Laura Rebecca's Kitchen

Yesterday’s New York Times published an article by Michael Pollan (The Ominivore’s Dilemma) on Wal-Mart’s plan to carry organic foods (as designated by the USDA) at only 10 percent more than the regular price. Pollan intelligently and eloquently explores the global costs and benefits of this move. He’s my current person-to-look-up-to-and-admire; I can’t say enough […]

It’s getting down to the wire, folks! We’re at DEFCON … uh … something that indicates that the deadline for the Retro Recipe Challenge is a week away. Because it is. June 9 at 11:59pm EST. The challenge for round one (Yes, the very first; you can be a culinary pioneer) is to make any […]

When Shane came back from his trip to Detroit, he brought home a box of pastries from the Shatila Bakery and Cafe. Now, I’ll be honest, the type of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts they make –“tissue-thin pastry swabbed with rich, pure butter, enfolds crunchy fresh nuts and a sweet sugar syrup” — really aren’t […]

Just a reminder: the deadline for the first Retro Recipe Challenge is only two weeks away! Here are the details for our first challenge: make any kind of recipe first published between 1920 and 1975. The point here is to find an old recipe and have fun creating it. When possible, cite your source, the […]

Good news From SavetheInternet.com: Bipartisan Victory in the House The broad, nonpartisan movement for Internet freedom notched a major victory today, when a bipartisan majority of the House Judiciary Committee passed the “Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006″ — a bill that offers meaningful protections for Network Neutrality, “the First Amendment of the Internet.” […]

FYI, everybody: Dear SavetheInternet Blogger, Tim Karr of Free Press and the SavetheInternet Coalition here. A critical vote is going down in Congress right now and we need you and your readers to get phones ringing off the hook on Capitol Hill. The House Judiciary Committee is beginning to “mark up” a good Net Neutrality […]

My Favorite Plum’s Cooking for Children gives me an excuse to brag about this Hawaiian Island Cake. I made it two summers ago for Sadie’s Hawaiian Luau-themed birthday. We rented a small pavilion at Seneca Lake State Park, handed out fabric flower leis, and decorated with a blow-up palm tree (Oriental Trading Company), Shane’s old […]

While I completely missed the boat on not posting this past Tuesday, I tried to redeem myself by sending a letter to the FCC: Dear Chairman Martin, Commissioner Copps, Commissioner Adelstein, and Commissioner Tate, I am deeply dismayed — but not surprised — by the media conglomerates’ current move in pushing for an end to […]

We interrupt this regularly scheduled recipe blog for the following restaurant rundown. Maki over at I was just really very hungry is hosting a Food Destinations carnival and the following is my entry. The Finger Lakes are booming. We’ve got the lakes, wineries, forests, waterfalls, farms, arts, crafts venues, and culture, attracting more and more […]

From NPR.com: Pre-Teens Win James Beard Web AwardMichele Norris talks with Isabella and Olivia Gerasole, Chicago sisters who won a James Beard Foundation Award for their Web site, spatulatta.com. At ages 10 and 8, the sisters are the youngest people to win the prestigious award. Their site is geared toward teaching kids how to cook. […]