Cape Flavors

Send questions, comments and recipe ideas to Denise at deniseclemons1008@gmail.com.

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

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

Homemade biscotti is twice as nice

Denise Clemons
1 year 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...

Nanticoke squash brings local history to the kitchen

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
If you happened to walk down Third Street during the past month, as you neared the corner of...

Down the rabbit hole on legumes, beans and pulses

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Not sure if it’s because of all the recent rain or if I’m just craving fiber-rich food, but I’ve...

Early apples herald the crisp bite of autumn

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Although it’s technically not the start of autumn until we reach the equinox later this month,...

Melons - an ancient fruit with many modern varieties

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
The familiar high temperatures of August have given the region’s melon crops exactly what they need...

Don’t be afraid of that weird-looking corn

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who has encountered the problem illustrated by the photograph...

August is tomato time in Sussex County

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
It’s prime time for tomatoes. Vine-ripened beauties are piled high at farmers markets, roadside...

U.S.-grown rice offers a world of taste and texture...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
An interesting email with the subject line “USA Rice” arrived in my inbox last week. The content of...

Savor the crisp summer crunch of cucumbers

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
At this time of year, it’s easy to appreciate the expression “cool as a cucumber.” With recent...

‘Tis the season for tomato pie; just choose a style

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
If you’ve been to Lloyd’s Market in Lewes lately, you may have seen the signs advertising “tomato...

Mac and cheese meals can go from simple to special...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
It would appear I made a reporting error in last week’s column, neglecting to let you know that...

Delaware’s peach history hasn’t been a bed of roses

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Peach season is in high gear a little bit earlier than the more typical mid-August. From wooden...

Zucchini and other squash add variety to summer menus

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
If you’ve been to a farmers market, supermarket or roadside stand lately, you’ve likely seen a wide...

Summer recipes for blueberry bruschetta and beyond

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Last weekend, Bennett Orchards filled its signature orange tent at the Historic Lewes Farmers...

Celebrate summer with sweet taste of cantaloupe

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
As I began my research for this week’s column, I repeatedly ran into claims from food historians...

Kohlrabi is an attention-getter any way you slice it

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
If you want to spark a conversation at the farmers market, just ask a grower their opinion on the...

Peas and pasta offer many different meal options

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Earlier this week, I was invited to conduct a cooking demonstration for the newly launched local...

Recipes from Mrs. Child - but not the one you’re...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
As many of you may know, I enjoy reading historical cookbooks. Although they are called cookbooks (...

Tahini brings Middle Eastern flavor to diverse dishes

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Tahini is one of the backbone ingredients in Middle Eastern cuisine, according to authors Sam...

Rhubarb - a vegetable that identifies as a fruit

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
One of the earliest vegetables to appear at the start of the growing season is rhubarb. With...

Celebrate Mother’s Day by dining out or sharing a...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Crowds were out in force last May 6 for opening day of the Historic Lewes Farmers Market. From the...

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a taco feast

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
When we started thinking about what to feature in this week’s column, the calendar won, since today...

Seared, skewered or baked, tuna makes a great main dish

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
We were in the supermarket looking for a piece of fish to cook for dinner, and most of the options...

Dinner in a hurry can be easier than you think

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Spring break is over, kids are back in school for the rest of the semester, folks are tending their...

Spring is the time for fresh asparagus adventures

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Forsythia, daffodils, cherry blossoms and asparagus are some of the colorful highlights of spring...

Easter breakfast - keep it hearty but not hectic

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
This week is busy with holiday celebrations. Wednesday at sundown began the observance of Passover...

Stuffed or baked, artichokes are delightful

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Every time my friend Lina comes to visit, she brings artichokes, typically a generous selection of...

Film and food discussion leads to marmalade memories

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Last week, I attended a fascinating presentation about the intersection of cinema and cuisine. We...

From soup to nuts and beyond, peanuts pack a punch

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Most of us consider peanuts quite ordinary; we may not realize this familiar food was held in such...

‘Got milk?’ covers a wide range of options these days

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
It has become very crowded in the dairy aisles of our grocery stores, most notably in the milk...

Handy kitchen hacks save time and effort

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
The word “hack” has certainly evolved over time. Originally, the word hackney referred to a horse...

Colonial libations bring history to (night)life at...

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
If you haven’t yet attended a First Friday event at the Lewes Historical Society, you may want to...

The Home Café provides inspiring beverage recipes

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Last week, I had the opportunity to interview Asia Lui Chapa, author of the recently released book...

Super Bowl options range from finger food to light...

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Between the nonstop television advertisements and the grocery store displays, it is practically...

Meal kits deliver taste and convenience, but...

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
During the months I was recovering from an injury, we subscribed to delivery of two meal kits each...

Exploring the bounty of boards can be fun

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Whether a cheese board, butter board or charcuterie board, these one-plate appetizer dishes are all...

Bagels aren’t just for breakfast these days

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Somehow, I missed the memo and didn’t realize that Jan. 15 was National Bagel Day. Although not the...

It’s not your mama’s cube steak – and it’s delicious!

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Do you remember cube steak? My mother used to serve it simmered in reconstituted Lipton’s onion...

Exotic mushrooms delight the eye and the palate

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
One of the food trends forecast for the year ahead – as predicted by internet bloggers, popular...

Start 2023 right with a hearty New Year’s Day breakfast

Denise Clemons
2 years ago
Since most of us will toast the stroke of midnight Dec. 31 with a glass of bubbly or other adult...