Nora Rae Pearl | Author

Two Summer Recipes: Our Cherry Amour

July 5, 2025

Nothing says love quite like northern Michigan’s summer cherries. They’ll soon be available on every corner, but only in the month of July, so we savor this sweet season.

To go U-pick, take a drive north of Traverse City into Williamsburg, where Rennie Orchards has optio… Read More >>

Roasting and Toasting with Beets, Rhubarb, & Rose

June 7, 2025

Just like the arrival of the cherry blossoms, we know summer is here once color hits our kitchens again. This time, instead of going green, we are going red (hold the cherries). Beets, rhubarb, and rose are the not-so-subtle signs of summer we all have been waiting for.

Rhubarb make… Read More >>

Strawberries, Scallions, and Springtime

May 3, 2025

As we get ready for the first crops of the season, there’s no time like the present to prep our kitchens with spring recipes. These showstoppers will remind you that the long winter wait was not in vain. As poet Anne Bradstreet once said, “If we had no winter, the spring would n… Read More >>

Spring Greens: Recipes with Asparagus & Arugula

April 5, 2025

As Michigan’s winter wraps up and we enter mud season, there is hope to be had around the corner for actual spring.

So let’s go in on all things green! Asparagus will soon be making its debut at a farmers market near you; expect to see stalks at the end of April or begin… Read More >>

Recipes: Baking with Beer

March 8, 2025

Depth of flavor is something we all hope to impart in our recipes, but is easier said than done. If this is one of your cooking conundrums, you don’t need to look any further than your fridge.

Using beer in your recipes can add layers of complexity you didn’t know were m… Read More >>

The Homebody Goes Gourmet

Feb. 15, 2025

Cold winter nights sometimes leave us with no other option than to seek comfort for our hearts and souls, and for me that comes in the form of food. We’ll take a look at two recipes we can make all year round, but this time with a few winter wonderland change-ups.

Inspired by … Read More >>

Recipes: Tapping into the Michigan Maple

Jan. 18, 2025

One could make the argument, what’s more Michigan, cherries or maple? And by maple, of course we mean maple syrup. Tap into your Michigan roots with these recipes that honor the ingredients grown in the land we love and the trees that live on it.

Depending on the weather, we&r… Read More >>

May the Parsnips Be with You in 2025

Dec. 21, 2024

This holiday season we know one thing for sure: The snow has arrived and it is here to stay...at least for a while. For winter cooking, let us look to the parsnip. One of their little-known secrets is that as the weather gets colder, they get sweeter. Let that be a metaphor for us in 2025; … Read More >>

Coming Home for the Cranberries

Nov. 23, 2024

They’re red, they’re rosy, they’re tart, they’re tiny, and some are even sweet instead of sour. So this season, let’s come home to the berry we harvest in the bog every fall.

Just like Old Faithful, we can always rely on the cranberry to make an appeara… Read More >>

Falling for Fall Flavors

Oct. 26, 2024

As the leaves turn and the temperatures drop, let’s celebrate with familiar ingredients, but in new ways to highlight their best features. When pumpkins with rice and apple rings with spice hit the menu, there’s plenty of reasons to enjoy a cozy night in.

To stock up on … Read More >>

Pairing Pears, Wine, and Cheese: Two Fall Recipes

Sept. 14, 2024

As we enter the season of cooler nights and waiting in traffic behind the school bus, let’s not forget the time to celebrate summer’s true love of abundance has really just begun. The cherry trees may be well shaken, but the fields of tomatoes, corn, and zucchini are bountiful. … Read More >>

Recipes for Farmers Market Finds

Aug. 10, 2024

From apples to apricots, broccoli to beets, carrots to cucumbers, there is just so much to look forward to during peak summer harvest season. As you wander the stalls of your local farmers market or belly up to the neighborhood farm stand, you can soon find yourself with a full basket&helli… Read More >>

Cherry Pie in the Sky: Two Cherry-Themed Summer Recipes

July 20, 2024

Cherry Festival is over, but the party doesn’t have to end! For the next month or so, cherries can be found around every corner Up North.

To U-pick all the rubies your heart desires, one of my favorite spots is Santucci Farm on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City. Just a st… Read More >>

Chillin' and Grillin' with Shortcakes and Brats

June 15, 2024

Beach days and bonfire nights bring another thing we can look forward to this summer season...backyard barbecues.

Change things up by trying these twists on summertime classics. For your ingredients, get out there and support local producers by checking out the farmers markets and s… Read More >>

Bikes, Hikes, Biscotti, and Buns

May 11, 2024

Whether you're on two feet, two wheels, or just driving around, nothing hits better than picnic treats on a sunny spring day. Now’s the perfect time for a hike at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a bike ride on Traverse City’s TART trails, or an M22 cherry blossom road tr… Read More >>

Spring Into the Kitchen

April 6, 2024

As the daffodils start to pop up and the crocuses bloom, let’s bring that same sense of renewal into our kitchens. The first of the harvest is just arriving, giving us a sneak preview of what awaits us in the season ahead.

For these recipes, we are embracing some of the greate… Read More >>

Heirloom Recipes With Heritage, History, and Nostalgia

March 23, 2024

Before we begin to stash our coats and put winter behind us, let us remember what years past have taught us…fake spring has arrived. The higher temps are showing us what is to come, but we will still have to get through some cold days first.

That’s what inspired me to b… Read More >>

Dining In with Restaurant-Inspired Recipes

Feb. 17, 2024

To dine in or eat out? That is the question…and we have the answers.

For a night on the town, head to Nonna’s Ristorante at The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor. Start the evening off right with a signature Old Fashioned or a bottle of Caymus. Pair your drink with the rac… Read More >>

A New Recipe Twist for the New Year

Jan. 20, 2024

As we turn the corner into 2024, let’s look to some of Michigan’s oldest and finest bakeries to inspire our cooking this new year.

Family-owned Lehto’s Pasties in St. Ignace has been serving the Yooper classic since 1947. While most pasties (pronounced pass-tea… Read More >>

Ginger, Spice, and Everything Nice

Dec. 9, 2023

The holiday cooking season has arrived, and we’re here to help you start this month on the right boot—we mean foot. We’re keeping things warm and cozy with two recipes that will give you all the holiday feels and look great on the potluck table.

December produce ca… Read More >>