Undercover Mummer
Originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer December 2007 For more than 110 years, the Mummer’s New Year Day’s parade was as distinctive and beloved a Philly tradition as the cheesesteak. But now they’re in trouble. Attendance and participation at the annual event are down. The real reason I say this, however, is because Mummers in one […]
Linz, Austria’s saving seasonal sweet
Originally published in the Philadelphia Inquirer December 2017 Rare is the Christmas cookie swap that doesn’t include linzer cookies, their raspberry jam peeping through a hole in their two layers of warmly spiced, nut-filled dough like stained glass in a church on Christmas Eve. These cookies are also a year-round staple at some of Philly’s most […]
In search of Santa’s Favorite cookies
I wrote about the joys of letting a big corporation bake your family’s favorite holiday cookie for Yankee magazine. Until they stopped making it.
French-Canadian Salmon Pie
There are two savory pies traditionally served by French-Canadian families over the winter holidays. Both contain potatoes and onion: one featuring salmon; the other, meat. Both are comfort food to-the-max. The French-Canadian side of my family made the meat version, also called tourtiere. But the founding family and namesake of the clam-cake-making Huot’s of Saco, […]
Buche de Noel a la Twinkie
This is a white trash version of the fancy French holiday cake that itself evokes the even older tradition of burning a huge log in the fireplace over the Christmas holiday. For the frosting: 2/3 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup unsweetened […]
A Summer Picnic Burger’s Best Friend
Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe of little Chambersburg, Pa., is on a roll (made of potatoes). My Pennsylvania Magazine story explains why.
Jell-O Mousse with Raspberry Sauce
Standard-issue Jell-O looks like a toy and chews like plastic. But combined with real whipped cream and adorned with sauce made from real fresh berries as in this recipe I discovered and tweaked while working on my Jell-O book, Jell-O is transformed into something as elegant as it is easy and also light, at least […]