By Judith Yamada, The Kitchen Maven Although the names sweet potato and yam are used interchangeably, these tubers belong to separate plant families and are quite different. In fact, sweet potatoes aren’t even a close relative to potatoes. This starchy root vegetable is long and tapered with a smooth skin that can vary in color from beige to orange, brown…
Category: Kitchen Maven
KITCHEN MAVEN: ROSH HASHANAH AND A CLEAN SLATE – Recipe
By Judith Yamada, The Kitchen Maven Happy New Year to all of you this Rosh Hashanah for Hebrew year 5783. The holiday begins at sundown on Sunday, September 25, 2022, and ends at nightfall on Tuesday September 27. May your New Year be sweet and filled with inspiration and potential. Like all holidays, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated symbolically in many…
KITCHEN MAVEN: THE STAFF OF LIFE
by Judi Yamada, www.kitchenmaven.org The first known use of the idiom “Staff Of Life” was in 1638; it meant “a staple of diet”, and the meaning hasn’t changed. Obtained from Western man’s most abundant foods: seeds, grasses and grains, bread has been a valued sustenance since before recorded time. Grains include wheat and rice, but legumes such as beans and…
KITCHEN MAVEN: TAPAS TALK
EDITOR’S NOTE: Warm days call for easy cooking, or meals with little or no cooking, and tapas are always a fun way to serve up a delicious meal. Be sure to order the Kitchen Maven’s great new cookbook – Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times – sales of the cookbook benefit our local food bank. See below for links to…
“Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times” – Cookbook Provides Easy, Affordable Recipes for All Cooks; Proceeds of Cookbook Sales to Benefit Local Food Banks
By Laura Swanson This is one of the good things that has come from the pandemic – Judith Yamada’s cookbook “Thrifty Comfort Cooking for Challenging Times.” Seeing a need to help all cooks be more efficient in the kitchen when dealing with food shortages and high prices, Yamada’s cookbook provides a welcome guide to making the most of what you…
KITCHEN MAVEN: SPEECHES, CANNONS & TURTLE SOUP
By Judith Yamada John Adams wrote to his wife on July 3, 1776, that he believed Independence Day “will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival”. He called for people to celebrate the day with “pomp and parade” “cannon and musket fire” “from this time forward forevermore”. The Continental Congress actually voted for independence on July 2,…
KITCHEN MAVEN: Strawberry Rhubarb Springtime Pie for Father’s Day
By Judith Yamada, Kitchen Maven Father’s Day is this Sunday, June 19, 2022. If you have a dad at your house or plan to visit a dad this weekend, you might want to try this easy springtime filling for a Happy Father’s Day Pie. If he enjoys rhubarb or strawberries, he’ll be thrilled to both be with you (the thoughtful…
KITCHEN MAVEN: I love pancakes
By Judith Yamada Now, don’t get me wrong. When I get that urge for pancakes it isn’t a desire for those plain boring pancakes that many people say they don’t like. You know what I mean, the questionable bagged mixes and tasteless homemade plain fried dough cakes with no flavor. In fact, when I told one neighbor about the various…
KITCHEN MAVEN: Is It Quiche Or Frittata?
By Judith Yamada, Kitchen Maven The definition of quiche is “unsweetened custard pie with a savory filling” and the definition of frittata is “unfolded omelet often containing chopped vegetables or meats”, so they’re similarities are obvious, focusing on delicious healthy eggs as the main ingredient. But these popular dishes are not quite the same. Quiche, thought to have originated in…
Memorial Day History; Easy Recipes for Holiday Gatherings
By Judith Yamada, The Kitchen Maven At first known as Decoration Day, Memorial Day originated in the years following the Civil War. The holiday honors those who died while serving in the U.S. military. By the 1860s people in towns and cities all over the country were holding spring tributes to our fallen heroes, traditionally visiting cemeteries, attending or participating…