We were gone a good part of last month so there hasn’t been as much cooking as usual. There are, however, some new things in my kitchen. This post is part of a monthly wrap-up of kitchen stories hosted by Sherry of Sherry’s Pickings. Click on the link to read what has been happening in kitchens around the world.

What have I been cooking in my kitchen? I tried a new air fryer tofu recipe from the blog Pinch of Yum, it was actually quite delicious although I haven’t tried it on my reluctant tofu eating husband yet.

He was out of town for a few days and this was a dinner I made for myself.

I recently found a way to cook artichokes which cuts the time. It involves cutting them in half first, steaming them, removing the choke, then browning them (cut side down) in a bit of oil before serving. You could also pop them on the grill. I credit this one to the blog Smitten Kitchen.

Another new kitchen discovery was a way of cooking sweet potatoes. I know the pictures look like hockey pucks, but the outside is wonderfully crisp and the inside meltingly tender.

There are some new ingredients in my kitchen. Travel really expands eating horizons. While in Amsterdam we ate at some wonderful restaurants. At Trees we had a dish that was garnished with tiny pine cones. Who knew you could eat pine cones??? They are a Siberian specialty and I was able to order some on Amazon.

I haven’t had a chance to use them yet but will keep you posted. At the restaurant they used them to garnish a slice of smoked pork tenderloin.

The Chef Mimi Blog wrote about black garlic and a delicious pasta recipe using it with morels. I have been meaning to try black garlic for some time and her post pushed me over the edge. Although I doubt I can get fresh morels, I will try her recipe with other mushrooms.

Also new is this harissa preserved lemon.

I am looking forward to using it.

The ginger marmalade was new at our local grocery store. I think it will be wonderful as a glaze for chicken.

Lastly, I have to tell you about this knife sharpener. I apologize as I cannot remember where I saw it mentioned. It was probably on another In My Kitchen post. I need to tell you that this actually works. My knives have never been so sharp. Over the years I have tried many sharpeners, even electric ones. This one beats them all.

You can buy it on Amazon.

For my curveball (it’s a little off color) I want to show you something we saw on our trip in Prague. This is the statue created by David Cerny.

I hope it gives you a giggle.