Popovers, which more or less are individual Yorkshire puddings without the beef drippings for flavor, or “toad in the hole” without the sausage, are pure magic. And, because they’re hollow inside, they’re light as the proverbial feather. Truthfully, as lovely as they are, they’re very easy to make. You just need to allow yourself enough time, […]

Note: Two posts today because this is a companion piece to “Spys [sic] for pies.” My mother made marvelous pies. Apple and peach, in season, were her favorites; but there was also an errant banana or coconut cream, or lemon meringue, to please my father. Although I had a solid cookie and cake repertoire by […]

There is dispute on whether the plural of Spy—as in Northern Spy apple as opposed to the CIA or KGB type—is Spys or Spies. Or you can simply eliminate the problem by always following “Northern Spy” with “apples”.  I will leave it to others more earnest about the name than the apple to fight that […]

My mother, ever the optimist, always breathed a sign of relief on Groundhog Day, even if she wasn’t happy with the forecast. “February is a short month,” she’d proclaim, her eyes on the prize that lay roughly six weeks ahead. She also took issue every time someone said, “After the 4th of July, the summer […]