Powerless, you look on in horror as their hand reaches, as if in slo-mo, arching through the air, ultimately making contact with a pita chip. Which is then dragged through the delightful pesto you made with the last of your summer basil, dripping germs and who knows what else. And now?
Oct 29, 2017
Sorry, Silicon Valley. A Smart Kitchen Will Never Replace a Smart Cook.
Some people dream of the latest newfangled appliances, and Silicon Valley is happy to oblige. There’s the fridge that knows your shopping habits, and the stove that knows when you walk in the door. But not me. Can smart appliances really replace the rhythms and instincts of a cook? I’m not so sure.
Oct 27, 2017
Deadly Wildfires Hit California’s Wine Country Leaving Thousands Displaced
This week in California, fires have devastated the northern part of the state, including wine country. As of Tuesday night, 15 deaths were reported, and the two biggest blazes have burned nearly 115,000 acres of land. At least 1,500 homes, businesses, wineries, resorts, and other structures have been destroyed and almost 20,000 people have had to evacuate, leaving behind homes, schools, land, and belongings. Most of the fatalities come from Sonoma County.
Oct 10, 2017
Why It’s Totally Worth It to Have a Weekly House Cleaner
But on Monday morning, after we leave for work and school, something magical happens: Our house cleaner, Melissa, comes in for a few hours to clean the house. It’s not inexpensive, because it’s important to me to pay what I would accept to do the same job, but coming home to a sparkling house on Monday night is worth every penny. Here’s why. We don’t have a housekeeper, someone who does it all, right down to folding and putting away all the socks.
Sep 11, 2017
So You Forget to Defrost the Chicken. Here’s How to Save Dinner.
Remembering to thaw the chicken should be easy, right? All you have to do is put it in the refrigerator before you go to bed and, by the next evening when you’re ready to cook, it should be good to go. But a lot of things should be easy that aren’t, like remembering to buy milk, apply eye cream before bed, or mail the bills on time, or getting your kids to go to the bathroom before a long trip.
Aug 29, 2017
There’s Always Room in My Freezer for Cool Whip
About once a year, if you open my freezer for something normal, like ice, you’ll find a big tub of Cool Whip — and that’s never going to change. I indulge when I’m making my grandmother’s family famous coconut cake because there’s no substitution for the sweet and creamy goodness that is Cool Whip. It brings back great memories for me. It means a special occasion, a surprise dessert, and family fun. I love fresh, hand-whisked whipped cream.
May 20, 2017
When Should You Try a DIY Appliance Repair?
Almost always! Because it’s fun! I mean, it can be. If appliance repair isn’t your idea of weekend entertainment, it may still be worth a try. Thanks to my need for a hobby, my appliances last even longer than expected. It’s simple: I refuse to give up on things that cost me a lot of money. Of course, there are times when a repair is beyond my skill level. I’ve learned when to throw in the towel, or call the appliance repair person, as the case may be.
Mar 17, 2017
Powdered Buttermilk Is the Better Alternative to Wasted Buttermilk
My grandparents used to pour buttermilk into a drinking glass full of cornbread and eat it with a spoon. Nana called it clabber, and as much as I liked some of the unfamiliar treats at their house, this one was not for me. In retrospect, it might have been more appealing in a bowl … or maybe not. Anyhow, my point is that I have no interest in large containers of buttermilk, because most recipes call for a half-cup or less, and no way am I drinking the rest.
Jul 1, 2016
6 Ways to Make Celery More Exciting
You know what? Celery is an excellent vegetable. It’s crunchy, piquant, and even good for you. Those pale green stalks are a welcome, although less-than-exciting, addition to a tray of crudité, and make up one-third of the base for a classic mirepoix. But beyond the snack tray and past its use as a kitchen workhorse exists a world where celery no longer has to play second fiddle.
Jun 24, 2016
The Correct Way to Respond to a Dinner Invitation
When it comes to party and dinner invitations, I blame Facebook and its much debated “maybe” option. But I think the art of responding to an invitation was disappearing before Facebook. As with most etiquette dilemmas, the real question is how something should be done in a way that makes others feel comfortable, even happy. And the answer is simple: Wait. That was two rules, wasn’t it? And there are a few more, but responding early and unambiguously are the most important.
May 21, 2015
The Real Reason I Don’t Want You to Help with the Dishes
You probably think I’m rude when I sneak away from the table, taking a few plates to the kitchen, trying and failing to go unnoticed. You probably think I won’t let you help because I’m too uptight about the way things are done. (You would have been right about that 10 years ago, but I’ve recovered, and will happily let other people clean these days.) Worst of all, it might seem like I want the party to end, and for you to go home. But none of that would be true.
