culinary history

Best Fudgy-Wudgy Brownies, Plus Bittersweet Memories

May 22, 2015 By Nancy Baggett 3 Comments

I'm baking these fudgiest-ever brownies this Memorial Day. Partly, it's because everybody loves them, and they are perfect for an informal family gathering. But ...

The REAL First Thanksgiving Celebration, Plus a Fine Squash Side Dish

November 25, 2013 By Nancy Baggett 4 Comments

Many Americans know and love the romanticized story of what we now refer to as the first Thanksgiving. I used to have such pleasant, if sappy, notions myself, ...

Celebrating Orchard Peaches with a Peach Brown Betty

September 1, 2013 By Nancy Baggett 2 Comments

In honor of the glorious peaches that tempted me at the local farmers' market, I just made a peach brown Betty. It's so good I'm going to make another one as ...

Welcome to KitchenLane! It’s a comfortable place where I create, thoroughly test, and photograph recipes for my cookbooks and blog. All my recipes are original, not adaptations from others. I trained as a pastry chef, so many offerings are desserts and baked goods. Some are also healthful, savory dishes I contribute to healthy eating publications. My recipes are always free of artificial dyes, flavorings, and other iffy additives, which I won’t serve my family—or you! Instead, dishes feature naturally flavorful, colorful ingredients including fresh herbs, berries, edible flowers, and fruits, many from my own suburban garden or local farmers’ markets. Since lots of readers aspire to write cookbooks, I also blog on recipe writing and editing and other helpful publishing how-to info accumulated while authoring nearly 20 well-received cookbooks over many years.