Wednesday November 24, 2010
On this eve of Thanksgiving, a holiday to give thanks and celebrate the harvest, count our blessings and share food with family and friends, it is fitting that our guest is a Mayflower descendant, Loring Barnes. Loring is the 10th direct descendant of Governor William Bradford of Massachusetts, and her Dad is named Bradford. Much of her Dad's side of the family remains in Plymouth.
Loring's namesake, Thomas Loring, was the "Collector of Customs" for President Abraham Lincoln. Loring traces her lineage to Miles Standish and some other folks too, such as: Loring, Barnes, Brewster, Belcher, Adams among many from the original Mayflower passenger manifest.
Loring shares with great energy and enthusiasm some of her family recipes and the importance of Thanksgiving as an opportunity to indulge in a long and plentiful meal and enjoy being with friends and family. Loring shared her easy make ahead three cheese party potatoes and I will make them and post the recipe soon!! They sound and look DELICIOUS!!
Enjoy the show and I wish each and every one a wonderful Thanksgiving!!
Wednesday November 17, 2010
Sometimes the pull of the kitchen, the love and memories of one’s childhood, and a desire to do what you love is so strong that it lures you away from a successful career, complete with graduate degrees and status. I write these words, not about me BUT of Julia Usher, baker and author of
Cookie Swap.
Spend an hour hearing Julia share her story....how the influences of her Mom, grandmother and great grandmother, and of her Dad’s work ethic, all combine to provide Julia with a varied and interesting life full of family, cooking, education, engineering, consulting, wedding cake making and now inspiring others to bake and share through her gorgeous book,
Cookie Swap.
You can buy the book on Julia’s website
www.juliausher.com. I can’t wait to have a cookie swap party!! Thank you Julia and I look forward to your cake and cookie decorating book.
Wednesday October 27, 2010
Perhaps it is Alex Elman's joie de vivre that impresses me, or is it her poise and strength of character that draws me in? Whatever it is - Alex has inspired me.
Spend an hour listening to Alex weave her story - her Brazilian chef- Mom, her oenophile Dad and step dad, her career in the wine business and her loss of sight to juvenile diabetes when she was 27. WOW!
Alex has just launched her very own wine label -
Alex Elman Wines. And trust me, Alex resembles her wines as she truly has a sense of place. Her goal is to sell wines that offer terroir, that are organic and sustainably produced and are accessible so you too can sip a lovely glass of wine over a homemade meal with friends and family!!
By the way - Alex will be blogging on some Saturdays for me - Saturday Evening "Toast" as we explore collaborating on our mission to get people back to the dinner table!!
And for those of you who need a quick french lesson, Terroir (according to wikipedia) "was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon particular varieties. Agricultural sites in the same region share similar soil, weather conditions, and farming techniques, which all contribute to the unique qualities of the crop."
Wednesday October 20, 2010
WBCR-lp 97.7 fm FUNDRAISER!!
Call 413-644-9797 to donate or online at http://www.berkshireradio.org
We need you to keep the "all-volunteer" radio station on-air!!
Thank you!!
Wednesday October 13, 2010
Today, Jo Bracken was to be a our guest but technical difficulties arose - we could hear her but she could not hear me. Not the best scenario for an interview.
With that said, the daughter of the iconic cookbook writer, Peg Bracken has just revised and republished for its 50th anniversary, The I Hate to Cook Book.
Imagine growing up in the 1960's with a Mom who had the courage to tell it like it was! Peg Bracken was as witty as they come!! She was one of those people who hated to cook but mastered the art of using canned soups, cake mixes and well-greased casserole dishes. Her wit and humor is scattered throughout the pages intermingled with such recipes as Sub Gum Yuk, Turkey Divan, Chicken Rice-Roger, CanCan Casserole and Hootenholler Whiskey Cake.
This book is a classic, if not for the recipes , but as a period cult classic - the generation that embraced the new industrialized food - using them to liberate them from toiling in the kitchen. And I confess, I might make the spinach surprise and the Chicken Rice-Roger (that is if the canned soup is low sodium, has no MSG or preservatives) for the fun of it!!
Wednesday October 06, 2010
While
Becky Sue Epstein's culinary heritage is quite interesting, it's her handy reference,
"Substituting Ingredients" that is a MUST for all cooks - aspiring or seasoned!! Host,
Carole Murko, navigates the listener through Becky Sue's upbringing - she had a catering grandmother, lived overseas in Switzerland where kids brought bread and chocolate for lunch, and ended up as a restaurant reviewer for the LA Times before becoming a wine connoisseur, food writer and consultant.
Substituting Ingredients is truly a great tool for the home cook - it will solve any missing ingredient disaster and provides some very sage advice and tips. Thank you Becky Sue - this one's on my Christmas list for all my friends!!
