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Amuse Bouche by Betty Teller
Betty Teller, a Napa Valley Register food columnist and copy editor, tries not to take food or life too seriously. Betty can be reached at amuse-bouche@sbcglobal.net.
November 17th, 2009
Homemade Gingery Whole Berry Cranberry SauceI’ll tell you about the pies after I bake them, and about my Christmas spirit once I locate it. In the meantime, to get you in the proper mood for the forgotten holiday that’s coming up, I’m reprinting a simple recipe you should have in your Thanksgiving repertoire. This appeared in my very first column four years ago but I’m repeating it so you’ll clip it out this time and actually make it. It was an experiment one year that is now a delicious part of my family’s must-have Thanksgiving menu.
Think nothing of itWhat happened to Thanksgiving this year? I know we haven’t forgotten about it, and I know I am not alone in looking forward to overeating a vast amount next week, but doesn’t it feels like the holiday is becoming almost an afterthought?
November 3rd, 2009
Roman ArtichokesWhile cleaning the fridge I found some artichokes, so I applied my new organizing process to an old Craig Claiborne recipe my sister sent me. By tracing it back to its first step — cleaning out the choke, a job I utterly detest — I realized that Craig was on the wrong path. (Or maybe baby artichokes weren’t available in the ’70s when he wrote his cookbook.) Anyway, by substituting the baby ones, this recipe became a snap.
Really cleaning upWork, work, work. Housekeeping requires constant labor. I feel like I am at it all the time, yet somehow my house is never clean. For all my efforts, I don’t see any progress.
October 20th, 2009
Recipe for disasterIf you come to my house for dinner, please enjoy the hors d’oeuvres, make yourself at home, and have a glass of wine. But if you know what’s good for you, you won’t offer to pour me one. Not if you want to enjoy dinner.
October 6th, 2009
To the finishI had a roommate once who would never take the last bite of anything. She thought it was bad luck.
September 22nd, 2009
Some like it hotOn the first day of Thai cooking class several years ago, our teacher, Kasma, asked each of us what our tolerance was for chili heat, on a scale of 1 to 10.
September 8th, 2009
Service, pleaseIn this column I promised to tell you about an extraordinary meal we had in France. But don’t worry, this isn’t another attempt to rub in how much more wonderful my life is than yours.
August 30th, 2009
Vacances, part deuxTo all of you who wrote and contacted me following my last column to commiserate and offer sympathy about my recent injuries, thank you so very much. I really appreciate all your kind words and concern. And it was great to be reminded that you’re out there reading my scribbles. I always love hearing from you.
August 4th, 2009
In a scrapeThey say travel is broadening, and certainly I’ve always gained something from each of my trips away from home. In fact, my most recent trip to Idaho was particularly educational, so much so that I thought I’d share a few of my new insights with you. Here’s some of what I learned:
July 21st, 2009
Camper’s stewWhen I was a kid, our family vacations were all camping trips. My parents loved to travel and wanted to see the country. And my father early on figured out that investing in a cheap tent and some lumpy sleeping bags from the Army-Navy store would more than pay for itself in saved lodging costs. (I think I have perhaps mentioned his frugal ways once or twice before.) So we “camped.”
July 7th, 2009
Small bitesThe first time I went to Spain, in the early 1980s, a friend who had recently been there raved about the bar food called “tapas” and told me to be sure to try some. Her favorite was the fried calamari.
June 23rd, 2009
Apples and orangesWhen I called my dad last week, he was busy noshing — and kvetching.
June 9th, 2009
Dream onI’m reasonably smart when I’m awake. But I’m pretty sure I’m a genius when I’m asleep. I know this because I wake up so often with absolutely brilliant ideas.
May 26th, 2009
Cold comfortI woke up this morning with a scratchy throat, a runny nose and a headache. So I did exactly what I’m sure you’d do.
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