Author: Terry B

Roast Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Citrus

Fresh fennel, and lemon and orange slices roasted with chicken thighs deliver a lively, bright, savory meal. Recipe below.

Roast Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Citrus

WE COOK WITH FENNEL QUITE A BIT, judging from our archives. The licorice or anise flavor (some stores even call fennel bulbs anise) gets subtle as you cook it and adds a nice freshness to all kinds of dishes. In this simple chicken dish, citrus adds its own brightness, creating a lively, savory dish that belies how easy it is to make. Continue reading “Roast Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Citrus” →

Restaurant authentic, homemade Egg Drop Soup

Egg Drop Soup

SOMETIMES THE HUMBLEST RESTAURANT DISHES are what you really crave. Like egg drop soup. It is indeed a traditional Chinese soup, served across many regions with a number of variations. As Fred Walter says in FLAVORYCOOKING, “Egg drop soup has become an integral part of Chinese culture, symbolizing good fortune, prosperity, and unity.” Continue reading “Restaurant authentic, homemade Egg Drop Soup” →

Daube Provençal, a light but hearty beef stew from the South of France

Daube Provençal

WINTER IS BEING ESPECIALLY WINTRY RIGHT NOW, and that has us thinking of stews. One we like a lot comes from Provence, in the south of France. Daube Provençal. Unlike the other classic French beef stew of the Burgundy region, Boeuf Bourgignon, made with mushrooms, bacon, pearl onions, carrots and a big-bodied red wine, Daube Provençal is made with white wine, orange zest, cloves and olives, giving it a distinctively brighter flavor. And it’s often served over egg noodles. Continue reading “Daube Provençal, a light but hearty beef stew from the South of France” →

A welcome, simple taste of spring: Labneh Pasta with Peas and Bacon

Pasta tossed with tangy labneh, lemon juice, peas and bacon is a creamy, weeknight-quick meal that tastes like spring.

Labneh Pasta with Peas and Bacon

IN THE MIDST OF WINTER, A TASTE OF SPRING IS ALWAYS WELCOME. So we were delighted when a reader reminded us of this bright flavored dish we’d made more than two years ago. The peas (frozen, no need to wait for fresh to show up in the market) are one of our favorite flavors of spring. Along with lemon juice and zest, they give this dish a nice brightness and lightness. Continue reading “A welcome, simple taste of spring: Labneh Pasta with Peas and Bacon” →

Cooking up a lucky start to the new year: Black-eyed Pea Soup with Thyme

Thyme and white wine add a little complexity to hearty black-eyed pea soup.

Black-eyed Pea Soup with Thyme

EATING BLACK-EYED PEAS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY has long been claimed to bring you good luck, especially in Southern culture. One possible explanation for the origin of their status as a good luck meal dates back to the Civil War. When Union soldiers advanced through the South, destroying food crops as they went to hasten the end of the war, they spared black-eyed pea plants, which they called cowpeas, apparently considering them merely livestock food. Continue reading “Cooking up a lucky start to the new year: Black-eyed Pea Soup with Thyme” →

Lancashire Hotpot—English comfort food for a cold night

Lancashire Hotpot—traditional English food at its most comforting—is made with lamb, onions and carrots topped with sliced potatoes and baked until fork tender.

Lancashire Hotpot

IT’S NOT EVEN OFFICIALLY WINTER YET, but you wouldn’t know it here in Chicago. Or in a lot of places. But snow and cold and more snow and ice are having us craving warm meat-and-potato meals, stick-to-your-ribs food that ideally requires firing up the oven. Like Lancashire Hotpot. Continue reading “Lancashire Hotpot—English comfort food for a cold night” →

Thanksgiving on the road

Looking Along Broadway Toward Grace Church, Red Grooms, Cleveland Museum of Art

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WHO CAN REMEMBER, we’re not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but traveling to a potluck celebration with family and friends. We’re still doing some cooking because we can’t not do some cooking. But we’re (and by that, I mean mostly Marion) not doing all of it. Mostly, we’re looking forward to spending time with everyone and enjoying a dazzling array of treats. Including, yes, a turkey. However and wherever you’re celebrating, if you are, we wish you a wonderful day and a wonderful meal. Happy Thanksgiving, all! Check back next week for a new recipe here.

Tasting the world in a Detroit weekend

Pupuseria El Tunco, Detroit

A RECENT DETROIT WEEKEND REMINDED US YET AGAIN of how much richer migrants make us all—including on our plates. Our daughter and her boyfriend are major explorers of international cuisines in the Detroit area, and we are always happy to tag along, feasting on their finds. Like this Salvadoran pupuseria tucked between a quiet residential neighborhood and an industrial area in the city. The pupusas were amazing, our first time trying them. And the trio making them in the food truck, a family from El Salvador, was friendly, helpful and generous. We left with more food than we ordered, at their insistence. Continue reading “Tasting the world in a Detroit weekend” →

Savoring seasonality: Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)

This luscious traditional northern French chicken dish, made with apples, apple cider and brandy, is a perfect autumnal meal. Recipe below.

Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)

FALL—AND FALL INGREDIENTS—ARE UPON US. For us, it means enjoying being back in the kitchen. This classic French recipe includes both apples and apple cider, true autumnal ingredients. As a bonus, it also calls for turning on the oven, warming the kitchen. Continue reading “Savoring seasonality: Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)” →