Nov 11
Just a quick note, before we head into a jam-packed weekend. A few days ago I was in the mood for a drink and feeling festive (funny how those two feelings often go together), so put together a little fall-appropriate cocktail. I developed this from items we had in the house, but it was good enough that I’ll buy more cider specifically for this. A bit spicy, and filled with the flavors of the season. Enjoy! Read more
When I was young, I spent early mornings before school and many afternoons after school at my great-grandmother’s house. I knew that split-level house and its uneven, blocky yard inch by inch, from the green shag carpet in the living room, constantly littered with pine needles and ornament hangers from last year’s Christmas, to the exact best place to roll down the hill behind the house, to the back utility closet that opened onto the deck and that served as a clubhouse/office/hideaway for my best friend and me through the early years of elementary school.
All of my earliest kitchen memories are from this house.
Oct 31
Being in the kitchen can be a great way to deal with everything else going on in your life. Need some excitement in your life? Douse something with brandy and set it on fire. Need to get out your aggression? Smash some candies for peppermint bark. Feeling disconnected or homesick? Chocolate chip cookies.
Having trouble focusing? Peel some apples. Need to slow down a bit? Soak some currants in rum for at least a day. Feeling a little frantic? Bake them together, slowly, with crunchy bits of brown sugar crumble on top. Serve it warm, with a rather large dollop of softly whipped vanilla cream.
We’re a relatively new little family unit here in this house, which means we’re still in the process of creating and writing and forming the household practices that may one day become long-standing family traditions. Some have started to stick (like the holiday treat boxes we give to friends and coworkers every year, and like how our annual Easter party always turns out to be the biggest and most fun party we have all year), and others haven’t worked out so well (like that oh-so-deliberate set of traditions we “started” on our first wedding anniversary and entirely ignored on our second).
I suppose sometimes it’s that deliberate quality that causes the downfall of a potential tradition – when they’re too planned to become second nature, and too forced to become a tried-and-true ritual. And I suppose the best traditions are the ones that come naturally; the ones you don’t realize are traditions until you see that they’ve become a regular part of your life.
Like two-day birthdays. Read more
Oct 6
We all have ways to we like to express our affection for friends and family, and I’ve discovered that my preferred strategy is hosting parties. I apparently specialize in wedding-related parties (e.g. showers, bachelor(ette) parties, engagement parties), but will take a birthday party or a going away party or anything else that might be thrown my way. Want to celebrate that it’s Thursday? I’ll throw you a bash that will make Thursday the new Saturday. Oh. Well, that kind of already happened. But that might just be on college campuses, or for other people who don’t actually have to get up and be in an office on Friday mornings (soon to be ME!). In any case, our Thursday Celebration party will be awesome, and it will have lots of food.
I love the process of putting together a party meal – pouring over recipes, designing serving style (finger food? cut in slices? circles? spooned?) and picking servingware, puzzling together a menu within the constraints of timing and oven space and transport. I love seeing it all laid out on the table, and more than anything I love seeing people enjoying the food and getting feedback on what people liked. Read more
My name is Bowen and I'm a cooking instructor/food writer/home cook in Seattle, WA. I'm dedicated to community-based food systems that nourish people and planet alike, and this site is an extension of my kitchen - seasonal, fresh food and cocktails made with heart (and sometimes an indecent amount of olive oil) to share with friends and loved ones.
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