Cape Flavors

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

Food trends point toward widening culinary horizons

Denise Clemons
4 days ago
Last week I spent time researching food trends for the year ahead, learning what was being touted...

Mother sauces provide crowning touch for many dishes

Denise Clemons
1 week ago
Last week, my friend Debbie LaMorte gifted us a quiche, still warm from her oven. The texture of...

High-quality red wines are best for authentic sangria

Denise Clemons
2 weeks ago
For our New Year’s Eve celebration this year, we replaced the traditional champagne toast with...

Hors d’oeuvres platters can be downsized to fit...

Denise Clemons
3 weeks ago
Traditionally, this would be the time of year when we’re planning to stop by friends’ holiday open...

Christmas pudding adapts tradition to modern tastes

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
With some extra time on my hands, I decided to look for a new holiday cooking adventure. I thought...

Biscotti - an ancient recipe with timeless appeal

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
For years, my friend Marie would bake dozens and dozens of biscotti as holiday gifts for her...

Toast the holidays with a hot toddy, wassail or...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
On a chilly evening, there’s nothing more fortifying than a warm cup of cheer. And, it may come as...

Get creative with your Thanksgiving leftovers

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
One of the most treasured Thanksgiving traditions is the promise of leftovers. After the big meal...

Baked apples fill the air with holiday aromas

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
As you plan your Thanksgiving Day menu, you can’t forget dessert. Whether your traditions favor...

Mashed potatoes a highlight of Thanksgiving dinner

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
Earlier this week, I ordered our Thanksgiving dinner. It will be cooked and ready for us to collect...

Cookies: Be sure you make enough to keep and to share

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
In the past 10 days, I’ve had the chance to moderate two more discussions with cookbook authors...

Bundt cake can be any flavor you like; the name is...

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it would be fun to share a holiday-themed dessert. I was...

Exploring virtual Cooks & Books series

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
While I confess to being a bit “Zoomed out” with dozens of online meetings, one of the most...

A tale of two soups

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
As you may imagine, the recent clouds and rain were sufficient encouragement to pull out my...

Middle Eastern-inspired shawarma will spice up your...

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Looking through my pantry last week, searching for dinner inspiration, I realized my menu planning...

Tender baby turnips offer a flavorful fall treat

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
During the pandemic, our local famers markets have done an excellent job of providing a safe...

Lemon bars are a simple but irresistible treat

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
As we traded suggestions about what to feature in this week’s column, Jack asked for something...

Miniature trifles make a fancy dessert more friendly

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
Browsing through a lifestyle magazine the other day, I saw a gorgeous photograph of a colorful...

Favorite cookbooks offer inspiration all year long

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
Depending upon the question I’m trying to answer, there’s a handful of cookbooks that I invariably...

Wherever they came from, hot dogs are an American...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
Monday is Labor Day, when we typically celebrate the end of summer with friends and family at pool...

Lose the lettuce and savor an authentic Greek salad

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
I’ve recently learned that all those Greek salads I’ve ordered at diners, delis and chain...

Eggplant rollatini - an Italian favorite worth...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
One of my favorite dishes to order at Italian restaurants is eggplant rollatini (sometimes spelled...

Don’t miss the flavor of local peaches in season

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Peaches, with their fuzz-covered skin and sturdy pit, may seem tough, but they are among the most...

Time to focus on summer’s fave crop - corn

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
As I prepared to write this week’s column, I checked my database of articles to see when I last...

Watermelon treats offer relief from summer heat

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Last week we tasted our first watermelon of the season. Since there are only two of us in the house...

Go ahead, travel to Greece – in your kitchen!

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
A food-related discovery we’ve enjoyed during quarantine is the public television program, “My...

Choose the right picnic foods to beat the heat

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Although most local restaurants have opened their doors by limiting the number of tables and chairs...

Various cooking styles can incorporate zucchini

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Although we’re barely into the month of July, the zucchini harvest has been plentiful. At groceries...

July Fourth celebrations can still sparkle despite...

