Cape Flavors

Send questions, comments and recipe ideas to Denise at capeflavors@comcast.net.

Select the right dinner roll to suit any menu

Denise Clemons
4 days ago
As we look at the calendar for the days ahead, it’s time to start planning for Thanksgiving. The...

Exploring cardamom: The queen of spices

Denise Clemons
1 week ago
I bought the baking mix in the photo to make Swedish cardamom buns (kardemummabullar.) These tender...

Would you pass the scrambled egg test?

Denise Clemons
2 weeks ago
When did we start eating eggs? Most food historians agree that humans have been eating eggs for as...

Kale comes into its own with cool fall weather

Denise Clemons
3 weeks ago
If you’re shopping at a farmers market or neighborhood grocery this time of year, you will be sure...

Trafalgar Night guests enjoy period dishes in memory...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
Earlier this week, I attended a ceremonial dinner honoring the success of the British Navy at the...

Autumn means apple time; local markets offer diverse...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
Since last week was all about scrapple, it seems appropriate to focus this week on apples. Let’s...

Scrapple adds adventure to the Culinary Coast

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
The team at Southern Delaware Tourism asked me to share with you their trademarked label for our...

Butternut squash is tough but tasty

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
As I started my research for this week’s column, I recalled an incident from about a year ago. I...

Mignonette sauce brings delicate flavor to offset...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
Jonathan Swift is credited with this insight from the 1700s: “It was a bold man that first ate an...

Mascarpone cheese adds an elegant touch to many dishes

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
My neighbors here at the Lodge have organized a weekly potluck dinner for Sunday afternoons at five...

Leeks fill special niche in culinary world

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
This week, I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorite vegetables - leeks. Although a member of...

The pumpkin pie spice train starts rolling into fall

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
As we reach the end of summer and return to our standard schedules of school and workday...

Get your steps in – plus your junk food – with...

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
Despite all the cooking shows, internet blogs and print articles I follow to learn about food...

Nectarines offer divine sweetness without peachy fuzz

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
As I wandered through the fragrant aisles at Rays Produce & Flowers the other day, a woman in...

Heirloom tomatoes revive the flavors of grandma’s...

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Since we are in the middle of August, there seems no better subject for this column than tomatoes,...

Summer’s bounty – the upside of ‘get it while it’s hot’

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
On your next visit to the Historic Lewes Farmers Market (or any of the wonderful growers’ markets...

Sweet blueberries and crunchy cornbread satisfy two...

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Many people who know me are aware of my addiction to corn muffins – not the hyper-sweet ones you...

Discover purple cauliflower

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
Last week, I visited the DuPont Circle Farmers Market in Washington, DC. Unlike our Historic Lewes...

Noodle salad is a versatile, easy-fix dish during...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
During the high temperatures, rainstorms and miserable humidity of the past few weeks, I have spent...

Local cantaloupes bring the sweet taste of summer

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
I bought my first local cantaloupe of the season last week and wasn’t disappointed with the juicy,...

Peaches are perfect for pies, pizza, potables and more

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
Local peaches seem to have reached the market a little bit earlier than usual this year. Bennett...

Simple or fancy, picnic planning should include food...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
I can’t see a picnic basket without hearing the voice of Yogi Bear (the cartoon character, not to...

Who needs a calendar – watermelons mean summertime!

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Although Delaware’s watermelon season typically runs from July through September, regional grocers...

Fresh, juicy blueberries brighten up any menu

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
One of my favorite sights at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market is the bright-orange peak of the...

Capers pack a burst of flavor into a tiny bud

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
One of my favorite condiments is the oddly named, pickled plant-bud called a caper. While we’ve...

Rhubarb recipes depend on balancing sweet-tart flavors

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Once again, the appearance of rhubarb stalks in the produce aisle at Lloyd’s Market tells us the...

Arugula can rocket your taste buds into a new dimension

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Except for the ubiquitous wedge salad, it’s uncommon to find iceberg lettuce on a restaurant menu...

Pak choi – an ancient vegetable with many modern uses

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
The weather was perfect for a visit to the Historic Lewes Farmers Market last Saturday. Most times...

Buttermilk: Beloved beverage offers a myriad of...

