Cooking remains one of life’s greatest pleasures, at least for me. I do sometimes just wash my hands of it and succumb to the lure of frozen pizza. The ease of ripping open the cardboard box, making sure to check the manufacturer’s cooking instructions – they’re not all the same, are they? – then slicing … More In a State of Siege: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Day 6
The arrival of a new generation of the Joy of Cooking feels like seeing a new baby born into the family. Personal and very welcome. First, though, a bit of perspective on the story of this famous and enduring cookbook. * After her husband’s suicide in 1930 during the Great Depression, Irma S. Rombauer – … More Joy to the World: A Look at the 9th Edition of “Joy of Cooking”
When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us. ~ Alexander Graham Bell Partly cloudy skies and a hint of frostiness in the air promised a wonderful morning for visiting Barcelona’s Picasso Museum, … More Doors Open, Doors Close: Life’s Little Lessons
It’s National Mushroom Day today! And even when it’s not their special day, mushrooms pop up in the news over and over again. To read more about mushrooms and their history in human culture, and in the kitchen, take a look at my book, Mushroom: A Global History: Contents: Introduction: The Importance of Being Mushroom … More The Perfect Book for National Mushroom Day!
I dream of returning to Catalonia. The last time I was there, in 2010, I crossed the border between France and Spain, and ended up about 30 miles northwest of Barcelona. I stopped for lunch at a small family-run place in a town whose name I can’t remember. The waitress wouldn’t speak Spanish, and all … More Cooking Like a Catalan, No Matter Where You Are
Standing on the edge of the cliffs in the merciless wind, I struggled to keep my unruly hair out of my eyes. A losing battle it was, for I could barely see the roiling blue water below. No trees, scrubby grass, an old whitewashed church, and a modern lighthouse. Nothing else. Sagres,* perched on the … More For Me, All Roads Lead to Spain
CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN 