Beef Pot Roast with Beer and Juniper Berries

Flavorful beef chuck roast, braised with beer, juniper berries, onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots, is perfect comfort food on a chilly fall or winter evening.

Juniper Berries Pot Roast

CHUCK ROASTS ARE ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CUTS OF BEEF. Besides appealing to our thrifty side, inexpensive cuts like this are also some of the more flavorful ones, and their initial toughness disappears with long, slow oven braising/roasting. Most often when we roast a chuck roast, we use red wine. In this recipe, a lighter flavored beer makes the roast feel less heavy. And juniper berries, a key ingredient in gin, add a bracing light freshness that contrasts nicely with the inherent heaviness of the beef and root vegetables, giving it a wintry brightness. You’ll find the recipe—and links to some of our other favorite chuck roast recipes—here.

Livening up a comfort food classic—Kimchi Grilled Cheese

Kimchi puts a tangy, slightly spicy, umami-rich Korean spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. Recipe below.

Kimchi Grilled Cheese

IS THERE ANYTHING KIMCHI CAN’T DO? When we first heard the words “kimchi grilled cheese,” we thought perfect. Take a classic American comfort food favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich, and add kimchi to it? We’re there.
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Healthy, autumnal, delicious: Cauliflower Potato Soup

Cauliflower (roasted or not), potatoes, miso paste and aromatics create a healthy, satisfying vegetarian soup. Recipe below.

Cauliflower Potato Soup

OTHER PEOPLE IMPULSE-BUY SHOES, OR JEWELRY, OR CANDY. Me? Well, just before our Upper Peninsula trip, I bought: a cauliflower. Which I forgot about until a couple of days ago when Terry reminded me of its existence. There it was, that forgotten impulse purchase, lurking in the produce bin, amazingly still white and fresh. Continue reading “Healthy, autumnal, delicious: Cauliflower Potato Soup”

Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere

A mix of African and global ingredients bring big flavor to this creamy, spicy, hearty stew. Recipe below.

Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere

WE CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS STEW. Thick and creamy and spicy, it is an absolutely satisfying meal in a bowl, filled with a mix of big flavors that all blend into a delicious ensemble dish, with nothing grabbing the spotlight. As we ate it the other night, we kept saying “this is so good” over and over. Continue reading “Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere”