Cool Weather Salad

On a recent cool morning, woodsmoke was in the air as I walked out to the garden to harvest rhubarb and our first salad. Prince Charming and I figured out, with the help of cold frames, we eat salads out of our garden all but four months of the year. Our last salad is around the end of November and our first is

Top 10 Kitchen Tools (video)

Just back from the International Housewares Show in Chicago, where I explored hundreds and hundreds of kitchen tools, surprisingly my favorites list was not swayed by new gadgets. The criteria to make this list of tools was based on being user friendly, easy to clean, and most used. Watch video below.

Top 10 Kitchen Tools: 

 Kuhn Rikon Pepper Ratchet Grinder (easy to refill and use)

Breakfast or Contraband?

Scrabbled duck eggs, Vermont Smoke & Cure bacon, Sweet Clover Market maple breakfast sausage, all piled between an apple cider doughnut (toasted in bacon fat of course). Speechless? So was

Attention Cheese Enthusiasts'

Like cheese? Here are two Vermont cheese events not to be missed! 

Click here to learn more about Of Cows, Caves, and Cheese in May at Shelburne Farms.

Sweet Home Chicago

Recently Prince Charming and I enjoyed a quick trip back to my home town, Chicago. The Drake is where I rest my head at night if I am not staying with family. I adore the old world charm and elegance. The Drake and I go way back as my mother used to work at the American Airlines ticket office, that

First Harvest and Upcoming Garden Class

As a new garden season approaches, I am geared up and have already made my first harvest. Next "Grow More Food At Home" Chef Contos garden event is at the Bristol Library on March 20th 6:30. 

Cupcakes vs Cake

Yes, I broke down and fell into the cupcake trap, realizing that sometimes cupcakes are better than cake. For a recent cocktail and hors d'oeuvres party of about twenty guests, cupcakes and cookies were my

Orange and Green Discoveries

While waiting for winter, spring has arrived. On a recent warm and sunny day, a burst of excitement sparked me to take a peak in our raised beds. One of our beds was plastic covered all winter, therefore warming up faster in spring. Able to work the soil, I cleaned out some dead lettuce and made a couple discoveries. The patch of about twenty gorgeous carrots has overwintered beautifully. Another surprise

Growing Food - This Thursday...

Believe it or not, it's time to start seriously thinking about your 2012 vegetable garden. Wither you start your own seedlings or buy starts, pull out your gardening books and use this time to create a detailed

Super Tomato; Enlightened Cocktails; Crazy Desserts; Pizza Hut Engagement?

What I'm Reading...