The Truesdale family had a busy spring and summer with the arrival of grandchild Chloe Taylor in June. This makes a total of six wonderfully active members ranging from ages 0 to 21, with five under the age of 7. There’ll be lots of grandparent duty at our home again this year.

What better way to celebrate family fun than from a land abundant with a rich culture and a history of wine for over 7,000 years—Persia! I had the pleasure to experience Persian food with special friends and want to share some of their tasty menus.

Persia is rich in history for growing grapes. Archeologists discovered wine jars dating back to 5400 to 5000 B.C. Their region played a key part in the contribution to other cuisines, since this area linked Asia and Europe in the trading of spices, food and goods. This link was known as the Silk Road.

Tiny fruit produced from these various vines are the mainstay of the daily diet and cuisine of Persian people. Combination of grapes, bread and ch...

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   Wine and cheese have gone hand in hand for centuries. With today’s ever increasing options for both wines and cheeses, however, the pairing decisions can be staggering. So, to take a lot of the guess work out of pairing, here is a handy guide to give you a starting point for pairing your favorite wines with soon-to-be favored cheese. Keep in mind that these are just recommendations, not law. Experiment with your own pairings and see if there’s a combination, listed or not, that just knocks your socks off.
   A few tips to keep in mind: Pairing wines and cheeses from the same region is a good “safe” place to start wine and cheese combinations.
   For example, a good Italian Chianti and a potent Parmesan will provide a fascinating mix. Also, remember that the harder types of cheese (i.e. Cheddar or Parmesan) can handle more tannic wines. While creamy cheeses, such as Brie, typically pair better with wines that have more acidity, like a Chardonnay....

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   For us young at hearts, remember the movie “Casablanca” featuring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman? The classic 1942 American film set during World War II took place in the Moroccan city of Casablanca, where the hero must choose between love and principle.
   Come along, as we visit this place of mystery and intrigue. Morocco, a country in North Africa, has a population of approximately 32 million and is less than 173,000 square miles. It rests against the Atlantic Ocean and reaches past the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea, bordering Spain to the north, Algeria to the east and Mauritania to the south. This kingdom is the 57th largest country in the world and the fourth most populous Arab country. They experience a Mediterranean climate in the north, turning very arid toward the lowlands and valleys facing toward the Sahara Desert.
   This is an ethnically diverse country with a rich culture and civilization. Moroccan cuisine is o...

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   Romance, and Spain on Valentine’s Day, ah! Although Spain is smaller than France and larger than California, it remains the 51st largest country in the world.     On the west, Spain borders Portugal; on the south, it borders Gibraltar (a British overseas territory) and Morocco, through its cities in North Africa (Ceuta and Melilla). On the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra. Spain also includes the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean Sea, the Canary Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, and a number of uninhabited islands on the Mediterranean side of the strait of Gibraltar.
   Spanish cuisine consists of a great variety of dishes, stemming from differences in geography, culture and climate. Seafood is a heavy influence in dining because seafood is available from the waters that surround the country and reflect the country’s deep Mediterranean roots. Spain’s extensive history with many cul...

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   Happy New Year! Ready for our kitchen sojourn around Europe? Our first stop is Greece, which was the first area in Europe where advanced early civilizations emerged. It is documented that the Minoan Civilization in Crete and then the Mycenaean Civilization on the mainland evolved. Later, city-states emerged across the Greek peninsula and spread to the shores of the Black Sea, South Italy and Asia Minor, reaching great levels of prosperity that resulted in an unprecedented cultural boom expressed in architecture, drama, science and philosophy.
   Greek cuisine is cited often as an example of the healthy Mediterranean diet, which incorporates fresh ingredients into a variety of local dishes such as moussaka, stifado, Greek salad, spanakopita and the world famous souvlaki. Some dishes can be traced back to ancient Greece like skordalia (a thick puree of potatoes, walnuts, almonds, crushed garlic and olive oil), lentil soup, restsina (white or rose wine sealed wit...

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“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The cook’s in the kitchen scrambling about,
Wondering and pondering if Santa will pout;
Dinner is ready and so is the sleigh,
He must get going without delay!”

   A slight modification of the original “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” written by Major Henry Livingston Jr. many, many, years ago, and a story we read to our children and grandchildren. As a wee one, we left cookies for Santa, which my grandmother and I baked together. Those memories are near and dear, and, as I bake with my grandchildren, their smiles fill my heart. Graciously, I am sharing with you, the recipes for these simple treasures.

Hermits
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter o...

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   Each changing season begins its own blessings, purpose, and beauty. My husband Larry and I have learned much this year since his mother has been diagnosed with the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease. We had to prepare her for the next phase of her life in assisted living. We are the generation of children who are sandwiched between octogenarians. This is a hard time for many of us as we watch our parents age.
   We were sorting through memorabilia and came across a cookbook, written by the wives of men serving in the military many years prior. Sixty-plus years later, we are still at war, both men and women are fighting for freedom, the economy is in question and the holidays are around the corner.
   The following recipes, written by these military wives years ago, may add a bit of cheer and ideas for some of your holiday gifts. They are simple and easy to make with your children, or get a group of people together and have some fun. Local cr...

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   Having something cool and refreshing comes to mind in the hot weather. Lemonade, glasses filled with ice and topped with  water, tea, coffee or soda—each quenches the thirst and hydrates the body. What really sets my satisfaction in motion and relaxation is ice cream or sherbet. Researching this great cooling dessert brought some very interesting facts to share...
   Sherbets were the forerunners of ice cream. The Chinese taught the Hindus, Persians and Arabs the art of making water ices, or sherbets. A Sicilian introduced them to France about 1660 and later opened a café specializing in sherbets in Paris. These unique sherbets became the rage, and in due course ice cream followed.
   In the Colonies, wealthy Marylanders appear to have learned about ice cream before Virginians did. It is noted in archives that Gov. Thomas Bladen’s French wife might have introduced these desserts to numerous Marylanders. On May 19, 1744, William Black,...

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It seems like yesterday we were shopping for holiday seasons, preparing for a new president and changes in the way we handle our economic conditions. We are all faced with how we can economize in today’s challenges. One of the ways in which we feel it most is in our ability to feed our family, especially with the increase in food prices. Here are a few ideas to keep warmth in the tummy, smiles on faces, and stretch that food budget.
Simple recipes include: Sweet Corn Soup; Goulash Stew/soup; Warm Green Bean Pancetta & Tomato Salad with Parmesan; Simple Cheesecake with Orange Marmalade w/mint. These recipes are easy and offer unique flavors for your family to enjoy, especially if you spruce them up by using your creativity and adding different ingredients.

Sweet Corn Soup
12 fresh ears of corn, or package of frozen white corn (about 6 cups)
1-Tbs. olive oil
1 small apple, peeled and chopped (about 2/3 cup)
1 small carrot, chopp...

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“A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread—and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness—
O, Wilderness were Paradise enow!”

These words were  written by a famous Persian mathematician and astronomer and the author of the world’s best-known works of poetry, Omar Khayyam., who was born in 1048 and died in 1122. He was the astronomer to the royal court, engaged with several other scientists to reform the calendar. Their collaborative work resulted in the adoption of a new era, called the Jalalian or the Seljuk. He is, however, most famous as the author of the Rubaiyat.” He authored more than 1,000 epigrammatic four-line stanzas that reflect on nature and humanity. An English poet, Edward Fitzgerald, was the first to introduce Omar to the West, in 1859, through a version of his writings as the one scribed above. To this day, many lovers throughout the world will express these words.

For love is a part...

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