CATONSVILLE, MD—Judith Jones, widely known as the editor of Julia Child’s cookbooks, visited Charlestown retirement community February 26 for a cooking demonstration and book signing.

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Last week, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing a woman who I believe is a true marvel. At 95, Bea Toms is full of enough energy to rival those half her age. She’s beaten cancer, produced several books of poetry, and most notably, she is an absolutely amazing cook.

After years of preparing meals for farm hands and family members in her hometown of Frederick, Maryland, Bea decided to start doing it professionally, going into business as a caterer for weddings and other special occassions. The recipes that she had been making for decades–dishes like Chicken Beatrice, Orange Blossoms, and Spinach Superb–were now available to the local groups she served.

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Memorial Day is one of my favorite holidays not only because it’s the unofficial start of summer, but also because of the SALES!

This year, my favorite Memorial Day sale comes from Amazon.com. It’s their kitchen and home sale! Find everything from KitchenAid mixers, glass tumblers, and knife sets to table lamps, vacuums, and cookware sets for up to 80% off. Does it get better than that? I think not.

Click here to go to the sale. Happy shopping!

It’s that time of year again — time to get out the calculator, the bills, and the budget and start reassessing my expenses.

What did I overspend on in 2008? Shoes and clothes; that’s a no-brainer. But what about food? Cooking tools? Can I trim my kitchen budget, or do I need to expand it? Read the full story

First, I must thank my high school tennis partner for inspiring this dish. After reading my duck panini post, she told me she recently had duck pot pie. What an ingenious concept, I thought.

I’d been wanting to come up with an elegant single-serving recipe for the holidays, and this really fit the bill. It’s festive and elegant and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It’s a little more intensive than most of my recipes, but trust me; it’s worth it. Read the full story