You know you've made it when you can open a market with your name in it and people come. This is the case with Sava Lelcaj, owner of Sava's State Street Cafet in Ann Arbor, and now babo: a market by sava just down the street at Division and Washington. I visited babo on the weekend they received their liquor license to sell wine and beer, and it was a flurry of activity. The staff was busy, but remained warm and friendly.
Read MoreMary Cooks: Tempura
Tempura is deceptively simple. The batter consists of just a few ingredients, and you don't even have to mix it thoroughly. It's one of my favorite foods, so, armed with explicit instructions from the Japanese Food section of About.com, I embarked on another cooking adventure.
Read MoreMary Cooks: The Easiest Fish Ever
There's been surprisingly little cooking going on at my house. It all started last Sunday. My counterpart and I were feeling industrious after taking down the shed the previous weekend and set about clearing the yard. We sprung for a professional one-handed chain saw (which I have dubbed Bruce) to help remove creeper and dead tree limbs that would otherwise be out of reach with a heavier, two-handed saw. Things overhead. One such dead limb came crashing down, bounced off the ground, and hit my beloved right in the kisser. I did what any good wife would do. I put a bag of frozen peas on his face and drove him to the ER. Luckily, there was no concussion, no infection, no lost teeth. Just teeth that were very very loose. Seven stitches, two Percacets, and a tetanus shot later, he was ready to go home. But not ready to eat anything
Read MoreOld Habits Die Hard
I'm one of those kids who got branded with their parents' faith through the name they gave me. I am named after my mother's two favorite saints - Saint Mary and Saint Teresa. While not Catholic, my religious upbringing in a very formal Episcopal church was not too far away. I grew up with confession on Saturdays, incense and sermons on Sundays, potlucks on Wednesdays, and all the religious holy days and observances. And, of course, the privations and purification of Lent, including meatless Fridays.
Read MoreA Truly Reluctant Cook
A few weeks back, during my brief re-engagement with cooking, my counterpart asked me why I wanted to cook anyway. I'm not particularly good at it, I don't make a full effort at it, so why do I bother? I spoke a bit about how good it feels at the end of a long, hard day to come home and smell dinner in progress. I love that he consistently prepares dinner for me. It makes me feel valued and loved. So, when his workload increased, I wanted to give some of that back to him.
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