Fall is here (though it’s in the 80′s here in Michigan this weekend!) and thoughts of soups and stews are starting to … Continue →

It’s been three years (!) since I found CITR and have made it a goal to do more with less–it’s almost a game to see what I can do (or … Continue →

Recently, when I wrote about how I blanch and freeze squash and zucchini, I received this comment from Julia:

“Cookery 101 topic request: How do you blanch vegetables? Why would … Continue →

A leavening agent, also called leavening or leaven, is used in doughs and batters to help them rise by making a foaming action–the leavening agent incorporates gas bubbles into the … Continue →

Thickeners are used in many places in our every day cooking life–gravies, puddings, sauces, pie fillings.

The most common type of thickener … Continue →

Another main ingredient in cooking and baking! Salt–or Sodium Chloride! Salt, salt, salt…as with everything there is on this … Continue →

Cookery 1. The practice or skill of preparing and cooking food.
2. A place in which food is cooked; a kitchen.

[caption id="attachment_8022" align="alignleft" width="200" caption="Sugar Cane Field"]… Continue →

Whether you’re making breads, cakes, cookies, pastries or pastas, one of the main ingredients is flour. There are so … Continue →

“Roman emperors dined on dressed lettuce, and ordered served on plates of gold, radishes so thin that the gold gleamed through.” From Italy and early Greece, the custom of … Continue →

Ever try a fabulous recipe and it just doesn’t turn out as promised? Maybe it was the measuring! Some recipes are forgiving if you’re a little off, some … Continue →

‘Tis the Season of parties with family and friends. Mom’s 1947 Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook has sections dedicated to parties … Continue →

Using herbs and spices in your dishes is a great way to give them a boost. I’ve always had a problem of knowing which herb to use with what … Continue →

Leftovers — something everyone has and something that sometimes leaves us blank on how to use them up. Mom’s 1947 Culinary Arts Institute Encyclopedic Cookbook has a whole section … Continue →

One of my all-time favorite Google search terms for people landing on my blog was this one, from about two years ago: MY STUPID BREAD WON’T RISE.

That poor person! … Continue →

Bored with just another ham sandwich? I love old cookbooks, especially my great-grandmother’s 1927 Butterick Book of Recipes and Household Hints. I love the old recipes, and I … Continue →

We’ve all done it. It seems to happen the most often when we have company coming or are otherwise rushed and/or snowed in (okay, maybe that’s just me). … Continue →