Chocolate x 2: Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Cake

Chocolate chips are part of the chocolate cake batter and the two-ingredient frosting on this rich, easy-to-make cake. Recipe below.

THE OTHER DAY I WENT INTO THE PANTRY to find something or other, and I did not find it, but I did come across a lot of bags of chocolate chips. I am not even sure where they came from, as I don’t recall actually buying any at all in the first place. Well, maybe one bag, around the holidays, for a project that had temporarily flitted through the brain. But… is this five bags of chocolate chips? That is a lot of chocolate chips for a two-person household. Continue reading “Chocolate x 2: Chocolate/Chocolate Chip Cake” →

A promising hint of spring: Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Quiche

Broccoli rabe (rapini or spring broccoli) and lemon juice add a subtle spring brightness to this quiche. Recipe below.

ONE NIGHT IN LYON, MARION AND HER SISTER HAD DINNER in a little neighborhood restaurant. When they were seated, the waiter asked them one question: “Rouge ou blanc?” Red or white, meaning the wine. Once they chose their wine, there were no more choices—the meal they were served was all determined by the wine. I sometimes think Blue Kitchen is like that. Continue reading “A promising hint of spring: Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Quiche” →

Artichoke Heart and Spinach Quiche? Yes, please

Marinated artichoke hearts and spinach create a subtle, flavorful base for this vegetarian quiche. Recipe below.

I AM ALWAYS READY FOR QUICHE. If we’re out somewhere and see it on the menu, that’s what I’m ordering. I’m also a big fan of artichoke hearts. So recently, when Kalyn Denny shared her recipe for Artichoke, Kale and Ricotta Pie, my first thought was “that looks delicious”—closely followed by my second thought: “artichoke hearts would make a great quiche.” Continue reading “Artichoke Heart and Spinach Quiche? Yes, please” →

Third time’s the charm: Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze

This deliciously chocolate, finely crumbed cake is iced with a three-ingredient bourbon glaze. Recipe below.

I BAKED THIS CAKE THREE TIMES BEFORE I GOT IT RIGHT. Three times. Three. The problem was not the flavor—a lovely chocolate—or the texture—finely crumbed and pleasing and entirely too easy to eat. It was the pan. Continue reading “Third time’s the charm: Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze” →

A classic dessert bread gets a nutty, umami twist: Miso Banana Bread

Sweet white miso adds delicious umami, sunflower and pumpkin seeds a nice crunch, to this not-to-sweet spin on banana bread. Recipe below.

WE LOVE BANANA BREAD. Blue Kitchen already has three different banana bread recipes, and to be honest, I was surprised that there were only three. Now there are four. Continue reading “A classic dessert bread gets a nutty, umami twist: Miso Banana Bread” →

A not-too-sweet anytime treat: Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

Blueberries and sour cream are the basis of this modestly sweet cake a dessert, a breakfast treat, a mid-day pick-me-up. Recipe below.

WE ARE STILL BEING VERY CAUTIOUS THESE DAYS. We are not flying. We are not going into our offices. We are only going into shops and the library and other public places when they are relatively empty. We aren’t going to bars at all, which is so sad. But we are still seeing people, with great care, as we wait out what looks to be a multi-year pandemic. Meaning we still want to have some treats on hand, just in case. Thus this simple bundt cake. Continue reading “A not-too-sweet anytime treat: Blueberry Sour Cream Cake” →

Six recipes to help you tap into the autumn bounty of apples

Apples at their seasonal best are suddenly everywhere. These six recipes will help you make the most of them—sometimes in unexpected ways.

Roast Duck with Pears, Apples and Potatoes

BEEN APPLE PICKING YET? Neither have we. But with September here, billboards relentlessly announce apples for picking. As do travel emails and social media ads. But even if you prefer to pick yours in the produce department, as we do, there are many ways you do with them besides just, well, eating them. Continue reading “Six recipes to help you tap into the autumn bounty of apples” →

Simple, sunshiney Lemon Blondies

Lemon juice and zest in both the blondies and the glaze give these super easy treats an addictively bright flavor. Recipe below.

FEBRUARY IS NONSENSE. Outside, the 32 inches of snowfall around our house is melting in a depressing, half-assed way; our backyard and gangway are a hell of snow mounds and falling ice. But inside, we have this—this easy little jolt of sunshine. Continue reading “Simple, sunshiney Lemon Blondies” →

Cinnamony, sweet (but not too), cozy Apple Cake

Chunks of apples dot this simple, rustic apple cake. Recipe below.

THE STREETS KEEP FILLING UP WITH SNOW. And while our neighbors are really great about clearing their walks, there still is plenty of scary ice out there, and plenty of mounds and ramparts of snow at all the corners, and more snow is coming down as I write this, and the deep freeze is definitely here. Two days ago, we only went outside to finish excavating the car. (And yes, when we drove it out, we set out dibs to save our spot. We do live in Chicago.) Yesterday and today I didn’t go outside at all, except when a pal brought over our Girl Scout Cookie delivery (thanks again, Al!). Continue reading “Cinnamony, sweet (but not too), cozy Apple Cake” →

Brown is the new Black Bread—our take on a James Beard classic

Rye flour and caraway seeds create a craveable, sandwich-ready middle-European bread. Based on a classic recipe by James Beard. Recipe below.

JULIA CHILD CALLED JAMES BEARD “THE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN COOK.” Beard was one of America’s modern culinary pioneers. He published his first cookbook in 1940; right after World War II, he hosted one of the first cooking shows, I Love to Eat; in 1955, he established The James Beard Cooking School, and, says the James Bead Foundation website, “He continued to teach cooking to men and women for the next thirty years, both at his own schools (in New York City and Seaside, Oregon), and around the country at women’s clubs, other cooking schools and civic groups. He was a tireless traveler, bringing his message of good food, honestly prepared with fresh, wholesome, American ingredients, to a country just becoming aware of its own culinary heritage.” Continue reading “Brown is the new Black Bread—our take on a James Beard classic” →