Tag Archives: Cooking

Baking ugly, and tasting pretty: chocolate truffle tartlets

Posted on February 21, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

This post could have been titled: Mommy, that tart dough just doesn’t love you. Once again, when given the task of making tart dough from Dorie’s instructions, my first attempt failed — and my second attempt worked, and tasted chocolatey … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, winter | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments

One year ago

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

A year ago this weekend, we celebrated Tet — Vietnamese New Year — with family and friends.  We’d been planning for another Tet celebration this weekend, but both Gorilla Girl and Monkey Man came down with severe colds, missed four … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, motherhood, painting, Tet | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

The best moules, ever (until next time)

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Dorie’s recipe read, “mussels and chorizo with or without pasta,” but she failed to mention that serving this dish, whether with pasta or not, would generate accolades and exclamations of, “Wow, this is really amazing!” I served without pasta, but … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, friendship | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

White bread with chloe and snowy

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Gorilla Girl played dress up, and danced with the Dancing T (also known as Chloe) and Snowy. She had time for lots of making, playing, and dressing while the bread was rising. That seems to be the consensus about bread … Continue reading →

Posted in bread, family, food | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Stinky cheese: gorgonzola-apple quiche

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

When I was in France with KDM, she tried to get me to eat stinky cheese.  I gave it my best shot, but each stinky cheese, with its bluish veined ripples of bacterial and mold infection, and its pungent aroma, … Continue reading →

Posted in cheese, family meals, food, lessons, mistakes, paris | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Sunday dinner: a ritual that sustains us

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Sundays have become family meal times, like the old days when we had a big ham or a roast on Sundays, late in the afternoon.  A couple of weeks ago, when I made B &B Roast Chicken, we ate early, … Continue reading →

Posted in bread, family, family meals, food, ritual | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Dinner and dancing — the french way

Posted on January 22, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

We don’t have fancy dinner parties, but because I have been on a cooking jag, it is always good when we can cajole friends and relatives into coming to sample whatever new recipe I’ve decided to try. I know that … Continue reading →

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Elixir of the gods or French Cooking 101

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Our neighbor calls B & B French cognac the elixir of the gods, and on two occasions, I’ve shared snifters with him.  I have to agree, and I am not much of a brandy or cognac drinker. In fact, until … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food | Tagged , , , , , , , | 21 Comments

Beet ice cream: or, there is nothing new in the world

Posted on September 24, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Ed forgot to cancel our CSA delivery, so he arrived last night with a big bag of goodies, including three beets. Last year, when faced with beets, I made soup. It was good. The color was scrumptious. I wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in beets, family, food, neighbors | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Coming to terms with my addiction

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Hi, I am Necessity, and I am a food-blog junkie. I love scouring food blogs, making a list of ingredients for my next market trek or grocery run, and I love planning, chopping, blending, baking, and otherwise making and tasting … Continue reading →

Posted in chores, community, connection, food, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments