Chocolate Tart

Mimi Thorrison's Chocolate Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce

Everyone needs a good chocolate tart recipe and this one by Mimi Thorrison is a winner, for sure. I fell in love with cooking all over again when I first got my hands on A Kitchen in France at the beginning of last year.  The dreamy French country lifestyle, the family life portrayed by the Thorrisons and the incredible photography of Oddur Thorrison, Mimi's husband, completely won my heart. This book stays on my table year-round, both for inspiration and because I just really love the recipes.

The Passion Behind Portland Fresh

Secret Suppers in the shadow of Mt. Hood.

The intensely creative Christiann Koepke, author of the blog Portland Fresh takes the whole idea of a dinner party to a new level with her popular Secret Suppers series - "long table gatherings" which take place at surprise locations in the raw and scenic beauty of Portland, Oregon. Christiann, who works as a photographer, stylist and recipe developer in the Pacific Northwest uses her creativity and passion to provide guests with an unforgettable experience, both by her mouth-watering array of food as well as the picturesque locations of her dinners.

Kale & Walnut Pesto

Kale and Walnut Pesto 

I woke up this morning to the insistent hammering of a woodpecker against the side of the house. The sun was just barely warming the treetops but already the sound of birds filled the air as they twittered and chirped from one tree to the next. Reluctantly, I uncurled from my cozy hollow under the covers and swung my feet to the drafty floor,

Savoring Saigon

Traditional Vietnamese Chicken Porridge (recipe below)

In the tiny village of Thu Duc, about half an hour from Saigon, Vy Tran grew up in the sheltering warmth of a large family who loved to cook. From a young age, she spent time in the kitchen with her mother who let her help with cooking rice, fermenting vegetables and making soup and yogurt. The magic of those moments in the kitchen stay with her still as she remembers "the smell of the spices, the crackling of the wood burning, and watching my mom de-bone a fish in a flash."

Celebrating 28

Celebrating 28 years with a bottle of French rosé.

My walk down the aisle twenty-eight years ago was as much a celebration of freedom from the constraints of my conservative upbringing in the Mennonite culture as it was the joyful anticipation of a life with the man that waited for me at the front of the church in his white tuxedo, Tom Seleck mustache and steel blue eyes.