A Fresh Approach

Previous Columns

• It's the perfect time to go after rhubarb - 5/1/2013

  Pacific Northwest rhubarb has hit the market and it's as beautiful as ever. OK, so it isn't as chic as sapote, or as artsy as an artichoke.

• Work yourself up a bit of wok-bliss - 4/17/2013

  I consider stir-frying the modern answer to the "cook's surprise" casserole my Mom assembled from all of the fast-fading ingredients she could cull from the 'fridge.

• The wonderful world of artichokes - 4/3/2013

  If you ever want to pass some time on a long flight, just turn to a fellow passenger and announce "the correct way" to cook an artichoke.

• Available year-round, lamb still tastes of spring - 3/27/2013

  Although "spring lamb" is a term about as archaic as "spring chicken," this succulent Oregon commodity still is considered a harbinger of the season.

• First off, start with good onions - 3/20/2013

  If you, like me, are one of the majority blessed with taste buds and digestive tracts that allow appreciation of the marvelous allium family — in all its varieties and forms of preparation...

• Boost your enthusiasm for time in the kitchen - 3/6/2013

  I guess I've always had strong feelings about food and its preparation.

• Vinaigrettes bring zoom to the kitchen - 2/27/2013

  In classic French cuisine, there was a time when even a trace amount of fat on a sauce's surface meant it had broken: the result of a careless or inept chef.

• Take creamed spinach to another level - 2/20/2013

  I've always embraced spinach salads. They're fresh with a nice amount of crunch and flavor.

• Say hello to Oregon's newest nut tree - 2/6/2013

  From Oregon State University's renowned hazelnut-breeding program, here's the latest scoop: Welcome Wepster, a new, high-yielding, blight-resistant hazelnut tree bred to fulfill the wishes of the...

• Simmer some cozy food for body, soul - 1/30/2013

  Winter's a season of intense contrasts — from vigorous, outdoor activities, such as cross-country skiing, to intimate conversations by a roaring fire.

• Polenta's comfort is as good as it gets - 1/23/2013

  The other night, in need of a fast but tasty dinner concept, I remembered my frozen cache of homemade polenta.

• Don't be afraid to experiment with cornbread - 1/16/2013

  It's the perfect time to ponder cornbread construction because it makes such a dynamic accompaniment to chili. And who isn't hankering for chili this month?

• Great meal starts with perfect scallops - 1/9/2013

  One of my most memorable scallop-eating experiences took place at 4,000 feet, in the grand dining room of Yosemite National Park's Ahwahnee Hotel.

• It's a football party, Alamo Bowl-style - 12/26/2012

  Holy guacamole, Batman! Better line up those avocados now.

• Finding comfort in a well-made bowl - 12/12/2012

  I love the heft and beauty of a well-made bowl and, over the years, have brought a fair number of them into my kitchen.

• Hanging out in the kitchen is plain fun - 11/28/2012

  Mom's needed a little extra TLC lately, so I've been cooking like crazy.

• Try a no-fuss, last-minute holiday gratin - 11/14/2012

  With Thanksgiving a little over a week away, most of us still are fleshing out the menu. Plus, there are all the December events to think of.

• Don't underestimate the quick and easy quesadilla - 11/7/2012

  Some nights — maybe most nights in some households — the main culinary goal is simply an eat-quick-to-get-out-the-door sort of effort.

• A homemade treat that gets a 'Wowie!' - 10/31/2012

  I had this vision.

• Oregon's own: The prized hazelnut - 10/17/2012

  Did you know that the Willamette Valley and surrounding region grows 99.9 percent of the nation's domestic hazelnut crop?