I fell in love with lentil soup out of a sense of obligation. On a cold winter day on an early trip to Paris, I stepped inside a small bistro to get out of a frigid winter mist. Why ever did I book a trip to France in January, I wondered? Shivering and cold, all I thought I … [Read more...] about Recipe: Easy, Versatile Lentil Soup
Budget cooking
Recipe: Easy Thai Curry
Thai curry sounds exotic and complicated, but in truth it's a quick meal for which you can keep the bulk of ingredients in your pantry or freezer, plus it’s a great option for using up leftovers. If you can't find curry paste in your supermarket, you can order a variety of … [Read more...] about Recipe: Easy Thai Curry
Recipe: Bread and Butter Pickles
I'm not going to lie, nor do I think that I should feel shame at the confession I'm about to reveal. Mom fed us Velveeta when we were kids - and we liked it. Who could blame her? The stuff was marketed as a superfood in the 1960s and early '70s. Only later did people begin a … [Read more...] about Recipe: Bread and Butter Pickles
Recipe: Pasta with olives, tomatoes and tuna
This is a cheap and easy meal to craft from pantry staples. The tuna bumps up the protein quotient, but it's optional. You can use fresh or canned tomatoes, but if you use the latter, be sure to drain them well. Cook the pasta in liberally salted water, and then reserve some of … [Read more...] about Recipe: Pasta with olives, tomatoes and tuna
Recipe: Mushroom-Lentil Paté
One day during summer break in high school, my mother took me to lunch at the posh The Longboat Key Club, where she worked in HR at the time. Lunch at "the club" meant finger bowls, white linens and posh French food. The first course was chicken liver paté with toast points. I … [Read more...] about Recipe: Mushroom-Lentil Paté
