Easy, subtle comfort: Cream of Belgian Endive Soup

Belgian endives, leeks, onions, celery and cream are the basis for this delicately flavored traditional Belgian soup. Recipe below.

SOME YEARS AGO, MARION AND HER SISTER VISITED PARIS REGULARLY. On one trip, they also went to Belgium. Marion said they ate better there than any place they had eaten in Paris. So when I recently discovered the apparently appropriately named Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook, I was intrigued, to say the least. Continue reading “Easy, subtle comfort: Cream of Belgian Endive Soup” →

Hold the garlic for traditional Amatriciana sauce

Guanciale (or pancetta), onion, canned Italian tomatoes and Pecorino Romano—but no garlic—are the basic ingredients for Amatriciana sauce, a simple Italian favorite. Recipe below.

Spaghetti with Amatriciana Sauce — Spaghetti All’ Amatriciana

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]o me, garlic is deeply ingrained in Italian cuisine. So much so that every single time I make Lidia Bastianich’s Ziti with Sausage and Fennel, I’m surprised to remember that it has no garlic. Turns out Italians have a much more nuanced relationship with this fragrant Allium. Continue reading “Hold the garlic for traditional Amatriciana sauce” →

Shop and store right to keep spices fresher longer

A quick guide to buying spices—in-store and online—and to properly storing them.

The Spice Shop, Paolo Antonio Barbieri, 1637

SPICES AND THEIR AROMATIC BRETHREN, HERBS, are key tools for turning food into cuisine, for giving dishes a major part of their identity. Besides using them wisely, knowing how and where to shop for them—and how to store them when you’re not using them—can make a huge difference in your cooking. Here are some tips. Continue reading “Shop and store right to keep spices fresher longer” →

A Korean staple flavors perfect-for-winter Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower

Gochujang—a readily available Korean pepper paste—teams up with ginger, garlic and lime juice to create a lively sauce for roasted chicken and cauliflower. Recipe below.

Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower

TO US, THE BEST WAY TO ROAST A WHOLE CHICKEN is to not roast a whole chicken, but to roast chicken parts. So when Marion came across a promising recipe for a slow-roasted whole chicken featuring a gochujang sauce, we broke it down to thighs and drumsticks. Continue reading “A Korean staple flavors perfect-for-winter Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower” →