{kitchen basics 101} For the Love of Chicken Stock

“Good soup is one of the prime ingredients of good living.  For soup can do more to lift the spirits and stimulate the appetite than any other one dish.” – 
Louis P. De Gouy, ‘The Soup Book’ (1949) From scratch chicken stock is so easy. It does takes some time to cook, but prep is simple…

{baking basics 101} How to Make Cut-Out Cookies

Is it just me or does a plate piled high with cut-out cookies look both elegant and homespun at the same time? Over the years, however, I’ve had many people tell me that they avoid making cut-out cookies. Due to bad experiences, they only make drop cookies. And while drop cookies are wonderful, it’s nice…

{reflections on food} Resolution 2013: Vegetarian

My aspiration for 2013 is to go vegetarian. My husband moved to Ohio in October for a job opportunity, and I sort of just settled into a primarily vegetarian lifestyle, mostly by accident. My husband is an avowed and unapologetic carnivore. He is a real meat-and-potatoes-but-hold-the-potatoes kind of guy. I do the cooking in our…

{FSC Time Machine} Food Swapping in 2012

Another weekend, another set of “Best of 2012″ posts! If you’re new to this series, for the first handful of weekends in 2013,  I’m jumping on the FSC Time Machine to create recap-posts on the different topics we covered in 2012.  So far we’ve recapped: Bread & Breakfast Gardening Winter Projects Podcasting Sweets & Treats, Part 1, Food…

{reflections on food} Learning to Share my Food

The start of a new year is a great time to take inventory of the year gone by, and make plans for the year to come.  Some make resolutions, some just reflect. I personally gave up resolutions years ago, after a stint of countless, “This year I WILL exercise…. and eat less cake”. Instead, I now…

{FSC Book Club: Round 3} Begins with a Giveaway

We read, we cook, we chat. That is the FSC Book Club. The third round of the FSC Book Club starts today! We are excited to start cooking and reading our way through our newest book club selection, Whole Grains for a New Generation: Light Dishes, Hearty Meals, Sweet Treats, and Sundry Snacks for the Everyday…

{ode to a vegetable} Massaged Kale and Me

Kale is important to me. I found it all by myself as a college student and it has stuck with me ever since.  There’s something about kale that represents my food ethics better than any other food.  It is diverse, hardy and adaptable.  Many an evening kale has been my starting point for dinner preparation,…

{winter vegetable bounty} Kohlrabi Fritters

Kohlrabi is one of those unusual vegetables that you don’t often see in your local supermarket. It grows well here in the Northeast, and is often found far into winter at farmer’s markets or in veggie shares. Kohlrabi is another member of the brassica family, along with cabbage, and kale, and has a sweetness along…

{Grains Brains Challenge} Black-Eyed Pea Fritters

A recipe challenge to help you get whole grains into your mouth, not just your kitchen. +++ My friend Amy has been on a grain trip for the last few years, a pretty wild ride from what I’ve seen. Through it, we’ve been talking a lot about our baking habits, her love of pancakes and grains and…

{Grain Brains Challenge} mixed flour crepes

Editor’s Note: We’re starting this week off with a BANG! I’m pleased to announce that Amy is completing her ‘Scaling Up the Northeast Grain System’ series with next month’s FSC Podcast dedicated to the topic. For her next series, Amy is partnering with her close friend and cookbook author Alan Richardson. They have created a challenge for themselves:…

{FSC Time Machine} Bread & Breakfast in 2012

Another weekend, another set of “Best of 2012″ posts! If you’re new to this series, for the first handful of weekends in 2013,  I’m jumping on the FSC Time Machine to create recap-posts on the different topics we covered in 2012.  So far we’ve recapped: Gardening Winter Projects Podcasting Sweets & Treats, Part 1, Food Allergy Friendly Sweets…

{FSC Podcast} Episode 10: Grassroots

Happy New Year, dear listeners! In this episode, we talk about grassroots movements and small acts of food justice. Here at From Scratch Club, we are really grassroots ourselves. We are keeping it real. As many of our longtime readers and friends know, our founder Christina Davis started the group and community blog first as…

{diy project} Water Kefir

I’ve been doing some pretty interesting kitchen chemistry experiments as of late. Glass bottles full of mysterious liquids topped with paper towels and rubber bands populate my kitchen counter. Lucky house guests get to try my creations, and most seem to like them. It all began when I got water kefir grains from a friend….

{my culinary adventure} Figuring Out Fish

When I grew up “fish” for dinner was Gordons Battered Fish filets. I actually enjoyed those and its partner in fish abomination, the “Filet of Fish” sandwich at Mc.D’s. Of course, I covered them in tarter sauce and cheese so I didn’t really notice I was eating fish. In my home, fish sticks was the…

{FSC Book Club} our next book choice is…

We read, we cook, we chat. That is the FSC Book Club. We are happy to announce the book selection for the 3rd Round of the FSC Book Club! We will be reading and cooking our way through Whole Grains for a New Generation: Light Dishes, Hearty Meals, Sweet Treats, and Sundry Snacks for the Everyday…