Featured Recipe Blogs

Holiday

When I started working as a freelance writer, I asked a lot of questions. I wanted advice from people who had been working for themselves a long time, running their own businesses. I wondered if they were ever able to go on vacation. Already I was feeling the urge to take ... more

Love. Joy. Justice: December 9th

Last Sunday was a big day in Washington State. In February of this year, an equal marriage rights bill was passed by the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire. Opponents, however, countered, collecting signatures that required the issue be put to a vote. Thousands of hours of volunteer labor later, ... more

What Do You Want From Christmas?

This is the time of year that people ask the standard question: What do you want for Christmas? But recently I stumbled on an article that had a small but important tweak: What do you want from Christmas? I’ve been thinking about it ever since. As nice as the presents are, ... more

Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread: Right on Time

I was rather pleased that, on the first day of December, my house smelled of gingerbread. I’m not one of those who feels a need to get a jump on the holidays. I despise hearing Christmas carols in early-November (for shame), and I applauded Nordstrom for not putting up ... more

Joining the Biscuit Club

The weekend after Thanksgiving I was inducted into a special group, one I have wanted to join for some time. I was finally lucky enough to be invited into the ranks of the biscuit-makers. It seems the world is divided into two groups: those who can make light and fluffy biscuits, and ... more

Merry Christmas from 1855

Last December, when everyone headed out for Christmas shopping, I celebrated the holiday in a different way. I went back to 1855. I went to Fort Nisqually. Fort Nisqually was the first European trading post on the Puget Sound. Run by the Hudson Bay Company, it helped oversee their activities ... more

Capturing Fall

Post-holiday Mondays are such an effort (what do you mean I don’t get to sleep in and have pie for breakfast?). For those of you who have been celebrating, welcome back. And for those who don’t indulge in American Thanksgiving (indulge being the operative word), I hope you have been enjoying ... more

How We Make an Apple Pie

Ever since we found the garden, our pies start there—with berries, or apples, or sometimes a pumpkin. We watch them grow on branches and vines before we pick them for baking. Pie takes months. This time of year it’s apples, dropping off the tree every day. We go ... more

Heart of the Waffle

When I was a little girl, my brother and I sometimes had sleepovers at our friend Ivy’s house. Ivy’s mom was a friend of my mom and the three of us kids were growing up together, running wild on the Big Sur coast of California. What I remember most are the waffles ... more

What to Eat in November

November, November, you are such a funny month. We make up for the loss of bountiful harvests by stocking up and eating up. In America this month is Thanksgiving, our biggest food holiday. First it’s pie and then we’re on to cookies and end of year holiday treats. People, it has ... more

Smoked mackerel paté

Smoked mackerel is my favourite thing about Scotland. Scots often ask me, on learning that I'm Spanish, why I'm here. As in, "You live in Aberdeen, omigod WHY". To which I reply "why indeed". My other favourite thing about Scotland is that they speak English here, which lets me channel Maggie Smith with ... more

Winter salads, part II (beets)

On with the winter salads, then. Everything I said in the other post about shredded cabbage goes just as well with red cabbage, of course, but also with carrots, and with celeriac if you like it (I don't, very much) and even with parsnips, if they're small.All of those are things ... more

Winter salads, part I

Salad. A crunchy, sharp, fresh, enlivening plate of raw stuff. What's not to like? I feel almost sorry for myself if there's not a salad on the table at every meal. Luckily, my definition of salad is broad, and I'm happy with a few slices of salted cucumber, or a dish of chopped ... more

Dear readers, please help

As you may know by now, Terrier Digital is about to launch an app with lobstersquad recipes. It's almost done, but we still haven't decided on an icon. These three have made the final cut. If you could leave me a comment saying which you prefer, I'd be very grateful. more

Best of 2012

I have to do a yearly round-up! I know I haven't been posting as much as I've used to, but there's still been some really good stuff this year, and recipes I really don't want you to miss.January: Melon salad with Lime-Coriander Salsa is ... more

Per’s birthday cake

Per requested this from his birthday cake this year:-it should be made by Titus, our three-year old.-also, it should have candy on it.... more

Learning how to eat

Dante is now eight months old, and not really eating much but we're letting him try most things. I don't believe in giving baby cereal or mushy food, so I just let him try whatever we're having and hopefully that will work out. It did - more ... more

Quiche with Brussel Sprouts & Ham

Almost everyone in Sweden eats ham for christmas. (Need a recipe? Here.) And thusly, almost everyone is stuck with tons of leftover ham for days. Or weeks, even. Newspapers, magazines and blogs are full of helpful idea of how to get rid of those leftovers (much ... more

On the night before christmas…

...we're eating ribs. This year, we're not really having one huge christmas dinner on actual christmas (which is celebrated on the 24th in Sweden) but instead, stretching it out over several days. (And we had a big christmas smorgasbord a few weeks ago, with friends. More on ... more

Broccoli & avocado salad

I hope you're not sick of christmas food, because I still haven't managed to transfer the photos from my camera of some new dishes I've made recently. But I will, I promise. Meanwhile, have some salad! This is a pretty hearty thing, that we ate with steaks ... more