Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter adds a lively kick to toasts with goat cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, plain Greek yogurt and more. Recipe below.
I REMEMBER BEING SUSPICIOUS OF APPLE BUTTER AS A KID. We were mostly a margarine family, but I still wondered how you could call something butter if it had no butter in it. And yes, I ate peanut butter pretty much every day, but that was different. Continue reading “Sweet, spicy taste of summer: Peach Habanero Tarragon Butter”
Chicken is basted with butter, lemon juice and fresh sage, then cooked using both direct and indirect grilling. Recipe below.
I often say I would be a lousy farmer. And by that, I specifically mean that if I had to grow my own food, I would starve to death. Not so, Marion. Over the years, she has grown many of the foods we’ve eaten—and the flowers that have dressed the dinner table—usually in the confines of a smallish backyard. This year, though, her efforts were limited to a number of herbs, several varieties of tomatoes and some habanero peppers. So when we sat down with our guests on Labor Day, we were surprised to see just how much of our dinner had come from our backyard. Continue reading “Cooking from the yard: Grilled Chicken with Lemon Sage Butter”
Tomatoes and basil from the garden (or the farmers market) combine with ricotta cheese and linguine for a quick, creamy vegetarian dinner. Recipe below.
It’s August, and that can only mean one thing. Food websites and blogs everywhere are telling you how to use up all the tomatoes that are filling your garden, CSA box or farmers market. Sounds good to me. Here’s a quick, simple pasta dish that will also help you use up some of your excess fresh basil. Continue reading “Cooking from the garden: Linguine with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Basil”
White-fleshed fish and okra are quickly stir-fried with garam masala, cumin seeds and other spices, then served over rice with coconut milk and cumin for a big-flavored, slightly spicy meal. Recipes below.
At the heart of Indian cuisine is a deft and exuberant use of spices. While some are used for heat, many simply supply huge, complex flavor. And at the heart of Indian spices is garam masala, a spice blend that sees almost daily use in Northern Indian kitchens—and in many South Asian kitchens as well. Typically, it is made fresh from family recipes for each day’s cooking. Though the mix varies regionally—and from kitchen to kitchen—it often includes some variation of peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, cumin seeds, nutmeg and cardamom. Continue reading “Bold spices deliver big flavor (and a little heat) with Stir-fried Masala Fish and Okra”
An admittedly biased (and sometimes not so biased) rant on why to avoid stemless wineglasses.
IN THE 1970s, SHELL GAS STATIONS gave out NFL goblets with fill ups. My mom’s kitchen cabinet quickly became filled with them. They were free, after all, and their smoked tint—all the rage at the time—made them a step up from the Flintstone jelly glasses they pushed aside. Today when I see stemless wineglasses, I can’t help but see the ghost of those gas station goblets. Continue reading “Just say no to stemless wineglasses”
A compound butter made with miso paste, chives and lemon adds a savory umami quality to fish, vegetables, poultry… or a pan-grilled steak. Recipe below.
Well, of course the Japanese discovered the fifth taste sensation, umami. They’ve invented so many foods and ingredients that deliver it. Soy sauce is probably the best known example; more than mere saltiness, it adds what is aptly described as “a pleasant savory taste.” Another favorite of ours is miso paste. Continue reading “Adding to steak’s meaty goodness, with Miso Chive Butter”
A new study refutes claims by an earlier Stanford study that stated that organic produce was no more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. The bottom line still remains this: eat your fruits and vegetables.
A couple of years ago, Stanford University released a study on organic food that many people feel got it wrong. What they studied was the comparative nutritional value of organic vs. conventionally grown produce. They found no difference. How they reported their findings was to state that organic produce was no healthier for you than non-organic, completely ignoring the health implications of residual pesticides. Now another study suggests they were wrong about the nutritional differences too. Continue reading “British Journal of Nutrition study: organic produce really is healthier for you”
Kimchi—fermented vegetables (and Korea’s national dish)—combines with potatoes, scallions and bacon to become what just may be the best potato salad we’ve ever tasted. Recipe below.
CABBAGE AND POTATOES ARE OUR TWO FAVORITE FOOD GROUPS. Okay, so they’re not technically food groups, but they should be. Cabbage is versatile—think slaws, soups, stews, sideman for corned beef—and it’s one of the healthiest things you can eat. And potatoes… well, they’re potatoes. Continue reading “Make this now: Kimchi Potato Salad”
When it’s too hot to cook—or you’re too busy—these easy, no-cook ideas can turn a store-bought rotisserie chicken into a satisfying meal.
The simplest way to make a meal of a rotisserie chicken was once witnessed by Marion’s sister at Costco. A fellow customer purchased his chicken at the store, proceeded to the store dining area and sat down and started eating it. I don’t remember now if some utensils or perhaps a soft drink figured into the meal or not. Continue reading “Simple, no-cook ideas for upgrading rotisserie chicken dinners”
Cookina reusable, nonstick cooking sheets make grilling, cooking and cleanup simple.
Some things are just made for grilling. Chops, steaks, slabs of eggplant. In my experience, though, fish is not. No matter how carefully I scrub the grate on my charcoal kettle or how much I oil it (and the fish itself), the delicate flesh of even comparatively sturdy fish such as salmon often sticks. So I was delighted to be introduced to Cookina reusable nonstick cooking and grilling sheets at the International Home + Housewares Show this spring. Continue reading “Cookina reusable cooking sheets: nonstick comes to the grill”