If you shop at your local farmers’ market, you will find eggplants are in season and come in several different varieties. The most common type of eggplant found in supermarkets is the deep purple Black Beauty, also called the American or globe eggplant. The Black Beauty is also sold at farmers’ markets as well as some unusual varieties you may not have seen before. For example, the Italian eggplant is similar in appearance to the Black Beauty, but it is smaller, and its flesh is more tender....

My husband, our oldest daughter, and I took our granddaughter and her boyfriend couch shopping for their new townhome last week. The day was sizzling hot. Afterwards, we went to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Maria Bonita, and although I love Mexican food, I wanted something light and refreshing. I had the shrimp ceviche. I found it to be the perfect meal when the weather is unbearable. I had to re-create it at home and learn more about ceviche. Ceviche is a popular Latin American seafood...

Last week I shared that my son and daughter gave me cookbooks for Mother’s Day. In my last blog I shared my adventures with Shaq, the book Leelee gave me. This week I share my adventures with Samin Nosrat, the author of Good Things. Samin Nosrat is also the author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, awarded the James Beard general cookbook of the year in 2017. Pretty impressive! This book shifted the focus from following rigid recipes to understanding the four foundational elements of flavor. Salt,...