CROQUE MADAME

    The sourdough bread of this tall ham and cheese sandwich, made complicated because it's French, is two-sided: the jalapeño cheddar side, and the plain side. But this is homemade. In a 12-inch frying pan on medium heat I melted a good amount of butter sprinkled with nutmeg and soaked...

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CHIVES FLOWERS AND SEAWEED GRAPES

 Once upon a time in childhood, chives flowers and seaweed grapes were family salad meals— and to this day I would never forget their beauty on the plate and their crisp-sweet-brine-citrus taste. Grandpa always had them prepared on Sundays at the rest house in Laguna, among other delicious food...

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THE CLUB

This classic sandwich is a remake fresh with ripe avocado chunks, pitted green olive halves, and torn basil leaves. And for seasoning: ground black pepper, lime juice and olive oil to taste, very simple, and no salt was added since the briny flavor from the Italian castelvetranos will do justice...

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GUAVA WELL

Rural life is urbanism with a view. — Lierre Keith Back in the day when Portland, Ore. was home,  though it was unfortunate that his column was also retired at around the same time I had moved to New York City, but for many years living in the alpine-cool northwest, I read Verlyn Klinkenborg’s...

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