Just the other day, I saw a recipe for Cream of Broccoli soup, and since the weather has turned cooler, that seemed pretty good. But, then while organizing my freezer, I ran across a bag of Kabocha squash chunks. They seemed like a good idea, but I was initially disappointed in the texture. Whether steaming, microwaving or Instant Pot, they got too soft. Mushy. Not a good thing .... unless we're talking soup. The lightbulb went on. This isn't soup so much as a chowder. Oh, as

Have you ever met anyone who didn't LOVE meatloaf? Really? I haven't. Did you know that the dish can actually be traced back to Roman times, having been mentioned as early as the 5th century B.C.E? But, it probably wasn't much like what we know, which is commonly traced back to German, Dutch and Scandinavian antecedents. Our American-style meatloaf, however, didn't appear in cookbooks before the late 1800's. You can find some version of meatloaf in almost every cuisine in the

As the days get shorter, and the temperatures plummet, the need for something warm and comforting seems to go up. The other day, tomato soup came to mind. With big thick slab of multi-grain sourdough to dunk in it. After a quick browse through the fridge, and an eye toward the basket of summer's last fresh tomatoes from my garden, it was obvious that it wouldn't be anything close to that canned variety. I don't like to waste food. It's like pouring money down the drain, and j

A friend told me the other day that Ratatouille was a favorite dish, but just too complicated and time consuming to make. Blink. Blink. "Really?" says I. Yes, I suppose that it can be a complex dish to make - if you're a classically trained chef. In a cozy little bistro in Provence. I'm not. You're probably not. But, learn to make this deceptively simple dish and you'll forgive your friends for thinking that your cooking chops just might be more impressive than they are. You

If you're plant-based, have you tried Butler's Soy Curls? I buy six bags at a time, and keep 'em in the pantry. You can use a whole bag or not. Kinda like pasta. Use what you need, and then just close up the bag and toss it back in the pantry until next time. I think the texture is nice, and similar to other plant-based chikin-like meat alternatives. The flavor? Well, on its own, there isn't much of one, but that's good since you'll probably be adding them to a host of other

I love having some warm Golden Milk on cool autumn afternoons ... and evenings. It's one of those nice, comforting 'before bed' things that seem to help me sleep better. I used to think that I only like warm Golden Milk, but have discovered that I like it cold as well. And, here's a guilty secret - I love it warm over shredded wheat. Add some nuts, berries or raisins, and I'm in heaven. So, I make enough to fill a large, swing-top Grolsch bottle and simply warm it up as I nee