Christmas – CYNTHIA D. BERTELSEN

The Christmas Chronicles: Nigel Slater’s Paean to Midwinter, a Blissful Reading Experience

November 27, 2022

Best known for his memoir, Toast – both book and film – English author Nigel Slater is one of those food writers who really writes about a heck of a lot more than what’s on the table and in the mouth. Take his stunning work in The Christmas Chronicles: Notes, Stories & 100 Essential Recipes … More The Christmas Chronicles: Nigel Slater’s Paean to Midwinter, a Blissful Reading Experience

Smörgåsbord: Perfect for the 2020 Holiday Season

December 15, 2020

This year – and I know you know this as well – the holiday season will be nothing like it used to be. A few weeks ago, I thought I’d throw together a Christmas meal of meatballs and lefse and that would be it as far as my efforts would go. But then I changed … More Smörgåsbord: Perfect for the 2020 Holiday Season

Happy Christmas 2015!

December 25, 2015

I wish all of you the very best Christmas, no matter where you cook! Thank you all for everything and inspiring me to keep on writing about my favorite subject: food.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

December 24, 2014

No matter what you call your holiday, or where you are, I would like to take a moment to wish you very happy and merry days. At this time of the year in the northern hemisphere, the days are short and the nights long, elements that lend to reflections on the cycle of life, … More Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Christmas in the White House: President Benjamin Harrison’s Carlsbad Wafers and His 1890 Christmas Dinner

December 22, 2014

President Benjamin Harrison, being a card-carrying participant of the Gilded Age, and his wife Caroline Scott Harrison served an unusual dinner on Christmas day, 1890. (The menu follows below.) Unusual in one way. Carlsbad Wafers. Huh? The mention of Carlsbad Wafers stopped me in my tracks for a minute. Like a curious cat, whiskers trembling, … More Christmas in the White House: President Benjamin Harrison’s Carlsbad Wafers and His 1890 Christmas Dinner

The Gift of French Cuisine

December 15, 2013

The French peasant cuisine is at the basis of the culinary art. By this I mean it is composed of honest elements that la grande cuisine only embellishes. -Alexandre Dumaine I don’t remember exactly when it happened. One day I resisted even opening my then-pristine copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking … More The Gift of French Cuisine

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

December 20, 2012

Gherkins & Tomatoes will be back after New Year’s. I wish all of you a happy holiday season, no matter what or how you celebrate!

Remembering the Magic and Wishing for Peace on Earth

December 16, 2012

I dedicate this post to the children and the parents, everywhere, especially Newtown, Connecticut. Every year, in December, a marvelous thing happens. At least I think it’s wonderful. And not for the reasons you might think. Christmas comes around, bringing with it a sense of magic in the air, some thing that I felt as … More Remembering the Magic and Wishing for Peace on Earth