A delicious break from holiday excess: Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs

Lentils cooked with an international mix of spices and aromatics and topped with poached eggs make a satisfying vegetarian lunch, light supper or, as served by April Bloomfield, robust breakfast. Recipe below.

WE WENT ALL OUT FOR THE HOLIDAY FOOD EXTRAVAGANZAS this year at our house. At one point, our in-house supplies included chocolate mascarpone brownies, a pound cake baked by Laurel, moon cakes from our favorite Chinatown bakery, a cheerful assortment of donuts from Stan’s, Rum Ball ice cream and Lime Cardamom frozen yogurt from Jeni’s, butterfly cookies, chocolate chip cookies, strawberry-flavored “French cookies” from Japan, a box of truffles from Moonstruck, some violet-scented chocolate my sister brought back from France, plus an unclear number of other chocolates, plus several luscious cheeses, plus a pie—I am so jaded by all this that I don’t remember what sort of pie. Continue reading “A delicious break from holiday excess: Curried Lentils with Poached Eggs” →

Using flavored pasta to add depth: Mushroom Pasta with Duck

Mushroom pasta, porcini mushrooms, leftover duck and duck stock combine to create an earthy, peasanty meal. Recipe below.

Weeks ago I promised you a recipe using the carcass of the roasted duck and leftover duck meat. I hope you put that duck in the freezer, because this week, in the lull between Thanksgiving and the next round of holiday frenzy, I got a bright idea. Continue reading “Using flavored pasta to add depth: Mushroom Pasta with Duck” →

Chestnut Soup and memories of Paris

Chestnuts, potatoes, aromatics, butter, chicken stock and cream turn into a rich soup that stirs warm memories of Paris. Store-bought, vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts make it simple. Recipe below.

The first time I encountered the chestnut vendors of Paris, on a cold November night walking down the Rue de Rivoli with my sister, I was hooked. To me, that has become one of the key Parisian experiences. The night street, thronged with Parisians heading home or to dinner or just having a stroll, the Algerian vendor, his neck wrapped in a knit scarf, the charcoal fire in a metal drum, the improvised metal plate that is the roasting surface, handing over my two euro to the vendor, who hands me a little newspaper cornet packed with fragrant, dark, freshly roasted chestnuts, then walking down the avenue, peeling the chestnuts one at a time, looking at the passing crowd, wondering what I will have to drink with dinner, being back in France. Continue reading “Chestnut Soup and memories of Paris” →

An easy, impressive Sunday roast: Roast Duck with Apples, Pears and Potatoes

A whole roasted duck is accompanied by apples, pears and potato wedges roasted in duck fat. Recipe below.

THE COLD WEATHER IS GETTING ITS CLAWS INTO US. We are going out in down jackets, scarves and boots. In a fit of self-pity I even have taken out my coziest wool hat—the little wool cloche from Wildhagen that I usually reserve for the most desperate sub-zero days. The weather is having hostile spasms. The other day, going from the American Rhythm Center to Terry’s office on foot, I got caught in a sleet storm—mean tiny ice pellets flinging themselves into my face at 50 mph. Reader, it hurt. Continue reading “An easy, impressive Sunday roast: Roast Duck with Apples, Pears and Potatoes” →

A simple corn stock adds a touch of sweetness to Fish and Corn Chowder

This hearty chowder, chock full of potatoes, corn, fish and bacon, gets a sweet note when corn stock stands in for fish stock. Recipes below.

In another life, I spent a lot of time in Nova Scotia, and various chowders were a happily regular part of my days. They would be based on whatever fish came in on the boats in the morning (often cod, hake or haddock) or whatever clams I dug, or even at particularly lavish moments, one or two lobsters. A fish stock made from the trimmings was usually the base. Everything would be completed with beautiful fresh local milk and butter. Continue reading “A simple corn stock adds a touch of sweetness to Fish and Corn Chowder” →

Weeknight quick and versatile: Cauliflower with Pears, Pistachios and Eggs

Cauliflower is sautéed with pistachios, ham, sage and pears, then topped with a fried egg for dinner. Add or subtract various ingredients and you’ve got a side, a vegan meal or a pasta dish. Recipe below.

I’ve been kind of out of it for a bit now. Up until two hours ago, I hadn’t eaten anything for two days, and the only thing I’d had to drink was water and ginger ale. All in all I have been one pathetic feeble mess. Then an hour ago, our daughter Laurel came home and asked how I was feeling. “Actually,” I said, “I’m feeling hungry.” “Great!” she said. “I recommend a pear.” Continue reading “Weeknight quick and versatile: Cauliflower with Pears, Pistachios and Eggs” →

Cuisipro puts a twist on an essential kitchen tool with the Twist Whisk

Our limited kitchen counter real estate means we try to edit our kitchen tools pretty ferociously. But one tool that has earned a place is the Cuisipro Twist Whisk.

The Twist Whisk was originally created to beat eggs and cream. If you love the hands-on part of whipping cream or egg whites, this, plus a copper bowl, will make the task lighter. Continue reading “Cuisipro puts a twist on an essential kitchen tool with the Twist Whisk” →

No grill needed: Oven-baked Country-style Ribs with Vanilla-Bourbon Brine and Carolina Rub

Brined with bourbon, vanilla and hoisin sauce, then coated with a spicy Carolina rub and oven-baked, these country-style ribs are tender, juicy and bursting with complex flavors. Recipe below.

My first encounter with ribs was oven-baked. Our family did not do barbecuing. That—the standing around a grill on a summer day, while Dad sipped a cold one and worked the flames—was a thing that did not happen. Continue reading “No grill needed: Oven-baked Country-style Ribs with Vanilla-Bourbon Brine and Carolina Rub” →

There’s a pizzeria in your yard: Grilled Pizza with Red Sauce, Sausage and Arugula

A new cookbook shows how easy it is to turn your grill into a pizza oven. Grilling gives this Pizza with Red Sauce, Sausage and Arugula a crunchy crust and a nice, slightly smoky flavor. Recipe below.

With our friends Melody and Jeremy, we are about to embark on a study of home pizza making, which has been hampered only by my dislike of turning the oven on when the weather is hot. So it was fortuitous that the other day in the mail we received a review copy of a new cookbook, Patio Pizzeria: Artisan Pizza & Flatbreads on the Grill. Continue reading “There’s a pizzeria in your yard: Grilled Pizza with Red Sauce, Sausage and Arugula” →

Earthy and simple: Saffron Pasta with Roasted Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Bell Pepper

Mushrooms roasted a day ahead team up with caramelized onions, a green bell pepper roasted directly over a stove burner and saffron pasta for a delicious weeknight quick meal. Recipe below.

The calendar says it’s summer. But until just the other day, the thermometer said it was October. The winter that wouldn’t end has come to a grudging close—the ice on the Great Lakes finally vanished, just a few days ago.

What this has meant for us in the Midwest is enduring autumnal weather—cool nights and, in the daytime, half-hearted jabs toward hot. To be honest, I love it. I hate when the temperature soars! But this perpetual sweater weather definitely has its down side. My tomato plants (which have not been in the ground very long) are looking, frankly, puzzled. The basil is not much bigger than when I put it in the ground. And of course the ongoing cool is not great for the farmers and the crops. Continue reading “Earthy and simple: Saffron Pasta with Roasted Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Bell Pepper” →