In 1945, we said: “Never Again.” But history keeps repeating itself. On screens, we watch millions fleeing Ukraine. Last summer, the same screens showed the crowded Kabul airport. My mom, Dana Fast, remembers the crowds at the Warsaw train station, trying to board overcrowded trains ...
Celebrate Saint Joseph Day! Move over, Saint Patrick! St. Patrick’s Day is March 17. It is widely celebrated with shamrocks, parades and corned beef by Irish Americans. La Festa di San Giuseppe — the feast of Saint Joseph — comes two days later, on March 19. It has been celebrated ...
Lent is a 40-day season of prayer, fasting and giving. This year, it began on March 2 and will end on April 14— the day before Good Friday and Passover. The practice of the Lenten fast began in the fourth century and reached its height during the Middle Ages. All meat products were ...
What is spelt? Triticum spelta is an heirloom variety of emmer wheat that has been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. Spelt has been ground into flour for making bread since biblical times. It is mentioned in Exodus 9:32, Isaiah 28:25 and Ezekiel 4:9. Unlike ...
What is it? Triticum dicoccum (farro) is a type of emmer wheat. According to the Department of Plant Genetics at the University of Florence, this ancient, unhybridized hard wheat originated in the Fertile Crescent. It has been used for thousands of years in the Middle East and North Africa; ...
Move over, chocolate! Make room for ... beets! Valentine’s Day is red, rosy and romantic — so serve bright, pink beets, the color of valentines! For a simple valentine treat, cut roasted beets into 1/2-inch slices. Cut into hearts with a cookie cutter or sharp knife. Spread with cream ...
For me, the 1980s era was one of new beginnings. I graduated college in 1981, finished grad school in 1983, got my first professional job in 1984 and quit that for a stint in Yugoslavia in 1989. I remember jean jackets and shoulder pads, classic rock hits, dirty dancing, Alice Walker and The ...
All month I have been writing about soup. That’s because soup is classic. Around the world, almost every culture embraces soup. Connected with the discovery of pottery, this ancient, timeless dish is one of man’s oldest culinary creations. When times are hard and food is scarce, soup ...
Since we are so close to the U.S.-Canadian border, friends asked me to write about French Canadian cuisine. Quebec is known for many foods, the chief of which is maple syrup. Canada produces 70% of the world’s syrup — and 90% of that comes from Quebec Province. Other famous French ...
It was cold last week. Very cold. On Tuesday and Saturday, the temperature never crossed zero. When I got up on Tuesday, it was -17 degrees. By noon, it had warmed up to -7. The high on Tuesday at my house was -2. So, I decided to make soup. I still had a butternut squash purchased last fall ...
Creamy Asparagus. Cream of Cauliflower. Cream of Broccoli. Cream of Mushroom. Cream of Celery. Creamy Potato. Cheesy Broccoli. Tomato Basil. Cream of Tomato. A pot of soup simmers and steams, chasing winter’s chill with its comforting aroma. Homemade vegetable cream soups shine with the ...
A new chapbook out from Snowy Owl Press commemorates the work of two recently deceased local writers, Lorraine Wilson and Valerie Moody. Both women were part of the Saranac Lake writing community, some of whose members — Ren Davidson Seward, Caperton Tissot, Tom Techman, Yvona Fast and ...
Winter is time for bowls of hot, steamy, comforting soup. That is probably why January is National Soup Month. On a cold winter day, a pot of simmering soup will warm your house. A pot of boiling soup puts steam into the dry winter indoor air, which is a good thing. Soup is healthy. ...
This year has been a phenomenal year of lockdowns, variants and needles. Nearly 3,000 individuals died on September 11, 2001. 2021 has seen an average of 3,000 deaths from COVID-19 each day, for a total of 800,000 Americans since the beginning of the pandemic almost two years ago. In contrast, ...
It’s a crazy, busy time of year. There’s lots to do as the holidays approach. There are lengthy to-do lists. Planning parties, get-togethers, and holiday celebrations. Buying gifts for those we love. Baking treats. We get caught up in the daily stress of preparation. Cleaning. The house ...
The weather is chilly. The days are short and gray. Nights are long. But this is the time for holiday cheer! Celebrate with food! Hanukkah is past, but Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year celebrations are just around the corner. Americans hail from many food traditions — our ...
It’s December. The ground is white and it’s time for winter sports. It’s also time for the holidays: Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa. And it’s time for salads made with winter roots, like carrots and celeriac. Both of these root vegetables originated in the Mediterranean basin, were ...
Thanksgiving is over. We have feasted on New World culinary delights like turkey, squash, cranberries, potatoes. The guests have gone home — and hopefully, you froze some turkey to use later. Wild turkeys are native to North America. The colonists were not familiar with these birds, though ...
It’s time for apples! It’s time for pumpkin! It’s time to spice up autumn with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger! Nights are long and chilly. Days are short. Summer birds have left our region. The leaves are mostly off the trees. It’s time for Thanksgiving! It’s time for ... ...
Thanksgiving is almost here! Last year, most did not gather with family or friends due to the pandemic. While COVID still rages on — last week the Essex County Health Department reported 101 new cases in just four days — this year is a bit different. Maybe we’re just used to it, or ...