I have a thing for Deirdre Heekin and Caleb Barber. This thing is more like a crush, a serious crush. Well, perhaps it’s more like a rabid fascination with and aspiration for what they are… a sweet couple who cares so much about authentic food and old-fashioned hospitality that they’ve carved a great life for themselves and their guests out of some green hills in Vermont.

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I’ve been dreaming about these light as air pillows since I morphed into a serious home cook. Years ago, I wanted to venture into gnocchi territory but something always frightened me. I figured homemade gnocchi was like homemade pasta, something that is conceptually easy to make but turns out to be a difficult-to-master technique passed down from Italian mamas and Italian grand-mamas....

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I adore brussels sprouts. I adore Georgia Pellegrini. When Georgia posted on brussels sprouts recently, my objects of adoration collided and it felt as if our virtual bond was forever cemented. I love anyone who loves brussels sprouts and her photos are a tribute to this under-appreciated vegetable.

Georgia is a food fanatic, chef, writer and TV personality who hunts down artisan food...

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Just like you get sick of zucchini in September, I get sick of beets in October. I’m not quite there yet, but it’s early and I’m researching and scheming up new ways to show off the sweetness of this root veggie. I do adore roasted sliced beets sprinkled with a little goat cheese and thyme. I also love them crispy, heavily salted and peppered, served alongside a hearty protein...

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I’m not quite sure about this egg-based tart. I love Mark Bittman; anything he makes is gold to me. But I’m still contemplating this Pan-Baked Lemon Almond Tart. I thought I’d get over it, but a day later, I’m still contemplating.

Bittman’s recipe is very, very easy. Just beat it all together and pour into a hot pan. After a few minutes, you pop the pan into the...

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Oktoberfest in America is typically only good for one thing, and it ain’t sausages. I was very much looking forward to a few hours nesting in a beer garden yesterday. Harvard Square held its annual Oktoberfest extravaganza, shutting down several blocks for beer gardens, food stands and local music.

Alas, the beer gardens were loaded with far too many folks who were already a case ahead of...

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My fridge is full, bursting at the seams with too many farm-stand delights – beets, greens, leeks, fresh eggs – and a new batch of grocery store staples. Yesterday’s pumpkin cheesecake experiments are also taking up at least half of a shelf, forcing big pile-ups of mushrooms, cheeses, and leftover spaghetti, all teetering and tall. My fridge desperately needed some pruning this...

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Sometimes I look in my fridge and I feel like I got nothing. Some carrots, some ketchup, a jar of peanut butter but nothing that could make a pretty first course. I had put all my eggs in one basket; I spent the afternoon braising some beef short ribs in a mirepoix of vegetable goodness and a full bottle of Zinfandel, and had neglected the first course.

Short ribs take forever to cook,...

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I am in love with Fall. It’s my very favorite season. Alas, in New England, Fall sort of whizzes by and Winter presents itself way too soon. I treasure every moderately cool moment. I also treasure finding new sites that inspire me to want to cook, nest, drink and discover new ways to celebrate the season. I’ve been blessed with finding so many new friends via Twitter this year and I...

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