Beef stew from the South of France: Daube Provençal

White wine, orange zest, cloves and olives make Daube Provençal a brighter South-of-France take on Boeuf Bourgignon. Recipe below.

Daube Provençal

SAY TRADITIONAL FRENCH BEEF STEW and what usually springs to mind is Boeuf Bourgignon, the classic hearty, meaty stew of the Burgundy region, made with mushrooms, bacon, pearl onions, carrots and a big-bodied red wine, usually Burgundy. But the South of France has its own traditional stew, Daube Provençal, with a distinctively brighter flavor. Continue reading “Beef stew from the South of France: Daube Provençal” →

Butter Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

Butter beans cooked with roasted tomatoes, garlic and a red bell pepper, served over Greek yogurt make a delicious light meal or side. Recipe below.

Butter Beans with Roasted Tomatoes

THE OTHER DAY, I WAS NOODLING AROUND ONLINE, actually hunting for photos of English house interiors, when I stumbled on a recipe from a new book, Ottolenghi Comfort, by Yotam Ottolenghi and his frequent collaborator Helen Goh, along with Verena Lochmuller and Tara Wigley. I am always interested in anything Ottolenghi and his friends create—his first cookbook, Plenty, is a tried-and-true at our house—and this latest collaborative work looks like it will be marvelous too. One recipe that caught my eye was Butter Beans with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes. Continue reading “Butter Beans with Roasted Tomatoes” →

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.
Continue reading “Livening up a comfort food classic—Kimchi Grilled Cheese” →

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” →

Two deliciously different red cabbage salads

Two recipes this week: Red Cabbage and Carrot Coleslaw, and Korean-inspired Red Cabbage Potsticker Salad.

Red Cabbage and Carrot Cole Slaw

A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WE WENT TO A BIG FUN FAMILY BARBECUE in Milwaukee, and our daughter Laurel brought a huge bowl of coleslaw—a recipe that as far as I can tell, she made up the night before. It was wonderful! Crisp, flavorful, fresh, crunchy, and very pretty—just the thing to accompany the many awesome, meaty mains. Continue reading “Two deliciously different red cabbage salads” →

A weekend of seasonal cooking: a hearty ragù and heaps of pesto

Beef and Pork Ragù

EVENTS SEASONAL AND OTHERWISE CONSPIRED to keep us busy in the kitchen this weekend. First, our friends and fabulous block party throwers Al and Kelly were coming for dinner. On-again, off-again cool weather got Marion thinking of serving a hearty beef and pork ragù she’d made long ago. Continue reading “A weekend of seasonal cooking: a hearty ragù and heaps of pesto” →

Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Soup

Canned green chiles, cumin, oregano and aromatics make for a chicken soup that will warm up even the coldest night. Recipe below.

Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Soup

OFFICIAL AUTUMN IS JUST DAYS AWAY, and weather in Chicago has already been hinting at the crisp, cool days and nights to come. Perfect weather for warm, comforting soups. The canned green chiles in this soup dial up the warmth, adding spiciness and lively flavor. Continue reading “Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Soup” →