Keeping perspective during the holiday season’s flurry of buying can be difficult. While gift-giving is a lovely tradition, so many of us get caught up in the “keeping up with the Joneses”-style of shopping: buying the newest, neatest toy/appliance/Apple product to keep pace with our consumption-centric world. The shopping-cynic in us was thus delighted by…
Read MoreWith the holidays fast approaching, everyone we know is starting their annual scramble to find great gifts. We’ve always felt that books make the best children’s presents. Over the years we’ve posted some of our favorites, all of which encourage creative thinking. From surprising cookbooks to clever craft projects, we highly recommend these six books…
Read MoreWe have a lot of respect for writer Michael Pollan’s writing about the food industry, and heard that his 2009 book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual presented a sane approach to eating. But we’ve been so bombarded over the years with”scientifically proven” strictures about what to cook and eat that were later proven WRONG, that our…
Read MoreValentine’s Day is one week away so we thought we’d start thinking about it now, rather than our usual last minute scramble. Chocolate is, of course, the classic valentine, so we’ve rounded up our very best chocolate desserts and gifts, all homemade, all easy to make. Here are our recommendations, with annotations: Essential Chocolate Cake…
Read MoreEven though we mostly give charity donations as our holiday gifts, we DO like giving a few more tangible gifts as well, ones that are not too pricey and give a big bang for the buck. So we’ve compiled our eclectic list of favorite things to give…and get. In addition, on Friday we’ll be talking…
Read MoreAlthough we’ve mostly exempted ourselves from the gift buying frenzy – we give money to a charity in our friends’ names and send out custom-designed e-cards to the giftees – we DO like to give something extra that will afford more tangible – even hedonistic – pleasures, that they can’t get anywhere else. That means,…
Read MoreOur Alt-Malted Milk Balls have been featured all week on The Splendid Table, the terrific public radio food show hosted by Lynne Rosetto Kasper. They are a recent improvisation on Homemade Chocolates for Improvising, a really easy method for making shards of chocolate flavored with whatever crosses your mind, from Marcona almonds to curry powder. Mixing…
Read MoreI often bundle the the charity gift cards I give for Christmas with another teeny-but-potent gift: like this $4 tasting spoon from Branch. It is my idea of the perfect all-purpose cook’s spoon: long and thin, and slightly odd, similar to a treasured spoon a friend bought me from South America many years ago. Or I’ll…
Read MoreIf you start with the idea that the holidays are about really giving a part of yourself rather than STUFF, and spreading joy, and celebrating what we have, you instantly start to eliminate the nonessential and stressful. These are the things that are more obligation than fun – too exhausting, too expensive, or just TOO…
Read MoreYears ago, having burned out from years of overdrive in holiday giving, I devised a strategy for pleasurable, stress-free giving that avoids combing through “holiday gift guides” for cool things nobody needs.
Read MoreHere’s our list of things we think are worth giving for the way they expand minds/hearts/creativity, or are just downright useful…
Read MoreHere’s a favorite homemade food that I can give as gifts AND serve to guests who come by for cocktails or dinner, or a bash. It evokes the sublime combo I first had in Spain many years ago: chilled bone-dry Manzanilla sherry with roasted Marcona almonds. I devised a “parallel” almond that has many of the same qualities for little work or cost.
Read MoreAlthough we’ve definitely disengaged from the holiday gift buying mania, we DO love the pleasure of giving gifts. Our favorite solution, do-able even at the very last minute, are charity donations. You can give money to a charity like the Robin Hood Foundation or Doctors Without Borders and then send out e-cards in your loved one’s…
Read MoreStarting this evening, The Splendid Table will feature Sally talking to Lynne Rosetto Kasper about the holiday table: how to make makeshift tables and seating for a once-a-year crowd, as well as dandy ways to decorate it. Go to Splendid Table’s site for info on when the show airs in your area, or to download…
Read More(Video link here.) As promised in yesterday’s post, here ‘s the video of Sally on public radio’s The Splendid Table showing host Lynne Rossetto Kasper how she makes her Fragrant Herb Salt, and the many possibilities for improvising with it, from roast chicken to vegetables to butter cookies. You’ll find the recipes for it and…
Read MoreOver the past few month’s public radio’s The Splendid Table hosted by Lynne Rossetto Kasper has featured an illuminating series called Key 3: a series of discussions with great cooks (not just professional chefs) about the three recipes or techniques they think everyone should know. In a break from traditional radio, Kasper and her team…
Read MoreValentine’s Day is next week, which leaves us thinking about gifts that break the chocolate-and-flowers mold. We were suddenly reminded of an email we received from Virginia Del Giudice, a reader in Argentina, who used my simple Lemon Olive Oil recipe from A New Way to Cook to make Christmas presents. We thought this would be…
Read MoreWith the holidays soon upon us, I thought I’d post one of my very best cookie recipes. Or perhaps I should say cookie dough recipes: in addition to being able to fashion it into all sorts of cookie shapes and flavors, it also makes a great bake-ahead tart crust. Fleur de Sel Cookies, Earl Grey…
Read MoreThis weekend, Sally will be on public radio’s The Splendid Table talking with Lynne Rosetto Kasper about fresh cherries, which are at their peak now. She’ll discuss way to improvise with the fabulous fruit, and reprise her spectacular, effortless recipe Warm Fresh Cherries with ‘Leaves‘. Check Splendid Table’s website for air times. Click here to stream the…
Read MoreYikes! Christmas is on Friday?!!! With New Year’s soon on it’s heels… If you are as unprepared as I am, here’s an annotated list of some past posts from ‘the improvised life’ to help with the holiday crush… from recipes and gifts to strategies, and decorations…
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