Cape Flavors

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

The key to stir-fry success is mostly in the prep work

Denise Clemons
4 days ago
On a recent visit to Rays Produce at the Brush Factory on Kings, I looked unsuccessfully for bok...

Welcome curry to the menu rotation

Denise Clemons
1 week ago
After years of never wanting to taste curry, last week I had curry dishes three times. I felt a...

Looking for fresh leeks? Select the bright green-and...

Denise Clemons
2 weeks ago
Lloyds’ produce aisle was filled with bunches of freshly harvested leeks this week. Unlike the...

Pi Day and corned beef make for a sweet and savory...

Denise Clemons
3 weeks ago
Today is affectionately known as “Pi Day” because the date reads as 3.14, which is the shortened...

Lent brings new and old food traditions to the table

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
Earlier this week marked a juxtaposition of food traditions: the wild celebrations associated with...

Quinoa-based pizza crust offers a tasty gluten-free...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
I went to Washington, D.C., last weekend to visit my friend Lina. As we mapped out our schedule of...

Humble peanut butter actually has an interesting...

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
I hadn’t planned to replicate an episode of “America’s Test Kitchen;” I was just going to make...

Egg substitutes can be surprisingly recipe-friendly

Denise Clemons
1 month ago
Last week, the Waffle House chain of restaurants announced it would be adding a 50-cent surcharge...

Simple or sophisticated, wings are a crowd-pleasing...

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
What is it about chicken wings that gets people so excited? Perhaps it was the prospect of...

Versatile onions can go from soup to salad and more

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
My friend Laurie went shopping for onions last week and purchased a three-pound bag because it was...

Grouper: Appealing to diners, versatile for chefs

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
I’ve just returned from a week in Aruba, a small island in the southern Caribbean Sea, about...

Sweet potatoes are not just for side dishes

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
In preparation for the holidays, I had purchased a few sweet potatoes. Since I never made anything...

Cooking at the Lodge is a new adventure

Denise Clemons
2 months ago
As some of you may already know, a little over a year ago I moved from my home in Wolfe Pointe to a...

Looking ahead at food trends for 2025

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
As I began my research for this week’s column on 2025 food trends, a few topics kept appearing...

Celebrate the new year with pears for prosperity

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
As we look forward to celebrating the new year, what better addition to the menu could there be...

Food gifts for the holidays are easy to personalize

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
What exactly is a “foodie”? Someone addicted to everything Food Network, a restaurant critic or...

Pomegranate seeds provide pops of flavor and color

Denise Clemons
3 months ago
We’ve entered the season of the pomegranate, time for markets to display pyramids of the round, red...

Colorful cauliflower brightens up more than crudité...

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
I brought home a perfect cauliflower last week: creamy white with a large, tightly packed head of...

Try a Thanksgiving Doo-dads makeover after the big meal

Denise Clemons
4 months ago
When you ask people what they enjoy about Thanksgiving, you’ll hear a wide range of responses. From...

Select the right dinner roll to suit any menu

Denise Clemons
4 months 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
4 months 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
5 months 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
5 months 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
5 months 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
5 months 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
5 months 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
6 months 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
6 months 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
6 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
6 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
7 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
7 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
7 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
7 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
7 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
8 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
9 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
9 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
9 months ago
Although Delaware’s watermelon season typically runs from July through September, regional grocers...

Fresh, juicy blueberries brighten up any menu

Denise Clemons
9 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
11 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
11 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
11 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
1 year 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
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-...