Winter is hearth time, and I'm always glad when as a cook, I can bring warmth when it's welcome, not just as hot soup or warm bread but by actually raising the temperature of the room with the oven. I have a bit of envy for those working outside in the sun, especially the extra breezy, glorious days in the summer time, as I sheepishly set 5 huge pots on the stove to simmer or sear 30# of ...
Carly’s Blog
Recently while on the phone with me my sister said, it’s a “whistle while you work kinda day.” She was ready to get off the phone now that her battery had sunk dangerously low, sentencing her to a cord’s length range of motion. Chatting was no longer a “whistle” conducive to work with many of her duties out of reach, so we said our goodbyes. There are times when the work isn’t favorable for ...
The last place I lived, a few houses up the street, there was a towering white pine right next to my bedroom. At least once a year during my four year residency there, heavy snow or a violent wind snapped off branches major and minor, sprinkling that swath of yard with needles. I frequently made medicine with the windfalls, mostly tea and infused vinegar. Once the news of COVID spreading ...
Ham chips are life, the rest is just details. At least, that’s what part of my brain believes, sensitized to the glamour and ecstasy of a fancy, crisp chip dusted with Iberico ham flavor. I’m usually tempted by these crunchy bites on Wednesdays when I pass the only store I know of around here that sells them, Cooper’s Corner. I work in town, make some drop offs, and then usually have to ...
I don't know about you, but I felt a bit like this Corgi over the break, binging on relaxation as much as possible. It was exactly what I needed, but not enough.The first week back was a bit of the shock to the system. I require more integration time during pandemics and on the heels of insurrections. Time to grieve and space to witness. I'm still processing the horror of last ...
I remember seeing a clip of hermit crabs exchanging shells with an impressive level of cooperation that's stuck with me. They arrange themselves in a line, smallest to largest, and progressively upgrade to larger, hand-me-down shells one by one. You can view this wonder on youtube.I'm not going to pretend this is a seamless process. There's a late comer who disrupts this pure scene of ...
This summer, one of my favorite moments was this one: fireflies dancing between leaves of young, riverside mugwort, amidst the background pound of fireworks sounding off in the late June sky. We walked this path many times, equal amounts loud and tranquil. Looking left, cars whizzing by and the occasional cloud of diesel. Looking right, a sultry river scene, a thru-way for multiple ...
It's finals week for me so I'm drawing on old material. Here's a an excerpt from a story I wrote about acorns from 2016:Growing up, I celebrated my birthdays with Rainbow Chip frosted cakes from a box. There is more vapid pleasure than lasting gratification in those cakes, and no matter how much Rainbow Chip frosting I eat, I always long for more, chasing the first taste like a hungry ghost. ...
The I-collective put out a collection of indigenous authored readings and resources on the upcoming day where many of us bliss out on turkey and pie. Take a moment to listen to their stories and get the kind of history lesson you most likely didn't get in school. If you're like me, the more silenced and oppressed a voice or historical perspective is, the more I have to listen to it over and ...
The Oyster mushrooms in the hash this week have been “activated.” I sunned them gill side up, for a couple hours to facilitate vitamin D metabolism post-harvest. Mushrooms uniquely have ergosterol in their cell walls which operates similarly to cholesterol in animals, converting UV radiation from the sun into vitamin D2 (along with small amounts of D3 and D4). Oyster mushrooms have ...
This is my latest experiment with Autumn olives. After softening the berries on the stove and squeezing out their juices and pulp for jam, there's still plenty of food available. Here are the seeds and stubborn bits of pulp smeared on a dehydrator screen in the early stages of flour making. I'll dry them, then give them a buzz in a high speed blender for eventual showcasing in cakes and ...
The parking lot where I visit Greg in Schenectady harbors a scurry of squirrels in a garbage-proximal brush pile. I greet them every time I park, attempting interspecies conversation, but their generalized anxiety seems to always prevail over my charming, singsong hellos. Most months, I catch them scavenging in the garbage bins, and Greg has them on camera fleeing with a squirrel-sized pizza ...