Buttery, creamy, slow-cooked polenta is topped with mushrooms cooked in butter and sherry (optional) and crispy fried capers. A delicious, unexpected side or a vegetarian comfort food lunch. Recipe below.
I’m still learning to cook. The way I see it, I always will be. And that’s the beauty of food and cooking. The more you explore and learn, the more there is to know, to try. Continue reading “Layered flavors and textures: Creamy Polenta with Mushrooms and Fried Capers”
Nuking potatoes instead of parboiling them makes skillet-sautéed potatoes even quicker to fix. Fresh herbs add a nice finish. Recipe below.
A FRIEND OF OURS—AN AMBITIOUS, ADVENTUROUS HOME COOK—does not own a microwave oven. He announces as much with the smug tone usually reserved for saying you don’t own a television. Continue reading “Microwaving gives Skillet Potatoes a head start”
Orzo—rice-shaped pasta—stands in for rice in this earthy, less fussy version of risotto, flavored with dried porcini mushrooms, saffron, leeks, garlic and lemon juice. Recipe below.
For years, we bought rice in 25-pound sacks at an Asian market, and we went through those sacks at an alarming rate. Until finally, we didn’t. The change wasn’t abrupt, but it was there. The giant sacks of rice were lasting longer, then ultimately becoming impractical, taking up too much room in our cramped pantry. Continue reading “Skip risotto’s obsessive stirring: Risotto-style Orzo with Porcini Mushrooms”
A half dozen terrific side dishes to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey—and some ideas for skipping the turkey altogether.
Other countries and cultures have celebrated thanksgivings at the end of harvest, but Thanksgiving with a capital T has become a uniquely American holiday. Some trace its roots back to 1621 and the Pilgrims and Puritans at Plymouth. George Washington, at the urging of Congress, made it an official national holiday, proclaiming a “Day of Publick Thanksgivin” in 1789. In 1863, Lincoln fixed its date as the last Thursday of November. Continue reading “Everything but the bird: six super Thanksgiving sides (and some turkey alternatives)”
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”
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”
Looking for recipe ideas for your July 4th celebration? Here are a number of our favorites from the Blue Kitchen archives.
JULY 4th IS AT THE APEX OF GRILLING SEASON IN THE UNITED STATES. It’s practically written into our constitution that every household shall cook out of doors on this day. So I’m going to start this post with ideas for the meal’s centerpiece. Continue reading “Recipes for a delicious 4th of July”
Leftover mashed potatoes combine with ground pork, grated apple, chopped onion and fresh sage for a quick, economical, thoroughly satisfying dinner. Recipe below.
AS ST. PATRICK’S DAY APPROACHES, revving up America’s love of all things Irish, two cookbooks celebrate Ireland’s culinary heritage in very different ways. The first is Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves, and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love, published last November by Running Press. Chef/restaurateur Noel McMeel and writer Lynn Marie Hulsman have teamed up to deliver foods steeped in Irish tradition. Continue reading “Two Irish cookbooks, one hearty weeknight meal: Pork and Potato Cakes”
Red cabbage is quickly sautéed in butter and oil with onion, apple, pear and bay leaf, then braised with red wine, vinegar, cloves and sugar for a delicious, healthy side. Recipe below.
RED CABBAGE WAS ONE OF THE REGULAR CULINARY PARTS OF MY CHILDHOOD—I loved it and I still do. I am not saying that red cabbage is my madeleine, but when I am assembling this recipe, and when we dish it up, it never fails to give me a cozy sense of the comforts of home. Especially in winter, when the nights have drawn in, I love to have a pot simmering on the stove, on its way to being served alongside something simple and true like a roasted chicken or as a beautiful part of a vegetarian meal, alongside a savory socca pancake and steamed green beans, or a portobello sandwich. Continue reading “Homey, healthy Braised Red Cabbage”
The last peaches and blueberries of summer combine with shaved fennel bulb, just hitting its seasonal stride. The resulting salad is crunchy, sweet and tart, with a refreshing hint of licorice. Recipe below.
The changing seasons are pulling us in different directions. Marion is looking forward to cooking with the apples and pears beginning to appear in growing varieties in the market. I, on the other hand, am thinking wistfully of the summer berries and stone fruits that will soon be gone.
This salad bridges seasons, combining the last of summer fruit with fennel bulbs, just coming into their autumnal own. Usually, fennel is braised or sautéed, often as part of an Italian dish—such as our current go-to weeknight pasta dinner. Here, it’s sliced thin and served raw, making the most of its sweet crunchiness. Continue reading “Summer mixes with autumn: Fennel Salad with Peaches and Blueberries”