Kevin Lee Jacobs – Gardening, Recipes & Home Décor Tips

19th Century Pantry

TRUE CONFESSION: Today I had planned to write an engaging post called "Organizing the Pantry." Then I realized that my own pantry isn't well-organized at all. So instead of telling you about what goes where, let me offer you a brief tour of the pantry here at Clover Hill. This...

March 2020 Garden Chores

What do I do for my garden in March? Well, if the ground is frozen and covered with a foot of snow, I simply mix up a double martini and wait for better weather. Otherwise, I get down and dirty with the following chores: The March 2020 Garden Chores Winter-Sowing....

Arugula Toast

Arugula Toast is my own creation. To make it, I simply sauteed some baby arugula leaves together with minced garlic, sliced almonds, and a splash of fresh lemon juice. Then I spread some protein-rich hummus on slices of crisply toasted bread, and mounded the gorgeous green magic on top. Delicious?...

Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice

Black Beans with Mango Salsa and Yellow Rice is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. The beans are zingy with lime juice and red curry paste. Meanwhile, the sweetness of the mango salsa is tempered with cayenne pepper. And oh, the rice! Ground turmeric gives...

My 2020 Proven Winners Review

My 2020 Proven Winners Review. What luck! In the spring of 2019, Proven Winners sent me several plants (okay, a boatload of plants) to try out in my garden. These new hybrids will be offered to the public this spring (2020). And here, for the horticultural-minded, is my review of...

Romantic Chocolate Pots de Crème

Romantic Chocolate Pots de Crème is my go-to dessert for Valentine's Day. Why? Because it's the easiest French finish in my repertoire! It's a sexy beast, too -- silky, smooth, and not too sweet. And should I tell you the dessert requires just four ingredients? And that you can...

Almond Flour Sandwich Wraps

I can't stop eating these almond flour sandwich wraps. They're wonderfully spongy, delightfully chewy, and remarkably bread-like. They are gluten-free too, if that matters to you. Easy to make? Yeah, baby. The only ingredients they require is almond flour for structure, tapioca flour for elasticity, milk for richness, and some...

16 Flowers to Winter-Sow

16 Flowers to Winter Sow. Happy almost-Martin Luther King Day, everyone! Just now my Hudson Valley region looks like Narnia. We've got snow, blowing snow, and wind-chill temperatures in the dangerous digits. Can you blame me for wanting to write about summer flowers? Here are 16 colorful subjects I've successfully...

Japanese Milk Bread Rolls

These pull-apart Japanese Milk Bread Rolls are soft, fluffy, and light as a feather. Speaking from experience here, you can eat a whole pan of them and not feel full. The secret to the rolls' airy awesomeness? A cooked starter called "TangZhong." TangZhong is very easy to make, as are...

Salt Rising Bread

Salt Rising Bread is uniquely delicious. I love its heady aroma, chewy crumb, and crackling crisp crust. And would you believe all this goodness comes not from yeast, but from the bacteria in fermented potato water? Here's how to make this long-forgotten Appalachian awesomeness: Salt Rising Bread: A Brief History...

Coq au Vin Recipe

I love chicken. I love red wine. Ergo, I love Coq au Vin -- chicken and vegetables braised in red wine! Are you acquainted with this classic French dish? It's devastatingly delicious. Furthermore, it's dinner party friendly. You can make it several hours ahead of serving time, and then let...

Featured

Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

Looking for some company-worthy breakfast or brunch recipes with which to start the New Year? I've got a treasure trove of pancakes, waffles, make-ahead casseroles, and sweet pastries to share with you. Some of the recipes are gluten-free, and all are guaranteed to please! Breakfast and Brunch Recipes: Pancakes and...

Air Fryer Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Last night, for the fun of experiment, I cooked some Asian-Glazed Chicken Thighs in the air fryer. The result? Crispy, juicy, sweet-and-spicy chicken thighs! Looking for an inexpensive weeknight meal that looks and tastes like a million bucks? Need to put a complete meal on the table in less than...

Whole Orange Almond Cake Recipe

This Whole Orange Almond Cake recipe comes to us from James Beard. I decided to audition the cake for the following three reasons: 1) it's gluten-free, which means Mr. Fox can eat it; 2) the recipe is invitingly weird, and 3) I'll try anything! The cake is moist, slightly crumbly,...

Potatoes Anna (Pommes Anna)

(Updated with video.) Shall we learn a couple of French nouns today? Good. Pomme (de terre) is a potato. Anna is...well, not exactly the "girl next door." We'll discuss Anna's scandalous (and extraordinarily-busy) past in just a moment. First, let me assure you that Potatoes Anna (Pommes Anna) is a side...

My Kitchen Cleaning Routine

What possessed me to film my kitchen cleaning routine? Well, there exists on the internet a lot of bad, and even dangerous information. I've watched young YouTube vloggers spray vinegar on granite counter tops (a definite no-no); de-grease cooktops with chemical wipes and reams of paper towels (needless and wasteful),...

19th Century Pantry

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 26, 2020 39 Comments

Homemade Hamburger Buns

These Homemade Hamburger Buns are everything you'd want them to be: soft, yeasty, and useful! I use them for Black Bean Burgers, [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 24, 2020 13 Comments

Happy Blogiversary!

Eleven years ago, I started this blog. And today, a gazillion blog posts and hundreds of videos later, I think it's time to hang up my hat. So long. Farewell. Auf wiedersehen. Goodbye. Just kidding! I simply wanted you to know that I am well-acquainted with … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 20, 2020 76 Comments

Chicken Piperade

Chicken Piperade is a traditional main course from the Basque country. My version of the dish, invented out of necessity when I could not find certain ingredients at local markets (thank you, "panic shoppers"), is, I promise you, even better-tasting than the classic … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 18, 2020 20 Comments

Mid-March Garden Tour

Yesterday, because Avery the Pooch required a walk, and because I needed some exercise too (we're on lock-down here), I decided to wander the property behind my house with both dog and video camera in tow. Want to see what we saw while strolling the muddy mid-March … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 17, 2020 25 Comments

Driving to The Berry Farm

Last week, just for fun, I filmed my drive to The Berry Farm in Chatham, New York. Wanna see what Route 203 looks like on a sunny March morning? Ride with me: I hope my driving didn't make you dizzy. And if you'd like me to film the numerous greenhouses that provide … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 15, 2020 11 Comments

Piperade (Video and Printable Recipe)

I've said it before and I'll say it again -- Piperade turns even the humblest of foods into haute cuisine. Making an omelet? Give it a shimmering topping of Piperade. Ditto for pasta, fish, chicken, and even frozen, store-bought pizza. The recipe: Thanks for … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 14, 2020 17 Comments

Video: Avery and Tiger

Avery is not what you'd call an "easy" dog. She's hates strangers. She requires sedation just to have her nails trimmed. And to make matters worse, she's camera shy! Unlike Lily the Beagle, Avery has no interest in co-hosting my cooking videos or garden tours. She runs … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 14, 2020 37 Comments

Chickpea Brownies

Chickpea Brownies? Really? Oh, yes. And what scrumptious brownies they are! Sweet. Gooey. Addicting. They're gluten-free too, if that matters to you. And nothing could be easier to make. Just toss canned chickpeas, chocolate chips, and a few other ingredients into a … [Read more...]

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | March 7, 2020 26 Comments