Other People's Kitchens

Around the Campfire
The e-mail questions and lists are flying around today among us and three other families. The burning subject is who’s bringing what food for camping under the stars on the Fourth of July. We must have s’mores of course, and who’s in charge of which dinner or what breakfast?

A Sigh of Relief
With class parties, teacher toasts, birthdays, year-end gifts and kick off the summer BBQ’s, like many of you, I’ve been particularly busy. Thankfully though, I’ve had my friends to help me get through this end-of-the-year craziness, especially in the kitchen. 

Have you ever tried….?
While making meatloaves the other day with my friend Katrina, she asked me if I’d ever tried this crazy recipe called something like “Three-Minute Chocolate Brownie in a Mug.” Never heard of it, but we certainly had three minutes and it called for all good ingredients. If I hadn’t been there, she might not have tried it, and I, somehow, probably still would have never heard of it. It was as easy as promised and quite good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. 

Savoring Summer
With seedlings maturing in the garden, my strawberries turning red, the first CSA pick up complete, and the farmer’s market officially open, the summer season has obviously begun. An abundance of local and fresh produce creates endless culinary opportunities, making summer the ideal time to cook with others.

Grill Party
A few years ago in the heat of the summer, a hurricane knocked out our neighborhood’s power for a shockingly long eight days. Around the third day, the grill parties started. People called around, inviting friends to empty their fridges and cook on the grill, and many people set up a bevy of grills to not only be more efficient but be able to talk to people while cooking.