Hi, my name is Abby and I’m in a cooking rut. Summer is actually a pretty great time to be in a cooking rut in New England. The produce is so gorgeous that no one really complains if you have a tomato salad three nights in a row or have nothing but sweet, sliced peaches for dessert night after night. Add a newborn baby to the mix and the fact that I was making the same four or five meals in rotation didn’t seem all that boring or unreasonable all things considered. Now that the weather is starting to turn...
Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely adore the holidays. It really is the most wonderful time of the year and there isn’t a single thing about the season that I don’t like. I love the decorations, the music, the food, the cards, the celebrations, and the gift-giving. I even love the terribly cheesy Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel (the one part of my holiday obsession that my husband really takes issue with). It’s a time of year filled with joy, love and giving thanks and I can’t think of a better way to close out the year....
Now that fall is in full swing in New England, I’m happy to announce the launch of our Fall 01 collection. Each and every fall I find myself falling in love with cooking all over again. Summers in New England are full of fresh produce and seafood that barely needs to be touched to make it shine. Fall’s ingredients need a bit more coaxing to show their true beauty and that’s where your skills in the kitchen come in. Our Fall 01 collection was inspired by how I spend my Sundays in the kitchen all season long. Just a leisurely day...
The change of seasons always brings a change in appetites to our house. Grilled meats and veggies give way to soups and stews. Frozen treats like ice cream and homemade popsicles give way to apple crisp and chocolate tarts. Crisp gin and tonics give way to whiskey and bourbon. I grew up picking the maraschino cherries out of my father’s manhattans so I’ve always had a taste for the darker stuff. One of my favorite cocktails (and one we served at our December wedding) is the La Louisiane. Named after a hotel and creole restaurant dating back to 1881 in...
It is finally fall in New England. The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are starting to change and that means one thing…baking! I wake up very early each morning with the pups so I often have time to throw together a quick bread or some scones before the rest of the house wakes up. This zucchini bread from Renee Erickson’s wonderful book A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus is my absolute favorite. The addition of olive oil, lemon zest and ground ginger take the edge off of the sweetness of most quick breads. I’ve made a...
