To Justin PDX - No you did not miss anything. Apologies for any confusion. Health-wise, sulfites in wine do not harm most people. My point here was that sulfites have been erroneously blamed many t...

Thank you Emma. I am going to try this. Similarly I have not wanted to invest in a milk steamer.

Can't wait to try this on my son's shirts - that perpetually get grease stains.

Soup - I made this one at the week-end. Slowly saute leeks in 1/2 lb butter (or more). Add cauliflower and water (or delicate home made stock). Cook, emulsify. Pure white color and so delica...

Mandolin, salad spinner, micro-plane, pestle and mortar, potato peeler, juicer - all used almost every day.

Great to see such interest in pink sparkling wine. Will have to do a separate post.

In response to Squirrely - any, well rinsed out (make sure no residual aromas) screw cap bottle (soda will do). And yes, fill to the brim, leave no room for any residual oxygen. I had a lot of such...

Occasionally it happens, like the blue moon!

An easy starter for a big group is a roasted beet salad (leave out the herbs when roasting the beets, just use olive oil, salt, pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar). Served on a bed of seasonal g...

Roast potatoes, roast carrots and parsnips - really any roast veggies. Gives them not only a nicer golden brown color but also adds depth of flavor.

We use fruit all the time is various glass or other bowls as table centerpieces. Some favorites are: A mixture of lemons and limes Granny Smith apples in a wide black bowl ...

To Eve, yes, let's not forget Canadian Icewine. Jackson Trigg's Vidal Ice Wine from the Niagara Peninsula is really great and widely available. About $22 for 187 ml.

The plunging really works. THis Thanksgiving, my father-in-law who is a real anti-brussels sprouts person had second helpings of my bright green, fresh smelling sprouts. And to the person who is w...

the Crab apple jelly that my mom always made when we were growing up in Ireland. And of course her famous Damson jam from our over 100 year old damson trees.

I use ricotta to stuff zucchini flowers. Mixed with beaten eggs and chives it makes a superb stuffing. Delicious!

This sounds absolutely delicious. I can't wait to try make it.

In Ireland and in France I was always used to buying scallops with the lovely yummy red coral attached. For some reason I have never been able to find scallops with the coral here in New York. Does...

The image that has the glass etched with the rooster came from the Chianti Classico Consorzio in Italy. The rooster is their symbol.

Some other great one are Coriander (the herb) = Cilantro Spud (particularly in Ireland) = Potato Joint = a cut of meat (usually for roasting or boiling) Chips = Fries...

It is easy to understand the demise of the formal dining room, at least for everyday meals and most entertaining. Having the kitchen open to the living and dining space means that the person(s) doi...