Sweet potato fries

You need a sharp knife No, really, a sharp knife. Otherwise making sweet potato fries is no fun. But besides that, most cooking is more fun with a really sharp knife. You need sharp knives to slice apples for baked apples, or to slice onions or carrots. It’s one of the core problems of my life. I can’t seem …

Candied carrots

Kids gobble these up The sugar, and the sweetness of the caramelized carrots, makes these a big favorite with kids. The biggest problem is that I get tired of cutting up carrots and never make enough of them, and then I have the kids fighting over them. But hey, kids fighting over carrots – that …

Squash soup

Out of fashion? A few years ago, I was reading restaurant reviews in the New York Times, and the reviewer criticized some restaurant for serving butternut squash soup made with squash and cream. The reviewer thought this was hopelessly behind the times, but I’d never had it. There wasn’t a recipe, of course, but I …

Chickpeas on polenta

Canned chickpeas or dried ones? Yes. Really, it depends how organized you are. Dried chickpeas are cheaper, and they aren’t canned so you don’t have to worry about cancer-causing bpa in the can lining. But you have to remember at breakfast to soak them for dinner. If you forget, use the canned kind. Or make spaghetti, …