May 19, 2015
Oyster Dressing, Just Like My Mother (and Grandmothers) Made
This Thanksgiving, we’re doing something different. After sharing almost every Thanksgiving of my life with my parents, I was at a loss this year because they’re both now gone. I am (so very, very) lucky to have a dear friend who is willing (enthusiastic, even!) to lump us in with her family for the holiday, and I can’t wait. (She throws a great party, and this will be no exception.) I offered to bring the oyster dressing, and planned to use my mom’s recipe.
Nov 24, 2014
The Best Way to Store Whisks in a Drawer
Almost a year ago, I participated in The Kitchn Cure. I cannot recommend it enough. The Cure forced me to take a look at all the things in the kitchen I wasn’t doing, and all the little things I was doing that were annoying me. Miraculously, The Cure stuck and most of my kitchen is still in pretty good shape.
Aug 5, 2014
A Risk-Free Way to Experiment in the Kitchen: Use Your Nose!
I encourage my children to shower before we eat, because I enjoy dinner, and nothing ruins the taste of a good meal like an unwashed soccer, tennis or basketball player. If I can smell them from ten feet away, the meal I’ve prepared loses its appeal. But before they get home, when I’m cooking that meal, I use my sense of smell to decide what the dish needs, without the risk of ruining the dish with a seasoning that just doesn’t work. How?
Mar 20, 2014
How I Cut Up Tough Greens
The bounty of summer produce is over, but here in South Carolina we find a lot of greens at the farmers’ market. That’s fine by me, because collards, chard and kale are abundant and I love them. What I don’t love is slicing them. Tearing greens with my bare hands will usually suffice, but there are times when I want strips, and I’ve finally figured out the best way to get them. When I discovered pre-sliced collards, I was thrilled, but I craved chard and kale, too.
Jan 10, 2014
Why I Don’t Need a Rice Cooker: Carolina Plantation Aromatic Rice Is Foolproof
I’m a member of a Facebook group where people share what they’re making in the kitchen: the trials, the tribulations, the recipes. It’s a fun group, and most of the cooks are southern like me. Recently, a member posted this, “I made really good rice!!!!!!! yeah 2014.” I responded to the post, asking what brand she used, prepared to hear about her amazing rice cooker. Her answer surprised me, though it shouldn’t have.
Jan 7, 2014
I Rendered Lard in My Slow Cooker, and It Was Easy!
Rendering lard was one of those things I had on my list: big, complicated cooking projects I wanted to try. Months ago, one of my favorite farmers’ market vendors offered me a bag of pork fat. Who wouldn’t take a free bag of pork fat? He suggested that I try rendering it and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. So why did I leave it in the freezer for so long? I figured I would need a whole day.
Nov 27, 2013
The Easiest Way to Get Fresh Thyme Leaves Off the Stalk
When a twig of thyme is perfect, at least for my purposes, the leaves practically separate themselves from the branch. But that rarely happens. The twig is too thin, or too green, or there are twiglets hanging off the twig that fall into my dish along with the leaves. Picking the leaves off one by one is tedious and I like to add a lot of thyme. But the other night, I finally figured out a way to make this easy. Without even checking the stems, I ripped a handful of thyme from my plant.
Nov 13, 2013
Appliances, Gadgets and Tools: Not My Worst Problem
Day 3 Task: Declutter appliances, gadgets, and tools I have a weird kitchen. At first glance, it looks pretty big. Then you start trying to put things away. My kitchen has surprisingly little storage space. (I have sexy, sexy fantasies about remodeling my tiny laundry room and adding a large pantry. These fantasies involve a handsome contractor…and winning the lottery.) This kitchen was designed for people who like to entertain and also enjoy the services of caterers.
Oct 2, 2013
The Salt I’ll Drop in Your Bag as You Leave
It’s rare that you stay with someone for a month and they give you a gift. Imposing on someone for that long, especially when you arrive with not one, not two, but three children, means you should be the one giving the gifts, and plenty of them. But my hostess in Italy needed her friends to try her favorite Salamoia Bolognese. As I was packing to go home, she dropped it in my bag, “You need this. Trust me.
Sep 30, 2013
What I’ll Be Preserving: Serbian Ajvar
In winter, when luscious red peppers are hard to find and expensive when they are available, the bounty of summer seems unimaginable. In South Carolina, red peppers are abundant near the end of the summer. Years ago, faced with a large basket of peppers, I decided to roast them and whip up a spread with a little eggplant, which is also easy to find this time of year, and with the usual suspects, garlic, salt, vinegar, olive oil and basil.
Aug 14, 2013