This is my first-ever attempt to make sushi. Not bad!

Before I opted to bake a cherry clafoutis for dinner guests yesterday, I considered making a blueberry galette (via my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth and her Relishing It blog).

I did not have the right kitchen equipment for the galette, so I was left wondering what that delicacy tastes like. As it happens, Laurie was making more galette today, and she offered me some. More …

I made this crazy-delicious dessert using a recipe provided by my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth and her Relishing It food blog.

I wanted something yummy for dinner guests as an alternative to the usual Kowalski’s carrot cake, yet simple to prepare. This cherry clafoutis was perfect.

My version of the clafoutis turned into sort of a messy crumble on the plate, compared to Laurie’s elegant pie-like execution, but who cares? More …

Tonight I made this delectable Brazilian moqueca (from a recipe in Leticia Moreinos Schwartz’s celebrated cookbook The Brazilian Kitchen). This was my second time cooking the chicken dish.

The stew calls for green plantains in place of tubers (such as potatoes or yuca, a common South American ingredient). That’s how I made the moqueca the first time and it was a hit with my family. More …

This is my dessert tonight, courtesy of my awesome neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth (you may have seen my post about her Relishing It blog).

Thank you!

I’ll have to keep you in suspense on the details of this decadent delicacy because a Relishing It post about it is coming soon.

I’ve lately been trying to cook more — using local or locally adapted recipes whenever possible.

One inspiration for this is my neighbor Laurie Jesch-Kulseth, who posts amazing recipes for soups, salads, entrees and desserts on her Relishing It blog. You can’t not want to cook after she has whipped up a dish and shot stunning pictures of it with her DSLR. More …

Yours truly at Unsummit 5, the latest installment of the fab local unconference focused on technology, social media and more.