The venerable American dish called scalloped (baked) tomatoes is closely identified with the South. But why? Surely it’s a no-brainer idea in any part of the country that experiences a barrage of juicy, ripe tomatoes in high summer. I reached out to culinary historian and former Gourmet contributing editor Anne Mendelson. The origin of “scalloped” […]

Plenty of folks think yellow summer squash is boring, but I love it. I tell people this, and more often than not, they nod knowledgeably. “Well, you’re southern,” they say. “Squash casserole! Do you make yours with cornflakes or potato chips on top?” I stopped trying to figure out whether I’d just been insulted long […]

Flip-flops. Shorts. T-shirts. Bathing suits (three, but they fold up to practically nothing). Sunscreen (lots). Bringing Up the Bodies (the sequel to Wolf Hall, yum-yum) plus the usual pile of mysteries. Well, okay. Traveling light-ish. But everything fits in my new favorite tote, just under 30 bucks and made from “95 percent post-consumer material” by […]

We’re marking the Fourth of July with Santa Rosa plums from Al Courchesne’s Frog Hollow Farm, in northern California. Frog Hollow has been supplying the Bay Area with organic fruit for more than 20 years, and if you miss their crop of Santa Rosas, don’t despair—there are plenty more summer offerings to come. Santa Rosa is what […]