A Fresh Approach

Previous Columns

• Jasmine rice: aromatherapy for cooks - 1/27/2010

  With so many varieties of rice in the world to choose from, it would seem ridiculous for me to pick a favorite. And, yet, jasmine rice is it.

• A little work — delicious payoff - 1/13/2010

  If you're experiencing a marginal state of mind right now when it comes to cooking, I'm reminding you of the roasted-chicken cure.

• Simmer away hearty winter meals - 1/6/2010

  As another season of college football comes to an end, perhaps you've had your fill of bowl games.

• Go out in style but conserve resources in upcoming year - 12/30/2009

  Can you stand to read one more collection of party recipes before we move on to the next decade?

• Yosemite meal goes down in holiday history - 12/23/2009

  It was — potentially — the stuff of Christmas-dinner dreams: the glorious dining room of Yosemite National Park's elegant Ahwahnee Hotel.

• Ripe pears, host of winter fruits dazzle in festive salads - 12/16/2009

  Thanks to the generous gift of my friend Wayne, I've had quite a few Braeburn apples on my hands. My first phase of enjoyment involves a simple saute of the apples with a bit of butter.

• Northwest apples add a delicious kick - 12/9/2009

  I have a friend with a knack for growing things, which is good since he's a major hazelnut grower here in the Willamette Valley.

• Prepare to eat, drink and be merry - 12/2/2009

  With folks coming and going during this festive month, why not take a few days to prepare?

• New recipes bring the holidays home - 11/25/2009

  Every family has its Thanksgiving food traditions. When I was growing up, our household was no different.

• Handling a vegetarian Thanksgiving - 11/18/2009

  With Thanksgiving on the horizon, you're probably giving some thought to your menu.

• Memories of a San Francisco treat - 11/4/2009

  After a week in San Francisco, my husband met my flight, and as we headed out to the freeway asked if I'd like to stop somewhere along the way for a bite to eat.

• The 'perfect' roasted chicken - 10/28/2009

  At a time of year when all things roasted sounds particularly inviting, we're at our most motivated level for turning out a delectable, juicy, golden-roasted chicken.

• Winter squash are varied and vivid - 10/21/2009

  The colorful and dramatic winter squash could have their own show, with a cast of characters as varied and vivid as any Disney fantasy-styled production.

• There are plenty of Oregon apples to go around - 10/14/2009

  Finally, apple season has arrived, and if there's anything we know about Oregon, it's that apples thrive here.

• Waste not: Make a relish or chutney - 10/7/2009

  As the days of early autumn become shorter and the Northwest nights cooler, those once-prolific plots of tomato vines, pickling cukes and pepper plants aren't what they used to be.

• Calling all corn heads: Let's eat! - 9/23/2009

  Call me a corn brain if you must. My husband does.

• Don't let Oregon summers, tomatoes go to waste - 9/16/2009

  Until someone invents year-round summer in Oregon, the time to enjoy local sun-ripened tomatoes is now.

• Albacore is the affordable tuna option - 9/9/2009

  It occurred to me recently that Pacific albacore doesn't get the respect it deserves. Not in the "sushi-grade-yellow-fin-tuna" sort of way.

• Packing a snack for the outdoors - 8/26/2009

  Noontime, somewhere along the Lostine River, about five miles into the Wallowas of northeast Oregon.

• Keeping up with your tomato bounty - 8/12/2009

  Like a child sprouting from infancy to gangly adolescence, the first phase of a tomato plant's life seems to zoom by at breakneck speed.