A fresh take on your classic chicken noodle soup recipe, this one uses acini di pepe pasta, leeks, radishes, and a healthy assortment of rainbow carrots. For the past week I’ve watched as leaves in shades of gold and crimson drift towards the ground. I stood under my neighbor’s towering maple as my kids walked down the street to school, listening. The branches swayed softly, rustling with the crinkle of drying leaves as they floated down around me, my shoulders turned in and my arms... more

A hearty, made-from-scratch beef soup recipe packed full of garden vegetables just in time to warm you up from the cool autumn air. I kissed my kids on their way out the door, closing it tight behind them, their small bodies wrapped in extra layers making their way down the leaf-lined street. I clutched a cup of steaming coffee, my fingers wrapping around the ceramic surface and pausing there, allowing the transfer of heat to my skin. I turned the water on to wash the breakfast dishes piled in the... more

The basics of building a better BLT sandwich from the type of bread to the thickness of the tomato slice to the variety of lettuce you opt for. Yes, there are rules. A BLT is not a hard sandwich to master, and nearly everyone has the ability to figure out how to slap bacon, lettuce, and slices of tomato on bread. However, there is a bit of finesse when it comes to making a great BLT. The kind that makes your heart sing with joy. The kind that easily becomes a meal. With most things, it is purpose... more

Ole’s technique, tips, and recipe on how to acheive tender, smoked beef brisket to rival some of the best Texas barbecue joints. My parents were the children of small town Midwestern teachers and farmers who spent most of their formative years in Minnesota, the Dakotas, and Wisconsin. My six siblings and I grew up around the table eating home cooked meals put together with honest effort, but almost always lacking adventure. Mexican food was ground beef seasoned with a packet and spooned into... more

Gravlax at home: You know you want to, this cured salmon deserves a place atop crackers and cheese, topping off your morning bagel, in place of the Canadian bacon on your eggs benedict (this please, over and over again). Get the how-to. This thing I do, life, sometimes I am terrible at it. I fail. More often than not, actually. My house is in shambles. It has reached and then exceeded the acceptable level of dirt and grime for accommodating four children beneath its shingles. There are piles. There... more

Springtime ramps meet with creamy pasta carbonara in this foraged take on this classic Italian dish. Spring has been slow to start with the snow following us all the way into May this year. Only yesterday I commented that our current weather has more in common with March than the first weeks of summer, and the plants agree. Crabapples bloom everywhere I turn, their white and pink blossoms holding the promise of sunshine. It was just two weeks ago I noticed the first bits of rhubarb sticking out... more

Garam masala, coriander, ginger, and garlic flavor this creamy, spinach-based saag dish with seared pieces of paneer cheese. The recipe can be adjusted to be served with chicken, if desired. I was introduced to Indian cuisine a few years after I had left home. It was during a college road trip: cars brimming with bodies, the trunk packed with an assortment of duffel bags as none of us even owned proper luggage at that point nor had the desire to use it. There was a drive across the flat, Midwestern... more