I wouldn’t recommend counting the beans for these recipes, but you can make beans count for more than one meal when you make a potful! And as bonus, in bitterly cold weather, the recipes from this past week’s Berkshire Eagle column require a long oven bake to make your house warm and cozy!

In developing my recipe for this week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I made several batches of blondies with several types of peanut butter, and another batch with sunflower seed butter, and I am sure it would work with any number of other nut butters!

This past week’s Berkshire Eagle column reminds me of when my mom first taught me about deglazing a pan with a bit of white wine. I’ve made many such dinners with thin cutlets, and for this one I’ve added lemon and capers for even more zing! 

My first Berkshire Eagle column of the year appeared in print on January 1st – Happy New Year! Today with low temps and the wind howling, I can think of nothing better than a recipe that requires you to turn on the oven. Instead of potato rolls, as delicious as they may be, I’m using a twice-baked potato instead of a roll. You can make this with hot dogs or any kind of sausages, even vegan sausages, and you can pick different cheeses for the twice-baked potato to suit your selection! 

It always gives me great pleasure when someone gets in touch with me about a column. I was especially tickled today when my stepson texted a photo of his breakfast place with the message, “Wonder where I got the inspiration for this?!” And just like this week’s Berkshire Eagle column suggested, he improvised with what he had on hand, including carrot slices in today’s version of his leftover hash. 

Occasionally I write an “off-week” column for the Berkshire Eagle. More often than not, it’s a longer version of what I normally write, with two or three recipes rather than the usual one. For last week, however, I decided to share some of my favorite kitchen gadgets, offering ideas for stocking stuffers or Hanukkah gifts (plus a few ideas about spice gifts). So if you still have items to cross off your list, here are some ideas for anyone who enjoys cooking! 

Every year when I receive a box of pears – a nostalgic tradition as my father, of blessed memory, always used to send them – I think about which recipes to try this year. In this past week’s Berkshire Eagle column, I decided to write about a winter salad with pears that can be plated fancy (as in the photo, portioned in an outer radicchio leaf) or made more simply in a bowl. The bright colors make it a festive addition to the dinner table during the holiday season! 

Deep in the midst of Thanksgiving prep, I also keep in mind who is coming and what they do or do not eat. This year I’ll be trying a green bean casserole without mushrooms because my daughter-in-law won’t eat them at all.

So often for these grand meals vegetarians guests just get the side dishes, but I’ve come up with something a bit elaborate, most of which entirely doable ahead of time for a festive occasion. It’s also lovely as a side for everyone else! The Berkshire Eagle column itself can be found here, or scroll down. 

In my Berkshire Eagle column this past week I wrote about the Dutch apple pie that I like to make for Thanksgiving. I am not sure why a pie with crumb topping is referred to as “Dutch,” but what I do know is that we are better and stronger when we weave together a life, a culture, a society of people from different backgrounds – and by different, I mean in all the different ways that now feel threatened.

I’ve written before about how fraught the Thanksgiving myth is, knowing what was inflicted upon the indigenous people who were here. And for those who think there is nothing political about food, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Once I discovered that za’atar is a favorite of my stepdaughter, Rachel, I started adding it to all sorts of things. When I make sourdough crackers, I often make several batches to satisfy all the kids’ favorite, and the za’atar version is especially for her. It’s always a time-saver to find a store-bought spice and/or herb mix that you like so you’re not combing through the cabinet for any number of small jars!

In my Berkshire Eagle column this past week I offered the za’atar version of my lemon chicken recipe, but truly you can try this with any number of other flavorings. I’ve offered some suggestions below, and would love to hear about other ideas you’ve tried! 

As always, when I make meatballs, I make a lot – some for now and some for later. This version, made with turkey, chicken, or pork, mimics the inside of a Chinese dumpling, so you can enjoy the flavors, even if, like me, folding and sealing dumplings is not your strong suit. Scroll down to read the column, or find the link to the Berkshire Eagle column here. 

So much in the world feels so weighty right now, like we are holding our collective breath, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Yet it is also the time of year we can think about new beginnings and bolster our hopes for a better year ahead.

The Jewish calendar is about to mark Rosh Hashanah, the New Year, followed ten days later by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, clearly a time of new beginnings. In addition, having worked in the school world for my career, I still consider the fall to be the onset of a new year.