Friday we went to the Crooked Goose (hard to keep straight from the Crippled Bear – lots of wounded animal restaurants in these here parts) and it was perfect. We wouldn’t change a thing. Saturday I took Ben to a special prom in Lewisburg (the community where I teach) and we had a ball (A…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Total Eclipse of the Tart
With all the hubbub surrounding Monday’s eclipse, I have been taking a stroll down memory lane. Stop number one: 1979. I was in seventh grade during that eclipse, and we made pinhole cameras to observe it. I didn’t really know what I was doing so I didn’t see much of anything, but we had been…
Benchiladas
Have you ever wondered, when you’re staring into the gaping maw that is your family’s ravenous hunger, what would Ben do? Well, wonder no more. This is what Ben would (and did) do. Benchiladas. If, like us these days, you aren’t quite up to doing all that, Benchiladas are the perfect solution when you need…
I’m Not Foolin’ Around
On Saturday, Ben got up before we did and made coffee. When I ambled downstairs, he heard me on the stairs and poured me a cup of coffee. Handing it to me, he said, “Here’s coffee. I’m not foolin’ around.” I surveyed the kitchen and realized that he had all ingredients for “special breakfast” out…
Onion Cake (and other improbable things)
This week, we were inspired by Ben’s Aunt Mary to try her recipe for zwiebelkuchen, a German dish which translates as onion cake, but is more like a cross between a savory tart, pizza, and quiche. So, while “onion cake” may sound like the last thing on earth you would want to try, we assure…
Shoot from the Hip
Let’s start with this: Ben is doing well. Hip shmip. Urological concerns meant he spent a week at home with a catheter, but now he is foot-loose and fancy-free. We even got to finally (fourth time’s a charm) visit my parents in Virginia, a trip that had been put off three times. We are striving…
And Do Ya Want Pasta? Why Not!
Sausage is our go-to meat around here for jazzing up pizza, soups and pasta dishes, so when Wegmans stopped carrying Bob Evans Original Recipe, it amounted to a family crisis. We stocked up at Giant, but when that freezer stash ran out, we were unable to find more at Giant. If you are going to…
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Remember when the world shut down and we spent our days wandering around in a daze, worrying, staring at screens, growing unkempt, cooking all the things, and gaining about 50 pounds? No? Just me? As I look back now, I realize that most of that time actually produces positive memories for me. The pandemic was…
Cooking in the Dark
One time about 20 years ago, Phil came home from dinner at Francos raving about a special, the “Island Bean Soup.” He went on and on with a very detailed description of what he thought was in it. For days, he raved about this magical soup. Finally, I knew I had no option but to…
Breakfast Roulette
You know all about our “special breakfast” on Saturday mornings, right? Ben and I rise before dawn to plan the week’s menu, then wait patiently for Phil to wake up and delight us with some culinary feat. OK, cards on the table, we are rarely patient, and it’s almost always pancakes with bacon. The fire…