.....Advertisement.....
.....Advertisement.....

Food

  • From the garden to your table

    To me, the best part of summer isn’t going to the beach or taking in a sunset at 8:30 p.m. Those things are great, to be sure, but there isn’t much that can top a salad bowl full of vegetables straight from the garden.

    To understand what I’m talking about, all you have to do is bite into one of my in-laws’ tiny, delectable, perfectly crisp Kirby cucumbers or smell the aroma of a just-picked heirloom tomato as you cut into it.

    Click here to read more...
  • WINES 'N' SUCH: New World's best took root in Old West

    California is by far the most important wine-growing region in the United States. It produces 90 percent of the nation’s wine, almost 250 million cases a year. If it were a country, it would rank No. 4 in the world in wine production, just behind France, Italy and Spain. 

    Click here to read more...
  • OVER EASY: National Donut Day and a cake in a cup

    Tomorrow, June 7, is National Doughnut Day, featuring an anytime treat popular with almost everyone.

    The holiday succeeds the Donut Day event created by The Salvation Army 75 years ago to honor the women who served donuts to soldiers during World War I.

    Pick up a baker’s dozen of your favorite doughnuts and share them with a military veteran — who will no doubt recall the “Donut Dollies” they met while serving the nation abroad.

    * * *

    Click here to read more...
  • WINES 'N' SUCH: Kinds of wines, or 'Pass the Merlot, please'

    “Elementary, my dear Watson,” Sherlock Holmes apocryphally declares to his scribe, an iconic phrase among fictional characters. Which leads into today’s topic: “Kinds of wines,” or “Pass the Merlot, please.” This column is intended for two sorts of readers: those who don’t know the difference between a chardonnay and a chasselas, or a mercury and a Meritage, and gentle wine fans who may wish to know a bit more about the common varieties on the shelves today.

    Click here to read more...
  • THE AMISH COOK: A picnic, and perfect potluck potatoes

    It is Thursday morning and the children are all sleeping in a little longer. It’s their first day of not having to go to school for the summer.

    Click here to read more...
  • OVER EASY: Remember to honor dads, dads-in-law, this Father’s Day

    Our fathers couldn’t have been more different in most respects. But as Father’s Day approached this year, my husband Arnold and I were reminiscing about our dads in very positive ways and discovered a few similarities.

    Both men had drive and imagination and persevered during very tough times, including the Great Depression. Arnold’s father in East Islip, Long Island, and mine in Goshen, Ind.

    Click here to read more...
  • WINES 'N' SUCH: Don't drink domestics? You're only depriving yourself

    At a recent wine tasting, my pours consisted of eight American wines, six from California and two from North Carolina. Now, I am not making this up: A woman eyeing this selection said, “Oh, I see your wines are all domestic, I don’t drink domestic labels.”

    Click here to read more...
  • THE AMISH COOK: A brief break to recuperate, and a couple tastes of spring

    Church services are now past and are set to be here again in two weeks. Through it all I was battling a cough and lost my voice for a few days. I’m feeling better every day, which I’m glad for. I will share recipes for this week and will write more about church services next week. Tonight is Verena’s eighth-grade graduation. Meanwhile, enjoy these spring recipes:

    Frosty strawberry squares
    * 2 egg whites
    * 1 cup sugar
    * 2 cups crushed fresh strawberries
    * 1 cup whipping cream

    Click here to read more...
  • Yasou! Crystal River eatery offers flavors of the Greek isles

    Taverna Manos celebrates its two-year anniversary June 1 with tastes and touches of Mediterranean splendor both on the menu and in its exquisite new garden and patio.

    Passion is always a key word at the Taverna, owned by Debbie Manos and her sons Nick and Damian Everhart, and it is illustrated in creative dishes that excel in presentation and taste.

    Nick Everhart presides as general manager and chef, along with Chef Despina Esthimiabis from Thessaloniki, Greece.

    Click here to read more...
  • OVER EASY: No-sweat barbecue perfect for sweltering days

    We often associate slow cookers with the heartier main dishes of fall and winter. But think again, because your efficient crock pot/slow cooker is ideal for hot-weather foods as well when you don’t want oven heat or the nuisance of stoking a grill.

    Various barbecue dishes are perfect for slow-cooking with a minimum of heat, and you can set it and forget it all day while enjoying some of the more leisurely aspects of summer days.

    Here are a few examples:

    SLOW-COOKER BARBECUE RIBS

    Click here to read more...