What Makes Comfort Food Comforting?

Imagine your favorite comfort food. Is it sweet or savory? How does it sound when you take your first bite? How does it feel when you take the first taste? Chances are good that it’s soft or creamy, and that it takes little effort to chew. I’ve been thinking a lot about comfort food lately. […]

Orange you glad you tried a kumquat?

Ready to break out of the produce rut of apples and bananas? Try a kumquat. Citrus is in season now, so these little orange goodies are at their best. They’re super easy to eat because they don’t need to be peeled. Plus, it’s just really fun to say “kumquat.” Try it. Say it with me. […]

Our Dinner with Joe

The restaurateur, cookbook author, winemaker, and TV personality, Joe Bastianich, believes that people are like wine. As an example, Bastianich points to the vineyard growing cycle. In the first few years, the vines are like babies, requiring plenty of care but not producing anything. In their early teen years, the vines produce, but the grapes […]

Sandbakkels: Cookies made of butter, sugar, and family memories

Few people have ever heard of sandbakkels, but for me, they are the “must have” food of the holiday season (see recipe below). Sandbakkels are thin Scandinavian sugar cookies that are heavy on both butter and sugar. The dough is pressed into little fluted tins to create lovely shaped treats. The taste of sandbakkels transports […]

The Dorchester Community Food Co-Op

The majority of market share in the grocery industry is held by large chains. Decisions about what products to stock and how much to charge are made at the corporate or regional level. Profits flow out of the community to holding companies or stock holders that own the chain at a national (or even international) […]

Parmentier’s Potato Project

In the late 18th century, France struggled with wheat shortages, starvation, and food riots. Antoine-Augustin Parmentier believed he had a solution. As a prisoner in Germany during the Seven Years War, Parmentier was introduced to the potato. He was an avid believer in the potato’s health benefits and potential as a wheat alternative. The French […]

A Taste of Broadway – Coming Soon!

Recently, several people have asked me to tell them more about my book. It is called A Taste of Broadway: Food in Musical Theater. It will be launching in January from Rowman & Littlefield. I’m not sure which book stores will carry it, but it’s available for pre-order now from Amazon (click here for the […]

Dinner Party in Portugal

In August, my extended family spent ten days in Portugal. Our apartment in Lisbon had an amazing view of the city. We’d often spend the evenings enjoying a pitcher of sangria or a bottle of wine while discussing the day and watching the world go by outside. Here’s a photo: Throughout the trip, we encountered […]

Welcome to the Party!

Hello! I am your host, Jen Packard. Please make yourself comfortable.