“Do we really have to refrigerate ketchup?”

Over dinner one Sunday night, the subject of ketchup came up. Specifically, the various ways of storing it. Mommyo had always refrigerated ketchup bottles after opening them, so The Nine-Year-Old was somewhat shocked to learn that once upon a time (and even now in certain households) ketchup was not refrigerated.The Nine-Year-Old, aghast, “Not even after you open it?”Uncle Phil, Ketchup Maven, “Not even then.” Naturally, The Nine-Year-Old wanted to know: Do you really have to refrigerate ketchup?

Wordless Wednesday: Eleanor Roosevelt’s Famous Blueberry Pudding

A friend of ours who collects vintage cookbooks shared with us this charming, hand-lettered recipe from Eleanor Roosevelt for blueberry pudding. The Eight-Year-Old and I are still…

“How do you make apple cider vinegar?”

One fine summer day, The Four-Year-Old was appalled to find her self-serve jar of pickles contained only pickling juice and a few floaty pickling bits. “Mommyo, can you make me more pickles.” No, I told her. We’re out of apple cider vinegar. “Well, can you make some?” Maybe? How do you make apple cider vinegar anyway?

“If you ate only spinach, how much spinach would you have to eat to maintain your weight?”

The Eight-Year-Old wandered into the kitchen the other day while I was prepping a blueberry and spinach smoothie. While watching me stuff the blender with spinach and almond milk, she asked, “Mommyo, if you ate only spinach, how much spinach would you have to eat to maintain your weight?”

“Why are carrots orange?”

Lately, The Eight-Year-Old and I have been seeing purple carrots pop up all over Chicago. Seeing the white, purple, and orange carrot medley on my plate at a recent dinner, reminded my daughter of an old question. “Why are carrots orange?” Turns out there’s more than one answer to that.

Was macaroni and cheese really one of Beethoven’s favorite foods?

Everything my daughter knows about classical music she learned from reading the comic strip Peanuts. So when she informed me that macaroni and cheese was Beethoven’s favorite food, I decided to check her facts. Turns out, she was right. But Beethoven’s mac and cheese definitely didn’t come out of a box.

Bacon vs. prosciutto

Mommyo, passing the plate of appetizers around the table: “The Seven-Year-Old, would you like some prosciutto? It’s like bacon, but doesn’t need to be cooked.” Daddyo,…

My shiny new Dutch Oven

I’ve been reading a lot of recipes lately, and have been frankly astounded by the number of non-stew recipes that call for a Dutch oven. Take…

“Mommyo, can we have an old-timey Thanksgiving?”

We are hosting Thanksgiving this year, and as usual, back when hosting was still a hypothetical prospect, The Seven-Year-Old and I got pretty excited about the possibilities. The Seven-Year-Old, brilliantly: “Mommyo, can we have an old-timey Thanksgiving?”

Why does putting an apple in your brown sugar keep the sugar soft?

This fall, The Seven-Year-Old and I went apple picking at Radke Orchards in Indiana. While there, I picked up a little paperback book of Old Fashioned…