Gingery Pumpkin Ice Cream
Pumpkin is an extremely versatile vegetable--it works well as the featured ingredient in desserts as well as it does in savory dishes. Which is a good thing, because as much as I love pumpkin pie, it can get a little predictable after a while. Here's a gingery pumpkin ice cream which I paired with

A Charleston Tradition
During the eighteenth century, many Scots settled in North and South Carolina. There's a Scottish word, 'sussy', that means 'to care', from which a Charleston tradition developed. The tradition is to give an unexpected gift, called a surcee, to friends and relatives. The custom still f

A Bark You'll Want to Bite
Nothing generates as much consternation for home cooks as the notion of tempering chocolate. People avoid it at all costs. No small wonder—chocolate is expensive, and it’s somewhat demoralizing when things go wrong during the tempering process, which can be a matter of making the choc

Cranberry Conundrum
There's no question that cranberry sauce is a necessary component of Thanksgiving dinner. This tart, bright condiment is the perfect counterpoint to bland turkey. The only decision here is canned or homemade? I actually had a good friend from college who insisted on having cranberry sauce

The Pleasures of Pumpkin
The countdown to Thanksgiving is officially on. I'm not cooking this year, so the pressure if off me. No frenzied planning, list-making or blitz-shopping. I am, however, making a few pies for desperate friends who are cooking, but are somewhat dessert-ch