After all five of us have eaten an apple a day, and we’ve made gallons of applesauce, tray after tray of dried apple rings, yards of apple-based fruit leathers, and an apple pie—our fridge is still full of apples. So here’s a nice way to celebrate a fridge full of apples. Especially on a pancake day or when you have guests for breakfast over a long holiday weekend.
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I know that peanut butter is considered kid food, but I’ve never quite grown out of it. It’s a great grab-and-go snack on apple slices or crackers. It’s equally at home in cookies and in oatmeal. And I’ve long considered the PB&J the ultimate travel food (yes, even before we had kids). So I’m wondering, why don’t I use it in my savory cooking more?
What are your favorite savory peanut butter recipes? Continue reading
Sweet potato in my pie, pumpkin in my pancakes? That’s right, green vegetables are giving way to orange, as evidenced by the piles of winter squash on my counters. Luckily, orange is a very popular vegetable color around here. Especially when the vegetables come in the form of pancakes. Or pie.
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Cooking is a lot of work, wouldn’t you say? That’s why I like to let my dining companions share in the effort every chance I get. Also, interactive food is fun! Everyone enjoys rolling their own sushi. From now on, I’m always going to let dining companions shell their own favas. And serving roasted wedges of unpeeled winter squash lets each eater participate in a simple task that makes the cooking much easier for you. (I’m sure they’ll thank you for the opportunity.) 
It might be heresy to admit at this time of year, but pumpkin pie isn’t really my thing. I make one every year, but it’s only out of a sense of duty. I’ve used canned pumpkin and I’ve roasted and pureed my own. I’ve spiced it up with ginger and with maple whipped cream and I’ve gone rogue and served pumpkin cheesecake instead. Pumpkin pie’s…okay.
No more, my friends. Farewell, so-so pumpkin desserts. Hello, sweet potato pie.
I know it looks like all I do around here right now is eat pie. And tomorrow, steel yourselves, there will be more. But in between, we’ve actually been making all kinds of great things with tofu. A vegan variation of this saag paneer, and a vegan riff on this lemony broccoli and harissa dinner salad, and straight-up tofu with greens and rice and so-good spicy peanut sauce. Stay tuned. Because by this weekend we’ll all be over talking about Thanksgiving, won’t we? Or at least ready to sneak in some healthier meals among the gravy-laden feasts?
In the Kitchen
Menu 1: We had 30 of our closest neighbors over for dinner last weekend and I made an extra-big batch of my biggest pot of minestrone Continue reading
Apologies for the sugar rush this week, but ’tis the season. 
There’s a sweet little pie shop in my neighborhood that boasts a bakery case full of the cutest little pies you’ll ever see. Pies in jars, lollipop pies, handheld pies. Little deep-dish pies piled impossibly high with whipped cream or meringue. Itty-bitty mini muffin bite-sized pies. And, of course, the classic larger size.
I love them all, but my special favorite is the Cutie Pie, made in a standard-size muffin tin. It’s substantial enough, but you can get away with eating one all by yourself. In fact, I recommend that you do so. Make them for your holiday table, sure, but be sure to set aside a few moments and at least one tiny pie to enjoy alone as well.
As an long-time mostly-vegetarian, I know a thing or two about vegetarian feasting in general and the Vegetarian Thanksgiving in particular.
The rules below are mine. What are your ideas or family traditions for feeding the vegetarians on Thanksgiving? Please share your own insights—or feel free to request advice!—in the comments. Continue reading
There are a lot of things I like about seasonal produce. A summer peach, a fall persimmon, a winter tangerine, the first stalk of rhubarb: each is most perfect in its own moment.
But then there are times when I stick my fingers in my ears: “la la la la la, I’m not listening!” Like when it becomes painfully apparent that lettuce is no longer in season. Some things I just can’t survive the winter without.
This is a green salad to brighten your winter, full of lemony zing, celery crunch, and the wide-awake flavor of flat-leaf parsley. Continue reading
This is a dish that a friend first made for me and now I make it for friends. It’s fancy-looking but easy enough for quick weeknight cooking. Serve it with a nice salad and a dinner is ready in half an hour.
The big flavor here belies the ease of preparation, though. That’s always the best kind of recipe, wouldn’t you say?
In fact, I should ask all of you, my favorite home cooks: what’s your favorite little-work-big-reward recipe?
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Emmy Cooks 