They say before you marry you need to find out how your new family spends Thanksgiving morning. Are they a “Bloody Marys” or a “5K Turkey Trot” kind of family? I like that sound advice. Well, back in the 60s in Iowa neither one was a thing. Our mother spent Thanksgiving morning feverishly preparing the…
Creating what I call the Pescatarian version of Beef Wellington, this entree gives a spectacular presentation, but with surprisingly little effort. It requires no more than a baking sheet and some parchment to bake; a small bowl to mix herbs and butter. Then if you can fancy the puff pastry into the shape of a…
Thanksgiving turkey without an oven? I don’t know if the pilgrims were onto this culinary concept but they theoretically could have been. The pressure cooker was invented in 1679 by French physicist Denis Papin who was attempting to reduce cooking time. And successful he was!! (Yes, leave it to the French! Although I’m doubtful he was…
Oysters are a tradition on the Chesapeake. But what used to be the most valuable fishery in the Bay is now a mere fraction of the size. Many volunteers…kids, schools, locals…have been pitching in recently to help seed oyster “gardens” to boost the populations. So in appreciation of our most precious bivalve, my co-pirate and…
This is our family’s favorite holiday pie, aside from pecan. The tangy tartness of the prepared mincemeat cuts the rich, creaminess of the pumpkin custard. A big scoop of freshly-whipped cream is all it takes to make it heaven. Your ingredients are a can of pumpkin, all the things that it lists for pie, and…