Sense First and Write After

Sense First and Write After

by | Aug 18, 2016 | Blog

We are not born with the ability to write. We acquire language orally by listening and emulating words from parents and other people. We learn the basics of reading before writing. We only learn to write the alphabet after we acquire enough coordination and a verbal...
Hearth Bread Company

Hearth Bread Company

by | Jun 6, 2016 | Blog, Photography

  Over the weekend I discovered Hearth Bread Company, owned and operated by pastry chef and baker Dylan Low in Weston, Missouri. I was in Weston to research Green Dirt Farm’s new Creamery for a story in Northland Lifestyle’s July issue. The bakery...
Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland

Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland

by | May 18, 2016 | Blog

I can finally reveal the cover to my next book, Kansas City Beer: A History of Brewing in the Heartland. The book will be published by American Palate, an imprint of The History Press and Arcadia Publishing. The publisher will release the book in October 2016.  ...
Turmeric Chicken

Turmeric Chicken

by | Jan 21, 2016 | Blog

I wanted to make a Moroccan-inspired turmeric chicken dish for three reasons. First, I wanted to turn on the oven this morning to heat the room. Second, today I needed to use four chicken thighs. Third, I craved bright flavors and colors to offset white snow, gray...
Aylesbury Duck Stock

Aylesbury Duck Stock

by | Jan 20, 2016 | Blog

Aylesbury duck stock sounds haughty. Perhaps because the duck breed originally hailed from England. The preparation of this stock, and how this duck carcass of British ancestry wound up in my stockpot, begins with last night’s dinner. I attended a five-course...
Pork, Hominy and Harmony

Pork, Hominy and Harmony

by | Jan 18, 2016 | Blog

Sometimes a dish evolves based on what ingredients are in the refrigerator and pantry. When I want to create something specific like pad siew or clam chowder, I ensure that I have the proper ingredients on hand. But what happens when I don’t? I rarely follow...
Pork Beans Hominy and Grief

Pork Beans Hominy and Grief

by | Nov 8, 2015 | Uncategorized

I cut two strips of bacon into inch-long pieces and brown them over medium heat in the bottom of a deep pan. After draining the grease, I remove the crisp bacon and add two pieces of boneless pork chop, cubed, and a diced onion with a couple of teaspoons of water to...