Who remembers that jump rope ditty? "First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes momma with the baby carriage." So too goes the nutritional lexicon for plant-based foods, where first comes fruit, then come vegetables. But think, who ever talks about 'vegetables and fruits'? It's always 'fruits and vegetables', 'fruits and veggies'. But if we want to improve our health through our diets, vegetables must come first. So first off --

I have written previously about the Cookbook Cooking Club, our inspired idea to keep Johanna "in the loop" while she was home and looking after baby Henrik way back in the spring. I even posted a Flickr album of photos...Jeanne Horak

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Drop dead gorgeousI'm dying to knowI nearly died of embarrassmentTo die forI'm dying to go on holiday, give up work, move house, get married, whatever.I don't think so.No one ever died because they were attractive.No one died because they didn't know the latest gossip.No one ever died of embarrassment.Did you die when you ate that creme brulee, chocolate cake or drank vintage champagne?.............and no one ever, ever died because they didn't go on holiday, continued to work, stayed in the same house, didn't get married, or whatever.People die from accidents, heart attacks, any number of diseases like liver disease or kidney disease. Some people die because they are born into poverty in a third world country and some people die in war. Then there are those who die from cancer.  read more »

Eric Akis' Skillet Mac and Cheese (yes, I know, I used penne and I served it in ramekins; I am quirky like that). It is interesting how the world works sometimes. Just before our household grew from three to four , I was offered the opportunity to review not one, but two books on the subject of quick meals for busy cooks. Everyone seems to be talking about how hard it is to find the time to cook.  read more »

The hassle of obtaining a reservation of Momofuku Ko has quickly become the stuff of legend—and that’s for a restaurant barely over a month old. After finally wrestling this bear to the ground, I can finally answer the question: Is it worth it?  read more »

It will be another few weeks before the ready availability of local produce really kicks into gear. Area farmers markets are prepping to open even as we speak. But if you have a really well thought out garden or perhaps are up for the adventure of doing a little searching in field, stream and forest, theres plenty of tasty stuff rearing up from the ground here in the Mid-Atlantic, even this early in April. Of course, it doesnt hurt if you have the best local farmers and just about every professional forager in the region knocking at your door, hoping to find a place for their goods (and their name) on your table. Under the ownership of Bryan Sikora and Aimee Olexy, Talulas Table has become just such a beacon for the farmers in the Brandywine and Delaware Valleys, much as at Philadelphias Django when it was still their purview. With the help of those local purveyors, the latest farmhouse table menu at Talulas is brimming with the new flavors of spring. I stopped by on a recent evening, nabbed a seat at the kitchen table and checked out what was cooking.  read more »

The Kitchen Detective

Pasta Primavera is an easy, any-night-of-the-week dish that uses the season's freshest ingredients.