by Tom Becker It’s only natural to cook as per the weather.  I mean, the seasons dictate what is fresh and available.  It dictates flavor...

I’m hearing more people talking about “The Feast of the Seven Fishes”. It may be becoming known because of The Bear and a Netflix movie...

By Francesca Arniotes At Castles and Kitchens we make pasta. Lots of pasta. The miracle that is wheat, ground into flour and mixed with...

1 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ small onion, ¼ inch slices 1 Yukon Gold potato, very thinly sliced 2 (6-ounce) fish fillets (halibut, cod...

By Francesca Arniotes “Groundhog found fog. New snows and blue toes. Fine and dandy for Valentine candy. Snow spittin'; if you're not...

byTom Becker I was 16 when I stumbled upon a personal High School culinary habit.  In Elgin, Illinois, where state highway 31 turns into...

By Francesca Arniotes As it is the time of the year when we are supposed to reflect on our blessings and give thanks for making it...

By Francesca Arniotes My nine-year- old grandson and his seven-year-old sister were left unsupervised recently. They went into the...

by Francesca Arniotes I turned over the ground in my garden today, as I have for the last 39 years, the sound of the shovel, the smell of...

by Francesca Arniotes In a neighborhood in Brooklyn in 1925, Mrs E.G. Buell compiled The Community Cookbook, with almost 400 favorite...

By Francesca Arniotes Vegetarians, please look away. Sit down with me and enjoy some Forfar Bridies, Clootie Dumplings, Stovies, Cullen...

By Tom Becker We all have holiday culinary traditions. Leaning on heritage, family dynamics and geographical influences, our holiday...

By Francesca Arniotes I’m going to tell you a story about my grandfather. To appreciate it, it may be necessary to remind readers who...

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776 The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America When in the Course of human events it...

by Francesca Arniotes January 1, 2021 Now --- no, SOON is the winter of our discontent to be made...

by Francesca Arniotes There are so many French words in the English language that, were we not so afraid of looking foolish, we should...

by Francesca Arniotes Preparing for my February 1st cooking class, “On A Little Street In Paris Night”, Dean and I were reminiscing about...

Segovia, Spain is a UNESCO World Heritage City. The Alcazar, a royal palace built upon a Moorish fortress built upon the foundations of a...

Things. Stuff. Possessions. We are supposed to try hard to limit them and our attachment to them. But the recent holiday season reminded...

by Tom Becker We are a country of immigrants and, as such, our cuisine reflects that history. The colonization of our country by our...