Author: Terry B

Matzoh Brei for breakfast, Matzoh Crack for dessert

With Passover here, matzoh is in your supermarket. Here are two delightful, unexpected ways to enjoy it.

Matzoh Brei

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” →

The art and science of Classic Beef Chili with Beans

Baking soda tenderizes the ground beef in this richly flavored classic chili. Recipe below.

Classic Beef Chili with Beans

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” →

Step aside, corned beef—seven recipes that make cabbage the star

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” →

Amish soul food from a Top Chef semi-finalist: Johnnycakes and Apple Butter

Johnnycakes and apple butter create a delicious breakfast that straddles traditional Southern and Pennsylvania Dutch cooking. Recipes below.

Johnnycakes and Apple Butter

LIKE MANY CHEFS, CHRIS SCOTT DEVELOPED HIS LOVE FOR COOKING IN HIS GRANDMOTHER’S KITCHEN. And like many Black Americans, his life has been shaped by migration. After the Civil War, his great grandfather left the South and moved to work in a steel factory in “the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country,” as Scott puts it. So when Scott learned to cook at his grandmother’s side, he picked up traditional Black Southern recipes, of course, but also those of the family’s adopted home, Amish country. Continue reading “Amish soul food from a Top Chef semi-finalist: Johnnycakes and Apple Butter” →

Sunday in the kitchen with family

A couple of our favorite recipes turn into an informal Sunday dinner when family drops in.

Marion’s Gingerbread

IF BLUE KITCHEN WERE A PRINTED COOKBOOK, some pages would be more dogeared and food-speckled than others. Often, Marion or I will be in the kitchen, a laptop open to a recipe on the blog as we cook. Last Sunday, we were both in the kitchen armed with laptops. We were cooking two of our favorite recipes. Continue reading “Sunday in the kitchen with family” →

Homemade Egg Drop Soup brings a restaurant fave home

Egg Drop Soup

TUESDAYS ARE WHEN WE DO OUR NEW POSTS EACH WEEK. Except this past Tuesday was Valentine’s Day. Instead of cooking and talking about cooking, we wanted to eat restaurant food and feel all festive. So it seems somehow appropriate to dig into the archives and share a recipe that brings genuine restaurant flavor home. And as a bonus, it is crazy easy to make. So enjoy Marion’s Egg Drop Soup—and happy belated Valentine’s Day.

The dependable comforts of home: Pot Roast with Mustard

White wine and two French mustards give this meaty roast a surprisingly light finish. Recipe below.

Pot Roast with Mustard

OUR FRIEND RONNIE ANN SAYS POT ROASTS ARE “LIKE A WARM HUG FROM HOME.” We agree. So when we found chuck roast on sale recently, we snatched one right up. And looking for something new to do with a pot roast, we thought of one of the oldest culinary tricks up our sleeve: add mustard. Two mustards, actually. Continue reading “The dependable comforts of home: Pot Roast with Mustard” →

Four cozy winter dishes from the British Isles

Shepherd’s Pie

A FORECAST OF SNOW GOT ME THINKING OF WARM, HEARTY MEALS. Comfort food, preferably oven-braised or roasted. And that got me thinking of the British Isles, places well-versed in homey dishes to take off the chill on cold, damp days, food to make you happy to be indoors at a kitchen table. These four dishes came to mind. Continue reading “Four cozy winter dishes from the British Isles” →

Changing up cheese gives quiche a tangy twist: Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese Quiche

Goat cheese adds a lively tanginess to spinach and bacon quiche. Recipe below.

Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese Quiche

WE GOT A NEW FOOD PROCESSOR LAST WEEKEND and wanted to test drive it. Two things we expect a food processor to do well are puréeing stuff and making pie crust dough. Next week, we’ll share a puréed mushroom potato soup that showed it could do the former. This week, we’ve made a quiche in a crust of well-made dough. Continue reading “Changing up cheese gives quiche a tangy twist: Spinach, Bacon and Goat Cheese Quiche” →