Cape Flavors

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

Food writing appeals to more than the appetite

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

Only in a small town...

Denise Clemons
2 weeks 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
3 weeks 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
4 weeks 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 month 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 month 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 month 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 month ago
When I mentioned to a friend that we planned to go out for dinner on Thanksgiving, I was met with...

Try these variations on cranberry side dishes

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
Last week I heard an interesting statistic. Of the people surveyed, over 24 percent said they did...

Prime time for pears

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
One of the most difficult parts of a Thanksgiving Day meal is dessert. Do you make the same pie (or...

Potatoes are the highlight of Thanksgiving

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
With Thanksgiving just a few weeks away, many of us have already started planning our turkey day...

King Cole Cannery Celebrity Chef Cook-Off a fun...

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
Last week, the Milton Historical Society hosted a benefit called the King Cole Cannery Celebrity...

Meatballs: Many variations of beloved rainy-day dish

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Once again, the weather has inspired a menu suggestion. Specifically, this past Sunday’s rain and a...

Simmering soups drive away autumn chills

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Temperatures have fallen just enough to spark my interest in making soup. Note, the key term here...

Seafood recipes celebrate nautical heritage

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
Last weekend was a busy one in Lewes. The Historical Society hosted a Craft Show, the Second Street...

Let’s hear it for root vegetables

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
When we prepare and eat various vegetables as part of a meal, we rarely take notice of whether we’...

Pumpkin spice is everything nice

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
We’re nowhere near Thanksgiving Day and more than a month away from Halloween, yet the pumpkin pie...

Apples (and apple recipes) a sure sign of autumn

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
If you’ve been to a farmers market or your local grocery lately, you’re seeing one of the sure...

Shrimp dishes are always crowd pleasers

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
I’ve been invited to many a potluck-style cocktail party where the host serves liquid refreshments...

Dinner at bluezoo highlight of Walt Disney World...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
We recently returned from a trip to Walt Disney World where we managed to avoid the traditional...

Cooking with lavender

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Last week, the Historic Lewes Farmers Market invited me to conduct a demo at their sunny location...

Cool (and refreshing!) as a cucumber

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Earlier this week, the Cancer Support Community in Rehoboth invited me to conduct a nutrition...

Blood oranges add interesting flavor to various dishes

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
Although I'm a long-standing proponent of making dishes with real food, from time to time it seems...

Wild rice a food source for thousands of years

Denise Clemons
5 months ago
While I don’t usually do my grocery shopping in museums, I did bring home a treat from the National...

Perfect peaches make summer menus bright

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Although we may not be enjoying the extreme heat of the past weeks, one of our favorite fruits is...

Local summer sweet corn is at its peak

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
From the grocery stores to roadside stands to the weekly farmers markets, everyone is selling corn...

Pepper has wide range of styles, flavors

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
In last week’s column, I included a recipe that called for white pepper. I thought it might be...

Fill your plates with summer fare

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
Earlier this week I was invited by the hosts of “Delmarva Life” to present a cooking demonstration...

Blueberries: An ode to a summer delight

Denise Clemons
6 months ago
One of our favorite sights at the Historic Lewes Farmers Market is the bright-orange Bennett...

It’s a good time to find fresh peas at the markets

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
Every farmers market seems to have a different personality, and I’ll introduce you to two of them...

Cherries offer unique sour-sweet flavor

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
On a recent visit to the Nassau Valley Vineyards Sunday Market (more about that next week), we...

Prime time for summer squash

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
As you can see from the photo, it's prime time for summer squash. The term “summer squash” refers...

Try these variations of shrimp salad

Denise Clemons
7 months ago
Sometimes a mistake turns into a happy accident. I was shopping for dinner at Lloyd’s last week and...

First cookout of year is Memorial Day tradition

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Tomorrow is the start of a three-day weekend that many of us consider the opening of the summer...

Rhubarb is ideal in quick breads, adds great texture

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
This week’s focus is on rhubarb, an ornamental plant that is considered a fruit from both a...

Fresh spring radishes add bright flavor to salads

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Last week we resumed our favorite Saturday morning ritual – wandering through the Historic Lewes...

Salute to strawberries

Denise Clemons
8 months ago
Just before I started working on this column, I read an announcement online from Lloyd’s Market in...

Po’ Boys benefit dinner inspires shrimp creations

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
I’m going to tell you about the shrimp in the photo, but first I wanted to share a story of...

Fill your Easter baskets with springtime cheer

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
If you’re planning an Easter celebration, our local shops are stocked with supplies. From...

Slow-cookers can be lifesavers

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
By the time this column reaches the newsstands, many of us will be finishing our tax returns...

Asparagus season is here

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
Although the temperature outside isn’t completely in the range we’d expect for spring warmth, we...

Za’atar has complex, unique flavor

Denise Clemons
9 months ago
A few weeks ago, my friend Kit forwarded an article from The Week magazine about a Middle Eastern...

Choose main ingredient before you build a bowl

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
After a recent trip to the grocery store, I noticed my cupboard needed spring cleaning, or as my...

Game of Thrones at the dinner table

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
A few weeks ago we received an invitation from our neighbors to a dinner party. Their theme was...

Colder temps drive wonton soup craving

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
Sometimes I buy things at the grocery store that haven’t come from a menu list I’ve prepared, but...

Lecture explores history of plantation cooking

Denise Clemons
10 months ago
Last weekend, Jack and I attended a fascinating lecture at Cliveden in the Germantown neighborhood...

How to cook and prepare better bacon

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
We’ve been having bacon problems. Over the past several months, we’ve been thoroughly disappointed...

Chicken lettuce wraps are loaded with flavor

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
Earlier this month, one of my columns sparked a fascinating email conversation with reader Connie...

Create a romantic menu

Denise Clemons
11 months ago
In case you haven’t noticed, next Thursday is Valentine’s Day. Of course, if you’ve been in any...