Louisa Adams was the sixth first lady of the United States, the daughter-in-law of John and Abigail Adams, and the wife of John Quincy Adams. She was one of the most experienced and formidable hostesses the White House has ever seen, living in Prussia, St. Petersburg, and London while her husband was in diplomatic service, and then entertaining frequently when her husband became Secretary of State and later President. When I found her four-ingredient recipe for clam chowder, I was […]
If you’re not familiar with Texas sheet cake, the holiday season is a terrific time to get to know it. It’s a delicious way to make dessert for a crowd in no time at all, and the flavor is unique: it’s not a brownie, and it’s not really a cake. It’s more like a chocolate pecan tray bake that has an indefinable end flavor that reminds me of a malted milk ball. They’re one of those treats that immediately makes […]
Rice bowl meals are satisfying and healthy – and a rice bowl today makes me feel as though I’m on the road to redeeming myself for the excesses of yesterday. These nutritious, hearty meals are everywhere now, and here’s one you can make at home without a lot of special ingredients or effort. Serves: 4 Prep time: 25 minutes
It’s Tex-Mex Thursday again, and I’m thrilled to pass along a recipe that puts a cheerful zing into what can be a traditional, but ordinary, Thanksgiving side dish. Matthew Wendel’s sweet and spicy sweet potatoes elevate a Thanksgiving staple to new heights: he uses chipotle chiles tempered with the soothing richness of Greek yogurt. If Matthew’s name is familiar to you, it’s because he worked for President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush at their ranch in Texas and at […]
When I was growing up, my grandmother was friendly with another farming family who had orchards full of apples, pears, and stone fruits. It was a rite of fall for my mother and I to go to Schenks’ to buy apples, cider, and Italian plums for plum dumplings. We would walk past their farm stand to the apple cooler; its giant, maple-fronted steel door opened slowly, like a bank vault. Inside, the metallic fragrance of cold apples enveloped us, as […]
