I didn’t learn about pawpaws until I was in my forties. They are native to eastern North America, including the entire state of Ohio, and they lay claim to the title of “largest edible fruit indigenous to the United States.” … Continue reading
My friend Grace organized an event to celebrate Midwestern culture this weekend. She called it “A Midwest Midsummer Night’s Meal,” and the invitation included phrases like “Bringeth thy cass’roles!” and “A potluck feast ‘mongst thy neighb’rs.” So of course our … Continue reading
Marci and I typically celebrate the anniversary of our wedding (May 30th) with a getaway, instead of gifts. But we try to stay flexible with how we do this. We had a lot of other travel through May and June, … Continue reading
Foragery is very different from forgery, though I must confess that it’s a stretch of the English language. Most would probably prefer the term “Foraging.” And I can further concede that foragery, or foraging, might feel like a cheat code … Continue reading
The summer solstice doesn’t actually happen until Sunday, but we got to observe the occasion a few days early — since my brother Jay has been deepening his understanding and appreciation for our Scandinavian heritage over the last few years, … Continue reading
I got my first taste of Serviceberries today! They’re also sometimes called Juneberries (which I think it much better branding, so I’m going to go with that even though it does seem like they’re more commonly referred to as Serviceberries … Continue reading
A new dining establishment opened in downtown Kent this weekend: Good Golly! They specialize in soft serve ice cream, hot dogs, and dirty sodas (I personally prefer the term, “mixed sodas,” from the drink shops of Utah, where they’ve been … Continue reading
I’m honored to claim Kent, Ohio, as my home. But if I were to claim a second city as a “home away from home,” it might actually be a small village on the western coast of the Scottish Highlands named … Continue reading
When the time came to start preparing dinner, Marci gave me an easy and enjoyable job: to go forage for redbud blossoms. I walked to the end of our street, where a couple of Eastern Redbud trees grow, thinned out … Continue reading
I recently finished reading Kevin Boehm’s memoir, The Bottomless Cup: A Memoir of Secrets, Restaurants, and Forgiveness. It was a birthday gift from my mother-in-law, and I think she picked it out based on its interesting jacket copy. And by virtue of … Continue reading