A few weeks ago, I had the chance to tag along on one of the many Weed Walks around Pennsic (or as I like to call it, “medieval summer camp”). This, in addition to a great introductory class about medieval gardens, inspired me to take another look at my garden plots, and the “weeds” growing in
I first saw this idea over on Ivan Day’s site, Historic Food, and knew that I had to try it at some point. But that was actually several years ago, when I didn’t even know where to buy gooseberries in New England, let alone expect to have any of my own. But when I found
Thoughts: The people have spoken, and the winner of my recent Twitter poll for the next recipe’s region was overwhelmingly Highgarden. I guess we are all in the mood for some green growing things and flowers after winter, huh? :) These stunning little show-stopping desserts are actually easier to make than you might guess. You
I’ve been thinking a lot about the process that I use to make fictional foodstuffs into real recipes for use in real kitchens. I often joke in interviews that I employ a “fictional locavore” approach when deciding how to make a dish, but that’s not far from the truth. I try to take into
Thoughts: Whenever I feel like I’ve lost some direction when it comes to historical cooking, I like to sit down with some of my favorite old cookbooks and flip through until something inspires me. In this case, it was a pie from the 1570s Italian cookbook by Bartolomeo Scappi, and specifically an artichoke pie, which
It’s February, and you know what that means? GARDENING!! Well, sort of. I mean, not really. At all. The backyard is basically a giant ice patch, and there’s not a hint of anything green as far as the eye can see. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to love in February: Valentine’s Day (which
Thoughts: When I recently posted on Facebook about finally snagging some quinces at the grocery store, a number of you chimed in with suggestions, ideas, and thoughts about how best to enjoy these quirky fruits. But one simple description stuck with me: baked with heavy cream. I just had to make it, so thanks, Lydia!
Highgarden strikes me as a likely one of the best regions in Westeros in which to dine. Seriously. So when Margaery won the last round of voting for character themed meals, I was more than a little excited. You all were apparently inspired as well, since you had some really fantastic suggestions for this spread. As always,
When I polled our Facebook followers a few months back about which character they would most like to have a character themed meal for, the winner was resoundingly our lovely young queen Margaery. This should be a delightfully tasty meal to create. The weather is warm, fruits are ripening on tree and vine, and there
Thoughts: Every now and again, I get recipe suggestions from readers, and when they’re good, I like to share them, too. My notes from over a year ago say that this one comes from FB reader Karyn, And it is definitely a winner. Dear readers, this is a recipe well worth making. The gooey warmth of