Pickled Daikon Radish & Carrot Slaw

Daikon is a long, white, root vegetable that translates literally to “large root” in Japanese. My first introduction to these lovely radishes was through a community cooking demonstration I attended several months ago. We watched for nearly an hour as our instructor prepared each ingredient with focused precision. It was as if the small cleaver, [...]

Chocolate Beet Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

After several weeks of unusually warm weather, winter has finally arrived in Pittsburgh. That means it’s time to gear up for some much needed baking. The warmth of the oven offers a sense of comfort that can only be appreciated when a dusting of snow swirls across my front lawn. I had a couple of [...]

How to Roast Beets in 5 Easy Steps

My appreciation for the mighty beet grew around the time they started to appear in my winter CSA box. Before I found them awkwardly interesting and, frankly, annoying at the same time. They are a pain to clean, they stained my hands several shades of magenta and would take hours to transform into anything edible. [...]

Baked Kale Chips

I had the opportunity to attend an interesting lecture by Chef Ann Cooper in a high school gymnasium filled with parents recently. Known as the “Renegade Lunch Lady,” Chef Cooper discussed the current state of school lunch programs and how we should improve them. The information outlined in her presentation was thought-provoking and insightful. In [...]

Tomato Salad with Farmer’s Cheese

Riding high on my new farmer’s cheese making abilities, I decided to toss together an easy salad for a small gathering of friends. This simple treasure is not only lovely to eat, but wonderfully beautiful at the same time. Be sure to take advantage of all the tasty tomato varieties at the farmers market. Before [...]

Chicken Salad with Pears & Traverse City Cherries

Having grown up just 30 miles south of the self-proclaimed Cherry Capital, I’m no stranger to the sweet and tangy world of cherries. Traverse City is located in the upper western part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It’s proximity to the Great Lakes and access to Grand Traverse Bay makes this thriving area a perfect growing [...]

Mini Bacon & Egg Salad Sandwich

This recipe is so humble; it could be overlooked in most instances. But I am here to share with you my classic egg salad sandwich with a little oink sprinkled throughout for a little boost of flavor. I have to admit it’s been awhile since I’ve had an egg salad sandwich. The idea popped in [...]