Nutmeg and Mace…Both Sweet & Savory

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Nutmeg is an interesting spice.  The holiday season wouldn’t be complete without it.  Apple and pumpkin pies and who doesn’t love egg nog?  Nutmeg works on both sweet and savory levels, though most of us think of it as a sweet spice, but today let me introduce you to its savory side.   Continue reading

Avocado on Toast

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018It’s Saturday morning and this is the perfect weekend breakfast.  It’s basic.  It’s pure.  It’s rich.  It’s simple.  It’s incredibly delicious.  Rumor has it this is a hot “new” thing these days.  My mother would be thrilled to know that for decades, she was ahead of her time.  This is how I learned to eat an avocado.  Continue reading

Potato Salad Fixin’s – I

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091I mentioned a couple of things in yesterday’s Classically Good Potato Salad post—boiled dressing and Hard-boiled Eggs.  Neither of those things sound very sexy, do they?  But, these are both things you should know how to prepare well….first, boiled dressing….  Continue reading

Potato Salad Fixin’s – II

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101The second thing you need to know how to prepare—perfectly cooked hard-boiled eggs.  This is part of basic cooking knowledge.  You want beautiful, bright yellow yolks with no dark, green rings around them.  This is a perfectly cooked egg yolk.  This is how you do it.  Continue reading

Classically Good Potato Salad

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My father loved potato salad.  More importantly, he loved my mother’s potato salad.  This is the way she made potato salad and she made it well.  This is the way she taught me to make potato salad.  There’s not much better with a hot dog, and yes, Virginia, that’s ketchup on the hot dog…get over it!  Continue reading

French-Style Potato Salad

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071For some reason, The Goddess has been thinking about potato salad.  Maybe it’s working in the garden or the too early summer weather we had last week…who knows what brings these thoughts to the surface?  But this week, The Goddess will share a few potato salad offerings…  Continue reading

Lavender and Lemon and the Impressionists!

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View of Saintes-Maries, 1888, by Vincent Van Gogh, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo, Netherlands

It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Lavender is much more than a flower and a scent for soap and potpourri. It grows freely and wildly in France, (in my garden and yours, too) and was a subject the Impressionists returned frequently.  And lavender is a lovely spice to grace your table, too.   Continue reading

Pan-Fried Pork Chops

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This week I’ve been pan-frying things, with coffee on my mind!  Here in the Northeast, we appear to be in full summer.  You know, after our 15 minutes of Spring, and I finally gave in and kicked on the A/C…A/C is a is probably one of the greatest inventions of our time.  It’s a big thing with The Goddess.  However, being the Northeast, we may still have a killing frost; one never knows.  I tell you, The Goddess loves living on the edge!  Anyway, pan-frying is just a good thing to know how to do and do well.  It’s pretty much all about a heavy pan and heat control.  Continue reading

Springtime Hummus with Peas and Mint

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I’m certain you’re tired of hearing about hummus.  There are tons of recipes out there to make it and admittedly you can purchase some decent hummus, but I thought I would share this seasonal-flavored version.  Besides, look at the color!  Isn’t it just too pretty not to taste good?  Continue reading

Stove-Top Roasted Potatoes

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Stovetop Pan-Roasted Baby PotatoesThese potatoes are my go-to potato dish in winter or summer.  These morsels are the epitome of flexible and the leftovers…funny, there never seems to be any leftovers!  These potatoes are a perfect side dish for entertaining.  So put on the potatoes, pour yourself a glass of iced tea…yeah, you thought I was going to say “wine”, didn’t you?  The Goddess is not that predictable!  Continue reading