Come Home to Cooking

Raining Tomatoes

It's been weeks since we ran outside for that last blaze of sun. On a day more summery than any in July. When it feels like all of nature is awash in autumn candlelight. We sat mesmerized in canvas lounge chairs under the liquid amber trees, trying to hang on to what we knew was a fleeting moment. Balancing BLT lunch plates up under our chins to catch the inevitable dripping ooze of dead ripe tomato juice, fresh basil mayonnaise, and smoky bacon fat. That the toast could only pretend to contain.

Essential Pantry Stock

Imagine starting fresh in new circumstances. Sometimes the only way to do that is to leave town. Other times it can be as simple as cleaning out your fridge. Or pantry. Deciding what goes. What stays. What needs to be gotten. Figuring out how to clear the way to set yourself up for at least a week of ready possibilities. Your baseline staples plus a few new things for inspiration—that sometimes elusive but essential ingredient for good cooking...