Dak Kalbi: Korean for Barbecued Chicken

Chicken thighs are marinated with soy sauce, mirin, fresh ginger, garlic, kiwi and other flavorings, then pan roasted for this take on Dak Kalbi, Korean barbecued chicken. recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]acos just always seem to lead to good things. This weekend, we had an uncharacteristically lazy Sunday, running a few errands and doing some shopping along Michigan Avenue. When we finished, I remarked that we were close to Del Seoul, the Korean taco joint in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. Well, three miles as the Camry flies, close enough. As always, we had a wonderful lunch there. And I found the inspiration for this week’s recipe. Continue reading “Dak Kalbi: Korean for Barbecued Chicken” →

Put an egg on it: old school Whiskey Sour with Egg White

The classic whiskey sour cocktail has many variations. This one includes an egg white for a frothy head and a velvety mouthfeel. Recipe below.

FOR A COUPLE OF WINE LOVERS, Marion and I have been totally smitten by the craft cocktail scene that, happily, just doesn’t seem to quit. In countless bars and restaurants, we’ve puzzled over cryptic descriptions of inventively named drinks with housemade bitters, small batch spirits and surprising botanicals; challenged willing bartenders to create something using a particular liquor and hitting vaguely described flavor notes; and enjoyed the theatrics of the process—at Curio in Columbus, Ohio, a bartender flexed an orange peel and ignited the oil spraying from the skin. But old school drinks persist for a reason: sometimes you just want a drink. Not a shot and a beer, but something classic without being overthought—something a good bartender makes from muscle memory. Continue reading “Put an egg on it: old school Whiskey Sour with Egg White” →

Bright, springy, bacon-y: Fettuccine with Asparagus, Bacon and Lemon

Slender, fresh asparagus teams up with lemon, bacon and Parmesan for a bold pasta dish that tastes like spring. Recipe below.

I always love when those first bunches of tender, slender asparagus show up in markets and grocery stores. For me, this first asparagus tastes like spring. I always overbuy and overindulge, because I know all too soon, the brawnier, cigar-thick, woody stalks will take its place. I overbought last weekend at Detroit’s Eastern Market, getting two big, beautiful bunches. Also overbought on lemons, from the same enterprising vendor. From there, this recipe practically wrote itself. Continue reading “Bright, springy, bacon-y: Fettuccine with Asparagus, Bacon and Lemon” →

Chops, burgers, shanks, stews, pastas, meatballs… Lamb, six ways from Sunday

Lamb is versatile, delicious and easy to cook. These six recipes showcase that versatility.

According to Alfred, Lord Tennyson, “In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” Ours turns to thoughts of lamb. To be fair, Marion and I pretty much fancy lamb year-round, but spring tends to be when many others think about cooking and eating this most delectable of red meats. If your thoughts are turning to lamb, here are some ideas for traditional and unexpected ways to cook it. Continue reading “Chops, burgers, shanks, stews, pastas, meatballs… Lamb, six ways from Sunday” →

Detroit’s Eastern Market: A visual feast

Detroit is internationally known for its street art. And a major center for it is the neighborhood surrounding its farmers market.

EASTERN MARKET IS BUSTLING ON SATURDAYS. Thousands of shoppers crowd the aisles of Detroit’s sprawling historic farmers market, jostling for fresh produce—much of it locally grown—as well as a dazzling array of, well, everything. Spices, jams, baked goods, eggs, cheeses, hot sauces, garden plants, topiaries, candles, T-shirts… even bundles of decorative sticks. Sundays are quieter. Continue reading “Detroit’s Eastern Market: A visual feast” →

Makeshift: Shrimp Scampi with Rice

Rice steps in for pasta in this otherwise reasonably classic Shrimp Scampi. Recipe below.

In a previous life, which is how Marion and I describe our lives before we met, I spent a month in England. My brother was living there, and when we weren’t wandering off up to Wales and Scotland or driving through France in a Brit car with the steering wheel on the wrong side, we spent much of our time at his house just outside a small village. Our grocery options were, shall we say, limited. Continue reading “Makeshift: Shrimp Scampi with Rice” →

Perfect for Pesach: Maple Glazed Rack of Ribs

Just in time for Passover, a new cookbook offers recipes that are perfect for the holiday and all year long, like this Maple Glazed Rack of Ribs. Recipe below.

You know those meals and dishes that only come out for the holidays? The ones you wish you could eat all year long? That’s the idea behind Naomi Nachman’s debut cookbook, Perfect for Pesach: Passover Recipes You’ll Want to Make All Year. While the recipes in it are focused on Passover, as the title says, they can be served and enjoyed all year long. Continue reading “Perfect for Pesach: Maple Glazed Rack of Ribs” →

Notes, but no recipes, from the road

I’m out of town again, working long hours and away from my familiar kitchen. What little cooking I’m doing is on the perfunctory side, so no recipe this week. But because of where I am—Hamtramck, Michigan, a small, independent, working class municipality inside the city of Detroit—I’m thinking a lot about immigrants. Continue reading “Notes, but no recipes, from the road” →

A blizzard and Irish leftovers: Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables

For the first time since 1871, Chicago had no measurable snowfall in January or February. So less than a week before the nominal beginning of spring, of course, we got seven inches. This was the view from my office window yesterday. You know, Tuesday. The day I’m often scrambling to create the post—and often produce the recipe—you find here on Wednesday. I had a recipe of sorts in mind, but the fierce snow and an admitted lack of willpower on my part stood between me and some necessary ingredients. So instead, I’m serving up a hearty lamb stew posted here several years ago, also during a Chicago March snowstorm. Continue reading “A blizzard and Irish leftovers: Lamb Stew with Root Vegetables” →

Borrowing from the immigrant kitchen: seven globally-inspired recipes

Seven recipes from the Blue Kitchen archives celebrate the flavors immigrants have brought to our shores and tables.

Need proof that America is a land of immigrants? Take a stroll through any supermarket worth the name. You’ll find pasta and pasta sauce makings. You’ll find cumin in the spice aisle; jalapeño peppers and fresh ginger in the produce department; sauerkraut, kielbasa (or certainly, brats). You’ll find miso paste. You’ll find hummus. These foods—once exotic, but now kitchen go-tos for most of us—didn’t get here on their own. Continue reading “Borrowing from the immigrant kitchen: seven globally-inspired recipes” →