After weeks of slipping and sliding across icy sidewalks, trudging through knee-high snowbanks and shivering in spite of four layers of clothes the only positive thing that I can say about winter is that it gives me an excuse to make soup. Why soup? It’s one of the easiest, most versatile dishes around. Put water or stock, vegetables and seasonings in a pot. Add heat and – voila! – in a short time you’ve got a filling, wholesome meal.
One of my many favorites is peppery black bean soup. Featuring just enough spices to chase away the cold, this soup will warm you from head to toe. You can quickly turn this into a vegan offering by substituting vegetable for chicken stock.
PEPPERY BLACK BEAN SOUP
Serves 6 to 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, diced
4 cloves, minced
4 (15-oz) cans black beans
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes and their juices
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn
Salt, to taste
Sliced batard or corn chips, optional, for serving
Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and pinch of salt and saute until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes.
Place 2 cans of black beans and their juices in the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, paprika, red pepper and cayenne. Cover and blend until smooth.
Return the pureed beans to the stockpot. Drain and add the remaining cans of beans, stock, diced tomatoes and corn to the pot. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the contents to simmer until the soup has thickened and vegetables have softened, 20 minutes. Skim off the top, add the salt, to taste, and stir to combine. Allow the soup to simmer for an additional 5 minutes before spooning into bowls and serving with or without bread or corn chips.
I know. What could be a simpler savory snack than popcorn? Other than pretzels, nuts and olives, not much. When I want to put out a bowl of popcorn and not have friends react with, “Gee, that’s all I rate? Kernels of dried corn?” I sprinkle some seasonings over top. In an instant the low key movie theater staple becomes gourmet noshings. 
The latest East Coast snowstorm has left me craving a mug of good, steaming hot chocolate. It will come as no surprise that, as a person who grew up eating ‘Stove Top stuffing instead of potatoes,’ I have a long history with those white, paper packets of instant hot cocoa. Whether in my parents’ kitchen, on camping trips or at sporting events, on cold winter days I imbibed that thin, not-quite-chocolate-flavored and often lukewarm drink.
Being a food writer, avid reader and collector of cookbooks, I come across a wide assortment of food-focused books. Some are good. A few are awful. (Seriously, you don’t test your recipes?) Several end up being so spectacular that I add them to my eclectic collection of favorites. Such is the case with the following books. Great to give or receive, they would be fitting gifts for any foodie.
This time of year, along with a surplus of apples, I usually have a refrigerator crammed full of apple cider. In my twenties I could blame this excess on my next-door-neighbors and their prolific orchard. Every fall they’d collect the grubbiest apples, take them to a cider mill and press bushel upon bushel into sweet, murky cider. What they didn’t freeze, they gave away to family, friends, colleagues and me. Although I ended up with more than I could ever consume, this distribution barely put a dent in their cider supply.
When I do dig out a half-gallon container, I use the cider to jazz up pumpkin and butternut squash soups, quick breads and cookies. As of late, though, I’ve been spicing it up, boiling it down and churning it into ice cream.
This Saturday I’ll be back on my home turf, speaking at the 
When the invitations to oyster festivals start rolling in, I know that fall is here. Any diehard oyster fan will tell you that during the months of May through August these shellfish spawn, becoming watery and not terribly tasty. Hence the old rule of not eating oysters in a month without an “r” in its name. Once September kicks into full swing, these guys come back, ready to dazzle diners.
What should you do with a mound of live oysters? Like their bivalve brethren, they do well when baked, broiled, grilled, or steamed. They also can be poached, roasted, or sautéed. As evidenced by the event menu above, they’re quite popular when fried, made into a stew or consumed raw on the half shell. High in omega-three fatty acids and iron, they’re likewise low in calories and fat. Talk about a good treat!
Being faced with counter covered in live oysters can be a bit intimidating. Recently I watched first-time shuckers clumsily pry open shell after sharp, jagged shell. Each time someone placed an oyster in the palm of one bare hand and a paring knife in the other, I imagined the imminent ER trip. If you don’t want to risk stabbing yourself or severing a finger, you can always buy pre-shucked oysters. Before taking them home, check to see that the liquid in their container appears clear. You can also find canned, frozen and smoked oysters in grocery, gourmet, and seafood stores.