Today cinnamon is considered a common spice. But in antiquity it was a valued commodity deemed to be as precious as gold. Cinnamon was so important that the demand for it drove world exploration and countries went to war over this aromatic seasoning.
Cranberries are native to the mid-Atlantic region of the North American continent. These small tart berries thrive in the acidic peat soil of that region. For eons the indigenous people living in that area have used these berries for everything from cooking, to dyes for textiles, to medicines.
In Idyll Threats, Thomas Lynch finds himself the new chief of police in the small town of Idyll, Connecticut when he leaves the NYPD after the death of his long time partner.
Amy gripped the steering wheel. Her palms were sweaty. The driving wasn’t difficult. The destination was only a couple hours drive north of San Francisco, a pretty straight run up Highway 101. It was the excitement and anticipation of what was yet to come that made her palms sweaty.
Sausage, the precursor of the hotdog, has been around for a dog’s age. Finely chopped and highly seasoned meat stored in clean animal intestines became a clever way to preserve and store meat. This food has been around so long that it was even mentioned in Homers Odyssey written in the 9th Century BC. Italy, Portugal, Greece, France, and Germany all have long-standing recipes for sausages.
The macaroon is a tale of three cookies and dates back to Italy circa 800 B.C. with all three sweets originating from a simple mixture of eggs and almonds that had been pounded to a paste. The earliest version of this cookie was baked in the same manner as bread, in brick ovens, perhaps smothered in hot embers or cooked on a cast iron pan over an open fire. This early version of a macaroon was the perfect food for travelers and even marched off to war with the Ancient Roman Legions. These morsels were packed with protein (though back then travelers and soldiers were not aware of its nutritional value), they were easy to carry, and had, what we call in contemporary terms, a long shelf life.
Georgia stood at the kitchen window; her hands wrapped around a coffee mug, watching Bill back his motorcycle out of the garage. He had no idea she knew. Dumb as a nail, her husband had only three talents: fixing cars, drinking beer, and trying to get his hands on any female that walked by. But this time he’d gone too far and it would take more than apologies to right this situation.
Crepes are not that difficult to make and are a real crowd pleaser. For the first time crepe maker the rules are simple and once you get into a rhythm everything runs smoothly. Just remember that the pan needs to be at a consistently medium high temperature, the perfect dolloped of dough should be dropped into the pan, and these thin, delicious goodies will take only a couple of minutes to slide off the pan and into the waiting dish.
It’s that time of year again. When the smell of spring is in the air I get all excited waiting to hear those first cracks of the major league baseball bats. The weather might still be a bit unpredictable but rain or shine the baseball season starts the first week in April. There are maybe a dozen major league players that I like to watch, and I cheer the demise of a few teams I consider rivals to my hometown boys, but there’s only one yummy treat I think about when it comes to baseball. Cracker Jacks.
On my trip to Ireland several years ago we landed at the Dublin airport in weather that the Irish refer to as a soft day. By this they mean a rainy day. It was an early morning arrival and the dining hall in the hotel was closed. So, we fell onto our bed in the small but efficient room and took a nap.
