News online for Encinitas, Calif.

North Coast Current

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News online for Encinitas, Calif.

North Coast Current

News online for Encinitas, Calif.

North Coast Current

Not only are sugared cranberries a stunning addition to a charcuterie board, they can dazzle the top of a holiday dessert or bob in a holiday cocktail. (Photo by Laura Macklem)

Preserved Home: Sugar-frosted cranberries are dazzling, versatile

Laura Macklem December 14, 2023
Cranberry enthusiasts employ this seasonal berry in creative ways including cranberry salsa, mustard, syrup, liquor, and as a meat sauce. However, the most impressive way to feature fresh cranberries is to frost them with sugar.
Stuffing bread isn’t just more economical, healthier and delicious, but it can be made months ahead of time because the cubes should be dry. You can also put together stove-top stuffing kits in individual jars for a quick weeknight side. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: Homemade stuffing bread can help ensure there’s plenty to go around

Laura Macklem November 12, 2023
This year, we can confidently have company for holiday dinners without our secret greed for stuffing. Even though this is my recipe for stuffing bread, the actual stuffing recipe will always be my mom’s, and like any mom, she’ll be glad I’m doing a better job sharing.
Pumpkins. (Photo by Freddie Collins, Unsplash)

Preserved Home: Cut the can and promote real pumpkin pie

Laura Woolfrey Macklem November 24, 2020
Pumpkin pie is a must-have for Americans around the holidays. In fact, an estimated 50 million pumpkin pies are consumed every year at Thanksgiving. But what if I told you that’s not real pumpkin pie you’re eating?
Dehydrate your own apples in dices, slices and rings. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: Julian memories cook up apple inspirations

Laura Woolfrey Macklem October 7, 2020
One of my favorite childhood memories is traveling up the mountain to Julian, and eating pie at the Julian Pie Company. When I smell apple pie, it always takes me back to that cozy pie shop. Now, I also make my house cozy as I put up apples in all forms, not just pie. And my house, well when September hits and I’m preserving an apple bounty, it smells like Julian to me.
Strawberry scraps can be used to make fermented vinegar. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: A pitch for using pits and scraps

Laura Woolfrey Macklem August 6, 2020
Grocery prices are climbing, so turn scraps into savings while adding interesting and healthy items to your pantry.

Preserved Home: The meat of the matter — canning is an economical, tasty option

Laura Woolfrey Macklem June 3, 2020
Prices are going up on groceries, and with all this talk about a possible meat shortage, people are starting to feel concerned. But what if instead of being worried, you turned stocking up into a delicious, creative adventure — a chance to learn new things while stashing away homemade convenience foods by canning? There is joy in this journey.
Homemade layered Greek dip makes a substantial number of servings. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: Homemade dip can be answer to ‘fake news’ snacks

Laura Woolfrey Macklem October 10, 2018
One of my favorite snack recipes is layered Greek dip, which makes a substantial number of servings. Homemade hummus is topped with layers of vegetables, whole Greek yogurt, olives and feta cheese.
Buffalo chicken “risotto” is a tasty one-pot meal that’s easy to make. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: No wonder why one-pot dishes are deliciously easy

Laura Woolfrey Macklem March 6, 2018
Today’s busy cook is veering away from just quick, to quick and healthy. It’s my opinion the days of the blue and green dinosaur shaped chicken nugget are coming to an end. People want real food.
Homemade Mexican-style rice can recall fond memories of your favorite hometown Mexican restaurant. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: Mexican-style rice recipe recalls fond memories of Fidel’s

Laura Woolfrey Macklem October 19, 2017
It’s possibly nervy thinking I have anything to serve up Southern California’s community in terms of a Mexican rice recipe, but I absolutely do. I might not have an abuela who passed down authentic Mexican recipes, but I grew up in Southern California, and know what good Mexican rice tastes like. The standard for me was set years ago at Carlsbad’s Fidel's Mexican Restaurant. It’s now called Norte, but to some of us, it will always be Fidel’s.
Old-fashioned homemeade chicken and dumplings. (Photo by Laura Woolfrey Macklem)

Preserved Home: Dumplings, grits make for old-fashioned deliciousness

Laura Woolfrey Macklem June 5, 2017
Thumbing through the yellowed recipe cards from years back, I can see glimpses of times gone by — the ingredients, the lingo, and the simplicity. I loved the stains and crinkles on the cards, thinking of busy hands pulling them out of the box, hurrying to get dinner served on time. My grandmother ate poor man’s soup, but there is only a richness in the care, creativity, and even worry people faced, and still face today, about nourishing their families.
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