Border-straddling Basque Chicken and Chorizo melds two countries’ kitchens

Borrowing influences from Spain and France, chicken, chorizo, bell peppers, tomatoes, aromatics and spices create a robust, one-pot meal. Recipe below.

Braised Basque Chicken

TO SAY THAT BASQUE COUNTRY STRADDLES THE BORDER BETWEEN SPAIN AND FRANCE isn’t entirely accurate. The Basque people inhabited the region before those nations existed. In fact, according to the American Journal of Human Genetics, the Basque predate the arrival of agriculture in the area some 7,000 years ago. Still, Spain and France did come to exist and, along with them, their regional cuisines. This robust dish of chicken, chorizo, peppers, onion and spices borrows from both. Continue reading “Border-straddling Basque Chicken and Chorizo melds two countries’ kitchens” →

Celebrating Record Store Day’s Eve with vinyl and “outrageous brownies”

Music, camaraderie and a recipe (not mine) for some decadent brownies.

Herbie Hancock, Head Hunters

THE AD AGENCY WHERE I WORK HAS A FUN COMMITTEE. Their task, which they take quite seriously, is to create events that give us even more reasons to be happy to show up every day. Last Friday, thanks to their efforts, we celebrated Record Store Day a day early. Continue reading “Celebrating Record Store Day’s Eve with vinyl and “outrageous brownies”” →

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by drinking green (and red and white)

Fetzer Vineyards has won its share of awards over the past 50 years. Many of them are for sustainability.

Fetzer Wines

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]hen I think of green, sustainable wineries, I tend to imagine small boutique vineyards, producing maybe a few hundred to a couple thousand cases of wine a year and charging 40 or 50 bucks or more a bottle, if you can find any. I do not think of a winemaker producing 2.75 million cases of modestly priced wines. Continue reading “Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by drinking green (and red and white)” →

Balancing flavors brings Oven-baked Pork Chops with Mushrooms to life

Pork chops get a major weeknight-quick flavor boost from mushrooms and lemon. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]I[/su_dropcap]’ve been reading a new book on food and cooking that has me rethinking flavors and balance—How to Taste, by Becky Selengut. We’ll explore the book more here soon, but I’m already using things I’m learning, like with this busy-weeknight-you’ve-got-two-porkchops-go! dish. Continue reading “Balancing flavors brings Oven-baked Pork Chops with Mushrooms to life” →

Healthy Indian cooking, by the book: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

The classic Indian dish Chicken Tikka Masala is made slow cooker simple—and healthier. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e first met cookbook author and journalist Anupy Singla at a dinner she hosted in her home almost six years ago. Born in India, raised near Philadelphia and now living in Chicago’s Lincoln Park with her husband and two daughters, Anupy is on a mission to make authentic Indian cuisine approachable and accessible to American home cooks. She’s also making it healthier. Continue reading “Healthy Indian cooking, by the book: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala” →

One ingredient, seven recipes: Chinese five-spice powder

Seven recipes—traditional and not-so-traditional—make use of Chinese five-spice powder. Recipes below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]H[/su_dropcap]ow many times have you bought a spice for a specific recipe and then never used it again? It just sits there among your other spices, taunting you. If Chinese five-spice powder falls into that category for you, here are some delicious ways to use it up—or excuses to go buy some. Continue reading “One ingredient, seven recipes: Chinese five-spice powder” →

A new-to-us ingredient from Ancient Rome makes Linguine Colatura di Alici sing

Colatura di Alici, an Italian fish sauce, brings savory deliciousness to a quick, simple pasta. Recipe below.

The oddest little things catch my eye in the most random places. And lots of recipes here start that way. In a recent issue of New York magazine, a description of ribs at Danny Meyer’s Vini e Fritti included “After a toss in a sticky mix of Calabrian chiles, honey, vinegar, and the Italian fish sauce colatura…” Italian fish sauce? I stopped reading and started Googling. Continue reading “A new-to-us ingredient from Ancient Rome makes Linguine Colatura di Alici sing” →

Hummus, served Southern style: Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Butter

Black-eyed peas stand in for chickpeas in this delicious Southern take on hummus. Recipe below.

Who doesn’t love hummus? This now-ubiquitous Middle Eastern staple has become nearly a staple in homes around the globe. According to the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, an estimated 25 percent of US households regularly stock hummus (as of 2016). There are many variations on this dish, perhaps none as interesting as one that swaps black-eyed peas for chickpeas. Continue reading “Hummus, served Southern style: Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Butter” →

East meets chuck roast: Chinese-inspired Pot Roast with Potatoes

Chinese five-spice powder, fresh ginger, soy sauce, star anise and oyster sauce bring subtle Asian flavors to this traditional meat-and-potatoes pot roast. Recipe below.

SLEET IS PELTING THE WINDOWS AS I WRITE THIS. The first day of spring is less than two weeks away, but for many of us, that’s just a number on the calendar—a cruel false promise. So we remain in the braising mode, filling the kitchen with the oven’s warmth and the entire house with heavenly, meaty smells. Continue reading “East meets chuck roast: Chinese-inspired Pot Roast with Potatoes” →

Review: An innovative red and a good read

The Prisoner Wine Company produces super premium wines by carefully sourcing their grapes. And in The Mamma Mia! Diet, an Italian biochemistry professor and a pharmacist, researcher and food writer explain why the Mediterranean diet is so good for us and how to eat it.

Not all wineries grow their own grapes. In fact, many makers of modestly priced wines work with multiple growers, combining the same varieties of grapes from many sources to produce their wines—with an eye on price and availability as well as the final product. Napa Valley-based The Prisoner Wine Company takes a different approach. Continue reading “Review: An innovative red and a good read” →