I did something I don’t often do last night. I sat down to a juicy burger for supper.

Let me amend that. I often have a hamburger for supper. A nicely browned or grilled patty, lying beside a healthy stir-fry of gingered green beans, maybe a salad, perhaps some grilled zucchini. No bun; just protein. I’m trying to keep my carb count low. And working all day here in the King Arthur Flour test kitchen, forcing myself to sample fudge brownies, and buttercream-iced cupcakes, to say nothing of cheese-stuffed focaccia… well, you can just imagine. Kermit says it’s not easy being green; for us test bakers, it’s not easy being lean. (more…)

“PANCAKE BREAKFAST! This Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., fire station. $5 adults, $3 kids, 4-and-under free. Benefit ambulance fund.”

How often have you seen a sign like this, posted on the bulletin board outside the grocery store, or on a telephone pole downtown, or in the lobby of the rec. center? (more…)

At the risk of sounding like one of those old goats who talks about walking 5 miles to school through 10-foot snowdrifts, I have to say: peaches just aren’t what they used to be.

My mom lives in Florida. I ask her if she can get good peaches down there. I figure, heck, she’s right next to Georgia; maybe the Peach State shares nicely with its neighbor to the south. (more…)

Fire up the barbecue! It’s time to grill… pound cake?

When I was growing up in Hingham, Massachusetts back in the ’60s, I lived just a long stone’s throw from the Hingham Yacht Club. Unlike many of the kids in town, I hadn’t spent my whole life on the water. And while I could distinguish a sailboat (triangular white sail, quiet) from a powerboat (motor on the back, noisy), I wasn’t really up on the nuances of sailing. (more…)

I was sitting and staring at my computer screen yesterday, zoned out, and all of a sudden two words appeared in my head clear as day: garlic knots.

“Garlic knots!” I actually spoke the magic words aloud.

“Garlic knots? What’s that?” asked Halley. (more…)

I grew up on cinnamon rolls. You know, the ones that pop out of the tube, your mom puts them in the oven, and you get to pry open the can of soft frosting and spread it on when they’re done. I LOVED those rolls; they were a top o’ the heap treat. And we only had them like twice a month; they alternated with cinnamon streusel coffeecake as the Sunday-morning-after-church reward. (more…)

From dictionary.com:
ice cream—noun. A frozen food containing cream or milk and butterfat, sugar, flavoring, and sometimes eggs.

From pj.com:
ice cream—SO much more than a noun. Cold comfort when you’re down; a smile-generator. Summer in a cone. (more…)

I love toast for breakfast. Crisp, crunchy, buttery hot toast. Perfect with a glass of cold Ovaltine; yin to creamy oatmeal’s yang. I love the way just the very top millimeter of toast crust softens up under its coat of melting butter. I like toast’s toasty aroma. I just plain like TOAST. (more…)

Imagine the William Tell Overture (a.k.a. the Lone Ranger theme song), pounding in your head. Hear the drumming hoofbeats (if you were a fan of the Ranger, Tonto, and Silver), or the lively violins (for you classical music buffs). OK, got that? Ready… Set… Go bake 32 dozen cookies—in 2 hours! (more…)

You know those TV ads for McDonald’s or Wendy’s or (name your favorite national chain) that show these gorgeous—I mean, FLAWLESS—fast-food hamburgers? A perfectly browned, sizzling beef patty; crisp lettuce; a thick slice of tomato; melting cheese, and a golden, light-as-air bun are gently sandwiched together, and look to be a majestic 4” tall. (more…)