Holidays

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things…

22 December 2008 by Jean Johnson
Clearly a copy of Cooking Beyond Measure wrapped up in kitchen towel figures as one of my all time favorite things--proud mama that I am. It does with Susan and Paul Coleman, too, who came up with this festive offering. I hope whoever gets this copy of Beyond Measure from the ...

Caramelized Cheese Steals the Show in Stuffed Dates

5 December 2008 by Jean Johnson
I've been out and about at natural food markets doing book signings--and offering samples from Beyond Measure. The last few days I've been on a roll with my stuffed dates recipe. You can't get a more innocent and easier holiday treat than stuffed dates. Stuffed Dates Recipe Note Pit the dates and ...

Thanksgiving Breakfast with KBJ’s Cranberries and Cottage Cream

22 November 2008 by Jean Johnson
Thanksgiving Breakfast complete with Cottage Cream and KBJ's Cranberries is such gorgeous food--as delicious as it is healthy and affordable. Indeed, that's what measure free cooking is all about. But a cookbook without measurements and prescriptive rote directions is so unprecedented that people tend can get wrapped up in the ...

It’s the Berries

20 June 2008 by Jean Johnson
This festive treat is way easier than it looks and the kids can even help. It's from the Spring Chapter of Hippie Kitchen, page 30. Dipped Strawberries My family's style with strawberries is pretty pedestrian. Usually berries and ice cream, a shortcake, or berries with a little cream and sugar. Then ...

Be(ets) My Valentine Soup

15 February 2008 by Jean Johnson
Beets. So red in their heart of hearts. Even yellow beets seem to speak of love this time of year. Be(ets) My Valentine Soup Recipe Note All it takes to make this ultrafast soup is boiling some beets, slipping their skins off and carving them into wedges, flash cooking ...

Spiced Holiday Fruits

19 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
Here are the stuffed dates I talked about a few posts ago. Also fresh pears and clementines dipped in melted butter and flax meal spiced with cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice with nary a speck of sugar in the mix. Almonds and pomegranate seeds finish this lovely presentation. If you ...

Freshly Grated Nutmeg Decorates Holiday Java

18 December 2007 by Jean Johnson
We in the Pacific Northwest take our java seriously with freshly ground beans that are fairly traded and organically grown. I made this fancy-pants cup of joe in my own kitchen with a none too pricey espresso machine. The trick is to steam the milk (that hopefully comes from a dairy ...

This One’s for Ruby

1 November 2007 by Jean Johnson
I can't help thinking of Ruby--the little dust mop kerin terrier who lives next door--when I work with pomegranates. Indeed, once the glistening ruby red seeds are freed from their leathery husks, they do as much to garnish soup, cereal, or warm salad as little Ruby-do does to dazzle her doting ...

Jack-O-Lanterns are Good Food

18 October 2007 by Jean Johnson
You've got to admit something's strange when we toss our Halloween pumpkins in the trash and go buy canned pumpkin pie filling for Thanksgiving pies. It's true that the folks who can pumpkin for pies pull together an amalgam of winter squashes to get that particular blend we've come to ...