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
I bought a bottle of buttermilk to make biscuits, which got me thinking about this oddly-named...

Explore sweet surprises with strawberry soup and more

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
While I wait impatiently for tomorrow’s opening day at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market, I have...

Get the down-low on risotto

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
I was invited to present a cooking demonstration for my neighbors a few weeks ago and choose to...

In the market or garden, it’s time to pick peas

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
This is the best time of year for fresh peas, which will be in season from now until mid-May. You’...

Cornmeal is an American contribution to world cuisine

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
During the past month, I’ve had two different shrimp dishes that shared a common ingredient:...

Easter traditions include flowers, bunnies and...

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
If you’re planning an Easter celebration this weekend, our local shops are well stocked with...

Try grilled cheese with a French flair – you’ll say ...

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Who knew that a grilled sandwich could be the source of so much controversy? I was planning to make...

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a touch of the Irish

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Why do we celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day? The Catholic Church established a feast day to honor St...

More breakfast ideas – steak & eggs, dippy eggs with...

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Of course, since last week’s column was about pork products’ monopoly on breakfast, I should have...

Pork – it’s what’s for breakfast

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Why is it that almost all the breakfast meat listed on restaurant menus is pork-based? Whether...

Celebrate banana bread any way you like it

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
Although today is national Banana Bread Day, it’s also National Tootsie Roll Day and International...

Demi-glace provides an elegant finishing touch to...

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
A reader of last week’s column asked me to explain “demi-glace,” the sauce served in the duck...

Fifer’s cooking class brings farm bounty to table

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
Last weekend, I attended a cooking class hosted by Fifer Orchards at their Farm Store in Camden-...

Crudités platter a welcome addition to gatherings

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
At a recent gathering of friends, we served Prosecco, a charcuterie plate of cured meats and...

Sumo Citrus – you’ll love it for the flavor

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
While at a local grocery store this week, I asked if they had any blood oranges in stock, since...

Raw or cooked, fennel adds zest to many dishes

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
On a recent trip to the grocery, I found a lovely fennel bulb with delicate fronds still moist and...

Cold weather tells us to cozy up with chili

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
Today’s topic is chili, the stew-like dish popular in cold-weather months, flavored by the slender...

2024 food trends may bring interesting changes

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
This is the time of year when food bloggers and lifestyle websites typically post their...

New Year’s Day means hearty morning and evening meals

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
No matter how you celebrate New Year’s Day, it’s always nice to wake up to a good breakfast...

Christmas Eve dinner can go fancy or cozy – your choice

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Before we relocated to the beach, when we were still living in the greater D.C. area, one of our...

Holiday traditions can be preserved through sharing

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Last month, I spent a lovely time with the residents at The Moorings talking about holiday...

Festival of Lights brings traditional foods to the...

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Yesterday at sundown marked the start of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah (sometimes spelled Chanukah...

Homemade biscotti is twice as nice

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
As we exit the buying frenzy of Black Friday and the charity-focused Giving Tuesday, Lewes is ready...

Thanksgiving leftovers can bring a whole new taste...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
By now, we are all recovered from the annual rituals associated with Thanksgiving. Perhaps you...

Is it stuffing, or dressing, or filling? Oh my!

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
With barely a week until Thanksgiving, most of us have already made plans for turkey day. Your home...

Brussels sprouts combine great versatility and...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
One of the most curiously named vegetables popular at this time of year is the cool-weather crop...

Applesauce and apple butter bring the warm flavors...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
When it comes to making applesauce, there are two approaches – one calls for more work at the start...

Pumpkin cheating is an acceptable trick for great...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
I usually stay away from boxed cake and cookie mixes or packaged side dishes. I prefer to have...

Harvest of Discontent program highlights Colonial...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
This past weekend, the Lewes Historical Society presented a set of immersive programs on its...

Moving a kitchen is a major undertaking

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
As some of you may know, I have spent the past few weeks packing for a move from my house into an...

Follow recipe directions when using butter in batter

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
How many times have you found a recipe that begins with instructions to “cream butter” or “cream...

Try 15 Bean Soup for a hearty warm-up

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
During the height of last weekend’s wind-lashed rainstorms, I found myself craving a hot bowl of...