THE LAST TIME WE MADE PENNE ALLA VODKA, we had just come from a four-day final push of helping our Detroit daughter move. So it seems somehow fitting that we made it again after being in Michigan, albeit purely for recreation this time. Marion and I took a little day trip to Kalamazoo. Continue reading “A Michigan road trip and simple Penne Alla Vodka”
This flavorful, colorful, spicy goat stew is a traditional meal across West Africa. Recipe below.
GOAT STEW IS EATEN ACROSS WEST AFRICA, often shared as a holiday or celebratory dish. We recently discovered this delightful meal at a Nigerian food truck in Detroit, Fork in Nigeria. Continue reading “Lively, celebratory comfort food: Nigerian Goat Stew”
Thoughts on dining out again and a classic whiskey sour cocktail recipe.
WE HAD COCKTAILS AND DINNER IN A RESTAURANT LAST WEEKEND. For most of you reading, this probably warrants an “And…?” For us, it was an event, something we hadn’t done since the before times. And it was delightful. Continue reading “Drinking and eating, like normal”
No recipe this week. Just a little food for thought from a short road trip.
WE WERE IN DETROIT LAST WEEKEND, visiting our daughter and her boyfriend. As always, it was a feast on many levels. And in many places. This Anthony Bourdain mural is in Flint, Michigan. It was painted in 2019 by Krystal Cooke and was commissioned by Rodney Ott, owner of the Loft bar below it and a big fan of Bourdain. Continue reading “Feasting our eyes (and our bellies) on a Detroit weekend”
Ingredients from around the world create this smoky, big-flavored, slightly spicy lentil soup. Recipe below.
LENTILS ARE A STAPLE AROUND THE WORLD, from India (where 40% of the world’s lentils are consumed) to the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. We’ve shared lentil recipes here from India, France, Turkey, Italy and other spots around the globe. This recipe is a global adventure all its own. Continue reading “Many cultures in a single bowl: Ham Hock and Lentil Soup”
PULSES ARE THE EDIBLE SEEDS OF PLANTS IN THE LEGUME FAMILY. Beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas and such. Food Network calls them a superfood. They’re good for you—high in fiber and protein, and packed with nutrients and antioxidants. And they can help you lose weight. They’re also inexpensive and versatile. Here are seven delicious ways to get more of this superfood on your table. Continue reading “Lentils, beans and peas—seven recipes deliver the pluses of pulses”
Pasta tossed with tangy labneh, lemon juice, peas and bacon is a creamy, weeknight-quick meal that tastes like spring. Recipe below.
LABNEH FIRST APPEARED ON THE BLUE KITCHEN MENU TWO WEEKS AGO, as the main ingredient of our Ramadan-inspired vegetarian Labneh Sandwiches. Having leftover labneh inspired us to make this creamy, tangy pasta dish—and we’re ready to make it again. Continue reading “Quick, easy and deliciously springlike: Labneh Pasta with Peas and Bacon”
With Passover here, matzoh is in your supermarket. Here are two delightful, unexpected ways to enjoy it.
ALONG WITH SHOWERS AND FLOWERS, SPRING BRINGS HOLIDAY EXCUSES TO EAT WELL. Ramadan, which we covered last week with Middle Eastern Labneh Sandwiches, Easter with its various food traditions, and our personal favorite, Passover. With our family scattered, we don’t always manage the full holiday dinner, but we do indulge in a pair of treats made with matzoh. Continue reading “Matzoh Brei for breakfast, Matzoh Crack for dessert”
Baking soda tenderizes the ground beef in this richly flavored classic chili. Recipe below.
DON’T YOU LOVE IT WHEN COOKING BECOMES A SCIENCE LESSON? We do. In this chili recipe, baking soda (that same thing the fluffs up cakes and cookies) tenderizes the ground beef while making it brown better. Continue reading “The art and science of Classic Beef Chili with Beans”
WITH ST. PATRICK’S DAY UPON US, MANY ARE THINKING CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE. Which is fine, except it puts cabbage in an undeserved supporting role—the romantic lead’s goofy buddy. That’s just wrong. In a recent issue of Taste, Rachel Wharton rightly proclaimed “Cabbage is Always King.” She dives deep into cabbage’s history (we’ll share the link further down). But for now, we’d like to share seven recipes that show off the healthy brassica’s flavor and versatility. Continue reading “Step aside, corned beef—seven recipes that make cabbage the star”