KP Cooks | Key Peninsula News

Chef Barbara Van Bogart at work in her seasonal research facility.

The Great Holiday Cookie Swap Draws Near

For the uninitiated, cookie exchanges are a real thing, especially around the holidays. Dec. 22 this year is National Cookie Exchange Day, so there is plenty of time to organize. more

Barbara Van Bogart | 11/30/23

It's easier than it looks but just as good.

The Miracle of Risotto

My dad hated rice. That and celery. He was a U.S. Navy ensign during the Korean War and spent a month on an ammunition ship getting ferried across the Pacific to meet his destroyer. more

Katrina Herringbottom | 11/2/23

Brandon and Alanya Vuysteke on the farm.

YouTube Farmers on the Key Peninsula

Brandon and Alanya Vuysteke are a farming couple who have big plans for their property on the Key Peninsula. more

Vicki Biggs, KP News | 11/1/23

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks Was Easier Than I Thought

I am a cook who generally stays in her lane — keeping with the old tried and true recipes that have held me in good stead for decades, continue to work well, and have become second nature to … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 8/30/23

Make Your August Pesto For Life, Love and All Things Good

It’s August, and the blackberries are ripe. That pie in the oven is distracting you from the monthly newspaper. Gardens are ascending to the peak of their harvest season, and there are fresh … more

Dan Clouse | 8/2/23

Even Dolly Parton’s Coleslaw is Larger Than Life

Dolly Parton and I go way back. In the earlier 1970s, my siblings and cousins and I got ferried around a lot by one of our slightly older cousins in a sky blue Plymouth Valiant, the one … more

Katrina Herringbottom | 6/28/23

Simple Brownies and Other Chocolatey Things That Are Good to You but Not for You

Brownies. It’s hard to remember a time when the thought of biting into one didn’t make my mouth water. Personally, I like mine dense and fudgy. Nuts are nice, but totally optional. My mom … more

Sara Thompson | 5/31/23

Spring into Summer with Some Easy Appetizers and One Dessert

While the calendar tells us summer is still a little way off, it’s never too early to plan ahead for the warm days we know are surely coming. Thoughts of picnics, barbecues and spur of … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 4/27/23

Easter in a Dish: The Anatomy of a Recipe You Could Invent

Those of us who cook often find ideas for new recipes in a myriad of ways. Whether it is a classic food combination used in unusual ways, a fusion of two cultures or a mashup of family favorites … more

Ann-Marie Ugles and Evie Bothwell | 3/29/23

Romancing the Fork — A Meal You’ll Love Over and Over Again

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and the need to do something special for the person that adds light into your life can be overwhelming. You love them, and every year you feel like you must … more

Ann-Marie Ugles | 2/1/23

Torta Rustica – Comfort Food for All Seasons

I first encountered torta rustica at the Columbia City Bakery, located in my old Seattle neighborhood. In the pre-pandemic days, this was one of the items they offered by the piece. With a crust made … more

Sara Thompson, KP News | 12/28/22

Color Your Holidays: Champion the Vegetables!

Nutrition guidance can seem near-ridiculous, ever-changing and easily dismissed. In mid-life I went back to college to study nutrition, it was years and years of chemistry and not too much about … more

Carolyn Benepe | 11/30/22

A Tale of Two Puddings — ‘It Was the Best of Times, It Was the Best of Desserts’

As fall slip-slides away, our culinary attention turns to winter and the upcoming holidays. While we regretfully say farewell to summer foods (until next year), heartier dishes now take center stage … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 10/27/22

Baked werewolves taste great and are cute enough to cuddle.

Polluted Salmon and Filet of Werewolf Perfect Pair for Halloween

Two unique recipes that will scare your guests as they dig in for another bite. more

Ann-Marie Ugles | 9/28/22

Uncle Moose's Easy Étouffée

I don’t know why we called him Uncle Moose. He was my dad’s brother-in-law, his name was Murph, and he bore about as much resemblance to a moose as would a Methodist minister, which is … more

Katrina Herringbottom | 8/31/22

Huckleberry Hand Pies, Anyone?

We have arrived at the time of year when the days are suddenly getting shorter, and the promise of fall is in the air. Before we say farewell to the summer of 2022 (short as it has been), let’s … more

Barbara Van Bogart | 7/27/22

Hastkaka is a Swedish cake whose name literally means “hasty cake.”

Hastkaka and Drottningsylt: Not Just for Swedes Anymore

Summer offers us the chance to slow down a bit, spend a little more time in the garden, linger in the extended daylight hours. It’s a time to be outside with friends, to gather and converse. … more

Britta and Anna Brones | 6/29/22

Spring into Summer

It may be a while before your tomato plants flower and set fruit to grow and ripen for harvest. Until then, satisfy your craving for food that tastes clean, fresh and bright with this Greek-inspired … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 6/1/22

Simple Spring Party Food

The past two years of Covid isolation have left many of us out of practice when it comes to socializing and hosting guests. Like our weather at times, dark clouds, rain, sun breaks, maybe a rainbow, … more

Ann-Marie Ugles | 4/27/22

Ukrainian Comfort Food

Art is an extraordinary bridge capable of transcending cultural divides. Not everyone is a poet, a sculptor, a dancer or musician. Cooking, however, is a performance art practiced daily around the … more

Lisa Bryan, KP News | 3/31/22