Hi. I’m Isabel, I cook and scribble. I make a lot of food and do a lot of writing, and Bread & Courage is what I have to show for it. It started as a simple food blog called TASTE but evolved into something more—a place where I express my love of food, community and the environment. Thanks for spending some time here—and be in touch!
Thank you, citrus, for gleaming through these gray winter months. I’ve got an appointment to have my teeth cleaned on March 16, and I’m sure my dentist will admonish me for my very much eroded enamel, but what can I say? A grapefruit a day keeps the blues away. It certainly has for me. Scurvy [...]
There’s nothing better than going to sleep in a house that smells like breakfast. Knowing that when you wake up, a nice heap of something will be waiting for you, whether it’s oatmeal from a slow cooker, prunes stewing on the stovetop or muffins, just pulled from the oven. But as wonderful as breakfast can [...]
Last week, I started a yoga program called “The Forty Days,” pretty self-explanatory, really. Forty days of yoga, plus a fast and twice-daily meditation. Sometimes my body aches, but mostly I feel extraordinary. Open and calm and centered—qualities I usually admire from afar. When I’m unhappy, I can be a bit of an anxious recluse. [...]
Christmas! And I’m staring at a half a plate of Russian Tea Cakes, lips white with powdered sugar. Like ginger snaps, these were not my first choice as a child, although they have moved high up the list of foods to appreciate. First of all, they are not super sweet—don’t be fooled by their coat [...]
I am predisposed to love September. There’s no better season than the onset of fall, I say, with its cool currents slipping in under the warm air; the sound of geese squeaking in the morning, shuttering in their bulbous bodies before they decide to fly away. And nothing beats wild grapes along the side of [...]
When summer ceases, salads usually wane as well. I am determined to change that. It' s not so hard to do here in Texas, where there are twice as many growing seasons as up North, but last time I was visiting New England I conceived of a great autumnal mix that manages to lay lots [...]
