THANKS TO THANKSGIVING, FRESH CRANBERRIES ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. BUY THEM. This is a delicious dish that makes the most of them. The signature tartness of fresh cranberries turns pan-roasted chicken, potatoes, shallots and herbs into a complex, company-ready meal. And fortunately, fresh cranberries freeze nicely—future you will thank you. You’ll find the recipe here.
The unexpected coldness of this soup adds an elegant surprise to our Thanksgiving dinner first course.
SINCE FOREVER, MARION HAS MADE THIS ELEGANT CHILLED SOUP as the first course of our Thanksgiving dinner. It is light and creamy, and relies on homemade chicken stock as its base. This being the day before Thanksgiving, whether you’re hosting or guesting, the menu is probably already set and undoubtedly rich with its own traditions. But we just wanted to share one of our traditions with you. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone. You’ll find recipes for the vichyssoise and the homemade stock here.
Mushrooms and spices used in sausage making give this vegetarian version of a Southern diner breakfast staple a convincingly meaty flavor.
BISCUITS AND GRAVY ARE PERHAPS THE ICONIC SOUTHERN BREAKFAST FOOD. More specifically, biscuits and some kind of meaty gravy made with either pork sausage or rendered fat from fried ham or even lard, if no meat is available. Sounds dodgy, tastes delicious. Continue reading “Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy that will fool your favorite carnivore”
White wine, orange zest, cloves and olives make Daube Provençal a brighter South-of-France take on Boeuf Bourgignon. Recipe below.
SAY TRADITIONAL FRENCH BEEF STEW and what usually springs to mind is Boeuf Bourgignon, the classic hearty, meaty stew of the Burgundy region, made with mushrooms, bacon, pearl onions, carrots and a big-bodied red wine, usually Burgundy. But the South of France has its own traditional stew, Daube Provençal, with a distinctively brighter flavor. Continue reading “Beef stew from the South of France: Daube Provençal”
Flavorful beef chuck roast, braised with beer, juniper berries, onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots, is perfect comfort food on a chilly fall or winter evening.
CHUCK ROASTS ARE ONE OF OUR FAVORITE CUTS OF BEEF. Besides appealing to our thrifty side, inexpensive cuts like this are also some of the more flavorful ones, and their initial toughness disappears with long, slow oven braising/roasting. Most often when we roast a chuck roast, we use red wine. In this recipe, a lighter flavored beer makes the roast feel less heavy. And juniper berries, a key ingredient in gin, add a bracing light freshness that contrasts nicely with the inherent heaviness of the beef and root vegetables, giving it a wintry brightness. You’ll find the recipe—and links to some of our other favorite chuck roast recipes—here.
Kimchi puts a tangy, slightly spicy, umami-rich Korean spin on the classic grilled cheese sandwich. Recipe below.
IS THERE ANYTHING KIMCHI CAN’T DO? When we first heard the words “kimchi grilled cheese,” we thought perfect. Take a classic American comfort food favorite, the grilled cheese sandwich, and add kimchi to it? We’re there.
Continue reading “Livening up a comfort food classic—Kimchi Grilled Cheese”
WE WERE ON THE ROAD LAST WEEK, not in the kitchen, a long overdo revisiting of Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula. Fall colors were everywhere, as were signs about places closing soon for the season—end of October or even earlier. Like the wonderfully weird Mystery Spot. Continue reading “Notes from the Upper Peninsula”
A mix of African and global ingredients bring big flavor to this creamy, spicy, hearty stew. Recipe below.
WE CAN’T STOP THINKING ABOUT THIS STEW. Thick and creamy and spicy, it is an absolutely satisfying meal in a bowl, filled with a mix of big flavors that all blend into a delicious ensemble dish, with nothing grabbing the spotlight. As we ate it the other night, we kept saying “this is so good” over and over. Continue reading “Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and Berbere”
EVENTS SEASONAL AND OTHERWISE CONSPIRED to keep us busy in the kitchen this weekend. First, our friends and fabulous block party throwers Al and Kelly were coming for dinner. On-again, off-again cool weather got Marion thinking of serving a hearty beef and pork ragù she’d made long ago. Continue reading “A weekend of seasonal cooking: a hearty ragù and heaps of pesto”
Canned green chiles, cumin, oregano and aromatics make for a chicken soup that will warm up even the coldest night. Recipe below.
OFFICIAL AUTUMN IS JUST DAYS AWAY, and weather in Chicago has already been hinting at the crisp, cool days and nights to come. Perfect weather for warm, comforting soups. The canned green chiles in this soup dial up the warmth, adding spiciness and lively flavor. Continue reading “Slow Cooker Green Chile Chicken Soup”