food

Strawberry Shrub

Today is the first of three slightly-unorthodox drink recipes that I hope will wet your appetite for a Summer cocktail (pun intended!). The shrub can be made as either a cocktail or a mocktail, the latter of which is a lot like the best homemade strawberry soda you ever tasted, and perfect picnic fare. A shrub is a cooling colonial-era drink that was served by Martha Washington at Mount Vernon. The surprising ingredient is a dash of apple cider vinegar, […]

Ginger-Lime Tuna Steaks
food

Ginger-Lime Tuna Steaks

I’m always looking for recipes that require minimal effort, but maximize quality flavor. My friend Lisa Dobbs, a professional chef, refers to marinades as “the working girl’s secret weapon” and this is a great recipe to keep in your arsenal of good food made fast. It’s a savory combination of flavors – onions, ginger, garlic, a base of sesame and soy – a meal in a bowl that will fill you up. We ate this for lunch on a day […]

Mini Rhubarb Peach Pies
food

Mini Rhubarb Peach Pies

I had an unusual experience the other day: I had to bake a pie while being interviewed about my childhood. It’s no big deal for food bloggers to make videos and talk about how to make food, but when you’re concentrating on crimping a pie crust while answering a question about what kind of adolescent you were, it can get weird. This all came about because a very nice filmmaker is making a documentary about former White House social secretaries, […]

Brown bread cinnamon toast
food

Brown Bread Cinnamon Toast

This recipe brings back fond childhood memories. My mother used to make this on weekend mornings and we went at it like ravenous animals – probably because of the sugar involved. It’s not the healthiest breakfast in the world, but if someone shows up around breakfast time and the cupboard is bare, you can turn out a creditable nosh with just some bread, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. I like using brown bread for this, but any bread will do (brioche […]