Every Christmas morning of my childhood was filled with the smell of cinnamon rolls. They weren’t just any cinnamon rolls, either. They were the Pillsbury kind that came in a food-grade cardboard container. I loved unwrapping the spiral package and placing the buns in perfect order on the pan. The smell ignited deep a craving for golden crust and melty icing. Continue reading
Nobody should be intimidated by a chorreada. These Costa Rican corn pancakes are wonderfully simple. In fact, they really just have one ingredient: fresh corn. Plus a little salt for taste, and a some butter (or coconut oil) for the skillet.
Chorreadas were created long ago by native Costa Rican grandmothers, and haven’t changed much since then. They are good food, heart-food, soul-food. Continue reading
Are organic eggs organic? Silly question. Yet it is the very question posed to everyone that shops at a grocery store.
I grew up on this luscious mouth-feast. My parents and I would often have it for dinner (the justification being that it’s actually pretty healthy), and we spent years tweaking, arguing over, and perfecting the recipe. It’s still evolving. However, the basics stay the same–and its current iteration is profoundly delicious. Continue reading
Drive past the willow tree, deeper into the valley. There is a tiny bridge where one valley meets the other and the landscape opens like a story. Pull over here. Continue reading
I didn’t know it was so easy to ferment things. Well, that’s not totally true. I’ve accidentally fermented a lot of stuff. Recently, trying to infuse honey with clover flowers, I wound up making a thick mead (boozy toast, anyone?)
But intentionally fermenting? I thought there must be some trick to it. People told me it was easy, and I even got a friend to outline the steps for me, but I didn’t really believe it was that simple.
But it is. Fermenting is both easy and simple. Continue reading
When I lived in India, I was appalled when I was told there would be no more mangoes until the season began again next year. I was not used to this. Back in the US, I had bananas and apples with my oatmeal every damn day. Continue reading
I met Kelley on a chilly morning at her booth at the Saratoga Springs farmer’s market in New York. Pickles and ferments with colorful labels shouted to me from the table. Kelley was deeply engaged in a conversation about health and nourishment, and–despite the cold–I stopped and edged in closer. I eventually asked her if she would continue the conversation with me, and with you. Here is what she said. Continue reading
This is a guest post by my mother, Prudence Tippins.
Nicholas asked recently why I’m no longer a raw vegan. It’s a complicated subject for me, and one I’m hesitant to summarize simply. I loved eating raw food. I did it exclusively for almost ten years. There were so many benefits, which I feel compelled to list here again:
But, as it turns out, it stopped working for me right around the decade mark. Continue reading
The plants on this list changed the way I see autumn. Before, I thought everything was just dying. I now know how much energy is being stored in roots, preserved in seeds, and housed in nuts. Fall is a brilliant time to search for wild edibles for just that reason—there are lots of nutrient-dense foods available. We just have to know how to look for them.
