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Ever since the days when I cooked by plastic-housewife proxy in the kitchen of my well-loved ranch-style dollhouse, I’ve been fascinated with tiny food. Seriously, what’s cuter than a lattice-topped cherry pie “baked” into a bottle-cap tin?... Read more

My first time was transcendent. My first time, that is, with a chocolate martini. Normally I'm loyal to a lively Italian vino rosso, but this drink was worth straying for. Recalling it still gives me a little frisson of pleasure. But memory is all I've got, 'cause I've never had another one exactly like it.

A few years back, while on vacation in Key West, my companion and I found a small, cozy restaurant and had a spectacular dinner. When the dessert menus appeared, both of us were too full to contemplate more food, but one of the liquid options caught my eye: "Chocolate Martini."... Read more

There's an inverse relationship between soup sales and the temperature outdoors. As one goes down, the other soars. That's why falling leaves precipitate Crock-Pot thoughts and every ski resort eatery offers a steaming soupe du jour.... Read more

If you're a novice hunter, chances are you'll be out in the field with an experienced woodsperson when you score your first kill. But what if you're not — or what if you find a steaming specimen on the side of the road and don't want the meat to go to waste? Then there are some tricky tasks in your future.... Read more

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but autumn is just around the corner. You can feel it in the newly chilly nights and the — gasp — Halloween displays in stores. But along with the inexorable approach of winter, cooler weather brings a few things to look forward to, particularly if you're a foodie. Think mounds of pumpkin and acorn squashes and gallons of freshly pressed sweet and tart cider. Piles of locally grown Paula Reds and green-and-red-streaked Gravensteins started appearing in stores just last week.... Read more

A few weeks ago, I came down with an acute case of pickle envy, a condition that's less Freudian than it sounds. Strolling the farmers' market, I thought about all of the gorgeous produce that would be available for only a few more weeks: wacky-colored tomatoes, fragrant basil plants and slender beans in green, yellow and purple. Since I'm the kind of gal who doesn't eat tomatoes between October and June — they're just not good enough to bother with — the season's end hits me hard.... Read more

There's nothing like the first bite of a bright-red spring strawberry. The flood of tart, complex juice is sure to waken taste buds dulled by the starchy comfort foods of winter.

As our short strawberry season wends on, the flavors begin to change. Lengthening days and climbing mercury give rise to darker berries with sweet, jammy overtones. While the early berries are complemented by a touch of sugar and splashes of heavy cream, the later ones are perfect for eating out of hand. Preferred method: Standing in the berry patch on a sunny day with leaves tickling your ankles.... Read more

They say a picture's worth a thousand words. But in the food world, a recipe is the essential reduction, the window on the sole. Anyone interested in flavor learns more from the way a chef actually puts things together than from the edible erotica promoted on the daily specials list.... Read more