A comforting, rustic soup born in the South West of France: Garbure

Hearty, meaty and stuffed with vegetables, including white beans and cabbage, garbure is a soul-satisfying French tradition. Recipe below.

WINTER WEATHER BRINGS OUT THE SOUP LOVER IN EVERYONE. And for us, that means a world of soups to explore. Marion recently discovered garbure, a hearty traditional favorite in the South West region of France—think Toulouse, Bordeaux, Gascony, the Pyrénées along France’s border with Spain. It generally features white beans and savoy cabbage, but it’s not a bean soup or cabbage soup. Continue reading “A comforting, rustic soup born in the South West of France: Garbure” →

Season’s greetings—and Ricotta Pancakes with Sautéed Pears—to you

OUR CHRISTMAS PLANS ARE STILL BEING SORTED OUT. We know it will involve some overnight guests, but exactly when (and for that matter, how many) is still TBD. We do know that it will involve some holiday and post-holiday breakfasts. And that reminds me of these light, lovely ricotta pancakes that Marion has wowed guests with on more than one Thanksgiving weekend. They sound perfect for Christmas too, I think.

Happy holidays to you and yours, and have a happy, healthy new year.

One potato, two potato, three potato, four… recipes and cooking tricks

WE LOVE POTATOES IN PRETTY MUCH EVERY FORM. If you do too, here are four recipes that each share little potatoey cooking secrets. Continue reading “One potato, two potato, three potato, four… recipes and cooking tricks” →

Three Thanksgivings, three favorite dishes

THANKSGIVING IS OUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY, because it’s honestly just about delicious food. So when our Milwaukee daughter and her boyfriend couldn’t make it to our Thanksgiving dinner in Chicago, we all decided to do another one in Milwaukee. Continue reading “Three Thanksgivings, three favorite dishes” →

Taking the daunting out of duck: tips and three recipes make cooking this delicious bird easy

DUCK. SO ELEGANT AND, TO MANY HOME COOKS, SO DAUNTING. It has a definite wow power when you serve it to guests, but unfortunately, many of us think it’s harder than it really is to get right. Here are some tips for doing duck right. Continue reading “Taking the daunting out of duck: tips and three recipes make cooking this delicious bird easy” →

Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare

Juniper berries and genever (or regular gin) give simple pan-roasted chicken a sharp, clean flavor.

NOW WELL INTO FALL, WE’RE LEANING INTO HEARTY COOKING. Soups and stews and roasts are sounding good. Pots of chili. Meat or chicken braised in wine or beer or something stronger. Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries checks all those boxes, but the juniper berries and gin give it a sharp, clean flavor. Continue reading “Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare” →

Savory, a little sweet, all sublime: Chicken with Olives and Apricots

Weeknight-quick braised chicken thighs with green olives and dried apricots is show offy enough for weekend dinners. Recipe below.

HAVING COME LATE TO EATING OLIVES, I feel like I’m always playing catch up, discovering something new. The newest-to-me find is Castelvetrano olives, from southwestern Sicily. These prized green olives are mild, buttery and not overly salty, with a nice meaty texture. In a word, sublime. Continue reading “Savory, a little sweet, all sublime: Chicken with Olives and Apricots” →

Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew

Beef stew meat, Portuguese chouriço, bell peppers, paprika and potatoes drive the comforting flavor of this hearty stew.

IT SNOWED HALLOWEEN MORNING. The water in the back porch birdbath froze. Okay, so the snow didn’t stick around, and plugging in the birdbath—it’s heated—got it ready for the birds’ drinking and bathing needs again. But still, snow in October. That got us thinking about warm, hearty, meaty stews. Continue reading “Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew” →

’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies go seasonal, with pumpkin cookies and two different cream cheese fillings—lemon and maple nutmeg.

PUMPKIN FLAVOR IS EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW. Some car care places are even playfully advertising that “Pumpkin Spice Oil Changes Are Back!” My personal favorite pumpkin-flavored seasonal thing is, well, pumpkin pie. In fact, it’s what I choose instead of birthday cake. But Marion’s pumpkin whoopie pies are a delightful close second. Continue reading “’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies” →

Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Earl Grey tea and culinary lavender give butter-rich shortbread cookies an elegantly subtle floral/lemony lightness. Recipe below.

AFTER A WEEK ON THE ROAD, WE WERE BACK HOME. In our house, in our familiar kitchen. Doing our familiar things. And suddenly, we were in the mood to bake—something simple and cozy. These shortbread cookies were exactly that. Continue reading “Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies” →