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Tomorrow, we’ll celebrate our nation’s independence from Britain’s rule almost 250 years ago, but...

Local blueberries are in season – too delicious to...

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Once again, blueberry season has begun. From mid-June through mid-August, Bennett Orchards, our...

Cucumbers offer variety of bright summer tastes

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
Because our yard backs up to Cape Henlopen State Park, we are frequently visited by deer, fox,...

When you want to skip takeout, make your own pizza

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
During the weeks we spent in quarantine, we ordered takeout meals from several of our favorite...

Macaroni salad still a popular dish

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
Last week, when my friend Marie sent me the newspaper article I’d asked her to save, she enclosed a...

Share love that comes from the kitchen

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
From time to time, someone who reads this column will contact me to share a favorite recipe...

Support local suppliers; buy freshest offerings

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
During the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, we’ve been muddling along with limited...

The garden is popping with color – and flavor

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
In spite of the unsettled temperatures, from nearly freezing to the high 70s, flowers across the...

Celebrating Mom is a little different this year

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Sunday, May 10, is Mother’s Day and the landscape for celebrating Mom is a little different this...

Create a stay-at-home fiesta for Cinco de Mayo

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
With the current restrictions on dining out, our local restaurants haven’t advertised their usual...

Transform basic ice cream into delicate treat

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Looking at photos posted on various social media platforms, you can see what most people are doing...

Make dishes that go the distance

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
In light of the current shopping situation, each time we’ve planned a menu, our strategy has been...

Look for the helpers at Easter

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
This Easter will be a little different for so many of us. Instead of cherished family traditions –...

Recipes shared by child TV stars

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
A few weeks ago, I responded to an invitation for a review copy of the book “TV Dinners.” Not...

Tips for takeout ordering

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
In order to support our favorite restaurants during the current virus-mandated closure of dining...

Key limes can bring taste of tropics

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
We’ve just returned from a brief visit to Key West where the temperatures weren’t quite up to...

Celebrate potatoes, the most Irish food of all

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
With St. Patrick’s Day falling on Tuesday of next week, it’s likely this weekend will be filled...

Help for your menu on meatless Fridays

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
Last week was the start of the 40-day period of Lent. From the Anglo-Saxon word lengten for “...

Let’s celebrate National Chocolate Soufflé Day

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
Today is National Chocolate Soufflé Day. I’m not quite sure who decides these things. It could be...

Celebrate Mardi Gras with homemade beignets

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
For those of you who follow the happenings in New Orleans, you’re surely aware that next Tuesday is...

Food focus on legumes

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
According to recent posts and published articles from food bloggers and pundits alike, it appears...

Recipes shine with Penzeys spices

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Whenever I present a cooking demonstration, I bring along the ingredients and my own tools. All the...

Plan a party, watch the game

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Thanks to relentless advertising, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that the annual NFL Super Bowl...

Food writing appeals to more than the appetite

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
“What food publications do you read?” someone recently asked me. I admitted that I still missed...

An ode to old cookbooks: Gingerbread a mainstay of...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Last week, the Lewes Historical Society invited me to present a talk for their monthly Speakers...

Only in a small town...

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
Last week I had one of those experiences that could only happen in a small town like Lewes. I went...

The basics about bread

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
My original plan for this column was to comment about the relative absence of bread baskets on...

Poached salmon is simple, elegant meal

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
In the photo, you can see an example of a simple but elegant meal we enjoyed on a recent trip. The...

Homemade cheesecake is simple if you follow the rules

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
As we started planning our holiday dinner, I wanted an elegant dessert that could be made a few...

Useful gifts for bakers and foodies

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
It’s that time of year when our mailboxes (both electronic and physical) are flooded with catalogs...

New products deserve your attention

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
One of the happy surprises I experience writing this column is how often I’m contacted by public...

Thanksgiving means looking forward to leftovers

Denise Clemons
1 year ago
When I mentioned to a friend that we planned to go out for dinner on Thanksgiving, I was met with...