Corn, Mushroom, Leeks and Pancetta

by Helen Kain | Aug 29, 2016 | Fall Recipes, Family & Friends, Recipes By Type, Sides, Summer Recipes

We were having close friends over for dinner the day following our long drive back from Cape Cod. After being away for five weeks, what to serve that would be fairly quick to prepare, require minimal shopping and be delicious? We settled on steaks on the...

Ashworth Ironstone with Amber and Turquoise

by Helen Kain | Aug 24, 2016 | Amber, Antiques, Blue, Cobalt, Family & Friends, Summer Tablescapes

I always think of this set as my “York Ironstone” because we picked it up in York, England on one of our jaunts. It’s a beautiful, sturdy set and I especially enjoy using the generously sized soup bowls for pasta, as we did here with our meal of...

Lamb Chops with Eggplant and Indian Spices

by Helen Kain | Aug 18, 2016 | Family & Friends, Lamb, Mains, Recipes By Type, Sides, Summer Recipes

We were lucky enough to find some lamb chops whilst in the Cape, which is no small feat. They’re not much into lamb in the US, we find. Inspired by the recipe for Lamb Chops with Eggplant and Indian Spices from Fine Cooking’s August/September 2011 edition,...

Summer Squash Carbonara

by Helen Kain | Aug 14, 2016 | Family & Friends, Mains, Pasta & Rice, Recipes By Type, Sides, Simply Done, Summer Recipes

While my son Adam and I very much enjoy exploring multi-step, complex recipes during our vacation time, we are also on the lookout for tasty and quick dinners for workday meals. For Adam in particular, the advent of small fry has limited the time and attention he has...

Spode Buttercup

by Helen Kain | Aug 9, 2016 | Accessories, Amber, Antiques, Family & Friends, Summer Tablescapes, White, Yellow

There is an imperceptible shift in the summer psyche as we enter August in Cape  Cod. The heat continues unabated, while Black-Eyed Susans form a rich contrast to blue hydrangeas in the gardens and sunflowers appear in the grocery stores and fruit...

Pancakes

by Helen Kain | Aug 6, 2016 | Breakfast, Family & Friends, Recipes By Type

Pancakes are a weekend treat in our house. The grandchildren (and indeed, some adult “children”, ahem, Lauren) prefer them with chocolate chips. The rest of us like them plain or with fruit added. This is the basic recipe. After many years of throwing...