“The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star,” wrote Brillat-Savarin in 1824. Sheila Lukins, who passed away this weekend from brain cancer, discovered many new dishes and did so much for human happiness for countless home cooks. Her first cookbook, “The Silver Palate Cookbook,” contains […]

The last of the Michigan blueberries inspired me to rediscover a favorite breakfast treat. Cherry-Berry Coffee Cake 2 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans Mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar, and oil. Remove 3/4 cup of the mixture […]

Dear friends, it’s been lovely, truly it has, but I fear this is the end. I could quite possibly be approaching my demise. I only have months now, weeks or days even, before the morning comes that my husband will think I am simply being stubborn and won’t get up from bed. He’ll say, “V, seriously, are […]

The New York Times has a front-page article in this morning’s newspaper sneering at Julia Child: her cookbooks actually use butter, pork fat, and gelatin! Instead of admiring her beautifully written recipes, the author of the article showcases a novice cook who makes beef bourguignon by opening soup cans. No, I have not cooked all of the recipes in […]

Planked fish is a very old style of cooking food (Lewis and Clark ate fish cooked on planks by Indians on their 1804 tour), but is still a fashionable cooking method. Aromatic cedar wood is wonderful for imparting a wonderful flavor to food. Tonight we ate cedar-planked salmon (caught by me in Lake Michigan!) topped […]

Everyone is so excited about the movie Julie and Julia and the book Julie and Julia that we have added another session of our sold-out “Julie and Julia” cooking class on September 13. Once a month, we offer a book club cooking class, “Novel Cuisine,” in which the class reads a book, then we discuss […]

Ketchup is a simple sauce made of fruit, sugar, vinegar, and spices. But the fruit does not have to be tomatoes. Pick cherries to make a delicious ketchup! My favorite ketchup is made with cherries, specifically the tart Montmorency cherries. This year (unlike the last two years) is a fabulous year for cherries. Here is […]

“I want to make corn pudding.” “Really? Do you have a good recipe?” “Yes, it’s Julia Child’s corn pudding.” “That doesn’t make sense. Julia Child cooked French food and corn pudding is not French.” He searches through “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.” Not there. “When did you last make corn pudding?” “Probably 25 years […]

Pies are not just for dessert, but taste delicious throughout the whole meal. Brush up on your pie and crust-making skills on Saturday, August 22 at 10:30 am as Christie Saali shows how to make four scrumptious pies. Two pies are savory creations: fresh tomato-mozzarella pie with a basil crust and a French-style shellfish en […]

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch highlights today a cooking class held at Kitchen Conservatory for chefs at St. Louis Thai restaurants, presented by the Thai government. The chefs from Bangkok showed the proper way to make pad Thai: palm sugar and tamarind juice — not vinegar or ketchup. The most unusual technique demonstrated was shredding and […]