Welcoming the return of baking weather, with Lemon Hazelnut Scones

Lemon juice and zest, and toasted hazelnuts make these flaky scones a delicious, not-too-sweet treat for dessert or with tea or your morning coffee—or anytime. Recipe below.

FOR ME, SCONES HIT THAT SWEET SPOT OF NOT BEING TOO SWEET. In coffee shops, I find myself looking for these substantial, only-slightly-sweet treats instead the usual sugary, fluffy suspects. So as weather started cooling off here in Chicago, I thought about baking some scones. I’m still thinking about it. In the meantime, here are some lemony, nutty, not-too-sweet scones from our archives. We hope you enjoy them.

Smoke and fire: Spicy Mezcal Margarita

The classic margarita gets a smoky, spicy makeover, swapping mezcal for tequila, muddling in some jalapeño and firing up the traditional salt rim with chile powder and cayenne pepper. Recipe below.

Spicy Mezcal Margarita

NO BIG ORIGIN STORY FOR THIS COCKTAIL. I saw an article somewhere about quickly infusing tequila with the heat and pepper flavor of jalapeño, just by muddling it—no setting it aside for days. Then we were at La Mejikãna, a fun bar/restaurant that combines “the authenticity of the traditional Mexican kitchen with a modern flair,” according to their website (apparently part of the flair includes using the tilde over the letter A in their name as a design element). Our drinks featured mezcal and had spicy chile salt rims. Synapses fired. A drink idea happened—this one, to be exact. Continue reading “Smoke and fire: Spicy Mezcal Margarita”

An accidental restaurant and an enduring soup: Balaban’s Chilled Cucumber Bisque

This rich, creamy chilled cucumber bisque is an elegant starter. Make it up to a day ahead to give it time to chill. Recipe below.

Balaban’s Chilled Cucumber Bisque

RECENT NEWS MADE MY FORMER-SAINT-LOUISAN-PERENNIAL-FOODLOVER HEART SKIP A BEAT: the restaurant Balaban’s is moving back to the city. And according to a press release, the new owner is bringing back its “original menu and signature dishes.” For Marion and me, that means this glorious soup. Continue reading “An accidental restaurant and an enduring soup: Balaban’s Chilled Cucumber Bisque”

A classic summer cocktail gets a fresh twist: Spanish Gin & Tonic

In Spain, the classic gin & tonic gets more relaxed, more creative, more sippably refreshing, with more garnishes and lots of ice. Recipe below.

Spanish Gin & Tonic

THE CLASSIC BRITISH GIN & TONIC has been one of my summer go-tos for years. Easy to make, and crisp and refreshing to drink. Turns out Spanish bartenders have long been doing their own take on gin & tonics, amping up the drink’s classic taste with a whole range of interesting garnishes and dialing up its summeryness. Continue reading “A classic summer cocktail gets a fresh twist: Spanish Gin & Tonic”

Borrowing deep fried tricks for the grill: Szechuan Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

Chicken gets a buttermilk brine and a lively spice mix—Szechuan peppercorns, cumin seeds and Korean red chile powder—then is grilled instead of frying. Recipe below.

Szechuan Buttermilk Grilled Chicken

WE LOVE FRIED CHICKEN, BUT WE DON’T DEEP FRY. Still, when I come across a particularly enticing fried chicken recipe, I’m, well, enticed. That happened last week. Spending more time than was strictly proper studying it, I decided to see what elements of the recipe could translate from deep frying to grilling. Continue reading “Borrowing deep fried tricks for the grill: Szechuan Buttermilk Grilled Chicken”

Fresh fruit and an iconic Iowa blue cheese: Watermelon Mango Salad with Blue Cheese

Watermelon, mango, blue cheese and cayenne pepper create a sweet, savory spicy, colorful summer salad.

Watermelon Mango Salad with Blue Cheese

BLUE CHEESE—AND BLUE CHEESE DRESSING—HAVE BEEN STARRING IN MOST OF OUR SALADS LATELY. That got me thinking about one of our favorite blue cheeses, Maytag, made by heirs to the Maytag appliance makers on their farm in Newton, Iowa. And that got me thinking about this summery, tangy, spicy fruit salad we made after an Iowa road trip. Continue reading “Fresh fruit and an iconic Iowa blue cheese: Watermelon Mango Salad with Blue Cheese”

Taming the pesky “meanwhile”: Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Orzo

For Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Orzo, the marinade for the shrimp doubles as sauce for the pasta. Recipe below.

Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Orzo

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]M[/su_dropcap]eanwhile gets tossed around rather freely in recipes. “Meanwhile, cook the pasta.” “Meanwhile, make the biscuits.” Sometimes, that’s fine—being able to multi-task is an invaluable cooking skill. But sometimes, it can feel like you’re already juggling flaming batons and someone just tossed you a running chainsaw. Continue reading “Taming the pesky “meanwhile”: Grilled Shrimp Scampi with Orzo”

Six ways to use those capers in your fridge

Lemon Caper Butter Sole

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e use capers a lot. A scary lot. Their bright, briny tang quickly elevates everything from seafood to chicken, meats, pastas and potato salads. And capers keep forever—unless you use them like we do. Here are six recipes to help you use up the capers in the back of your fridge. You know, so you can buy some more. Continue reading “Six ways to use those capers in your fridge”

Up North

Jay Cooke State Park, Minnesota

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e just got back from a road trip, across Wisconsin up to Duluth, Minnesota, at the western tip of Lake Superior. Then up along the lake’s northern shore. Up into the Minnesota Northwoods. Up into Canada, to Thunder Bay. Up to the top of the Sleeping Giant in Ontario’s Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, to an open observation platform 100 meters above Lake Superior’s rocky shore below. Up north. Continue reading “Up North”