Biscuits and the “meatiest” vegetarian red eye gravy you’ll ever make

While Blue Kitchen continues a brief break, we’re sharing some of our favorite dishes from the archives. This week, it’s Drop Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy, so umami-rich it might even fool a meat lover. (Also, with this post, we celebrate Blue Kitchen’s ninth anniversary.)

AT DINNER WITH FRIENDS THE OTHER NIGHT, one of the diners at our table exclaimed over a vegetarian entrée on the menu. I realized at that moment that I will never willingly become a vegetarian. If there are meat or seafood options on a menu, I can’t get excited about vegetarian choices. Or as I put it to our companions, “It would take a death threat from my doctor to make me turn vegetarian.” [Read more here…]

Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy to please (and maybe even fool) a meat lover

Adapted from The Southern Vegetarian Cookbook, this red eye gravy gets its umami-rich, sausage-like flavor and texture from mushrooms, herbs and spices. Paired with easy-to-make drop biscuits, it creates an iconic Southern breakfast. Recipes below.

Six peachy (and apricot-y) recipes for summer

Peaches and apricots each play parts in six breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes that run from sweet to savory and first course through dessert. Recipes below.

Summer is under way, and stone fruits are filling produce shelves. Peaches, apricots and numerous varieties of plums beckon with their rich colors and heady aromas. Sure, they’re delicious to eat out of hand, their juices running down your chin. But they’re also great to cook with. Here are a half dozen recipes from the Blue Kitchen archives that do just that. Continue reading “Six peachy (and apricot-y) recipes for summer” →

Inspired by Columbus, again: Baked Eggs with Tomato and Spinach

Eggs baked with cream, tarragon and a compote of tomatoes, spinach and garlic are a simple vegetarian dish that feels luxurious and is infinitely tweakable. Recipe below.

Columbus, Ohio is a city that invites walking, from German Village up through downtown, Victorian Village, Short North, the University District and beyond. Which is fortunate, because it also encourages overindulgence at just about every turn. Inspired food options abound, from locavore breakfast spots to taco truck tours and the best small batch ice cream I’ve ever eaten.

I visited Columbus for the first time last fall on a press tour (you’ll find that story here), a guest of Experience Columbus, a non-profit organization that promotes the city as a travel destination. The tour was orchestrated by Weirick Communications, a Columbus-based tourism marketing firm. The city utterly charmed me, and not just because of the food. So a couple of weeks ago, Marion and I visited. It was her first time there, and she was as taken with the city as I was. Continue reading “Inspired by Columbus, again: Baked Eggs with Tomato and Spinach” →

Thanksgiving, the morning after: Wow weekend guests with Ricotta Pancakes with Sautéed Pears

Beaten egg whites give ricotta pancakes a light, creamy finish; quickly sautéed fresh pears is one of many possible toppings. Recipes and variations below.

FOR US, THANKSGIVING OFTEN MARKS THE BEGINNING of weeks of house guests. Sometimes lots of house guests. I remember one particular five-week period in which we never had less than two people visiting on any given day. Continue reading “Thanksgiving, the morning after: Wow weekend guests with Ricotta Pancakes with Sautéed Pears” →

Breakfast? Dessert? Tea? Cozy, versatile Lemon Hazelnut Scones

Light, flaky scones flavored with lemon juice and zest and toasted hazelnuts make a delicious, not-too-sweet treat with tea in the afternoon or your morning coffee. Recipe below.

SCONE. Whether you rhyme it with John or with Joan [both are common], there’s just something about the word. Scone. It sounds at once homey and comforting, a cozy treat to enjoy with tea by a fire, but also somehow more sophisticated, more elegant than, say, a muffin or biscuit. Continue reading “Breakfast? Dessert? Tea? Cozy, versatile Lemon Hazelnut Scones” →

A holiday dessert inspired by a simple gift: Cherry Orange Loaf Cake

Dried cherries, pecans and orange zest and juice flavor this not-too-sweet cake, perfect for a holiday breakfast or with coffee and tea. Recipe below.

I don’t bake much. So I was more than a little surprised when my Hazelnut Rosemary Jam Cookies were featured in Bon Appétit’s Blog Envy holiday showcase last year. And when I was invited to participate in this year’s Bon Appétit Blog Envy Bake-Off, an actual competition, I was flattered but less than inclined to give it a try.

There are some serious bakers out there in the blogosphere. We’re talking pastry chef serious. I knew whatever simple efforts I came up with would not compete well in that arena. Then I remembered a story my grandmother told every December around the holidays, about a simple gift that meant so much to her as a little girl. Suddenly, winning wasn’t as important as sharing a recipe inspired by that gift.

My maternal grandmother was a big part of my life growing up in St. Louis and embracing city living early on. She often took me downtown on the bus to go shopping, have lunch and maybe catch a movie matinee. But she had grown up on a farm, and I could tell from the stories she would tell with such longing that she missed farm life. Continue reading “A holiday dessert inspired by a simple gift: Cherry Orange Loaf Cake” →

Breakfast: Mixing it up six ways from Sunday

A host of sources chimes in with ways to keep what is arguably the most important meal of the day interesting. Share your own thoughts on breakfast in the comments below.

Breakfast. Its very name says you should eat it. Literally, it means break the fast. For most of us, the time between our heads hitting the pillow at night and getting up in the morning is the longest time we go without food. And as we face the new day, it’s the time our bodies most need refueling. Studies show that eating a good breakfast helps you concentrate better at work or at school and that skipping breakfast because you’re dieting is a sure way to gain weight, not lose it.

We’re big on breakfast at Blue Kitchen. Not the farmhand affairs that provide enough fuel for you to go milk a dozen cows and plow forty acres, but something simple, quick and reasonably nutritious. During the week, a bowl of some fiberrific cereal, with lowfat milk and maybe some fresh fruit; or a single fried egg with some toast or one of these reduced-guilt English muffins; or in a pinch, even a PBJ sandwich on hearty, multi-grain bread. On weekends, we sometimes get a little fancier and more leisurely—omelets or maybe this French toast with fresh fruit and mint. It all helps to keep this important meal interesting.

So when cool breakfast ideas started popping up everywhere recently, I thought I’d round them up and share them here.

Continue reading “Breakfast: Mixing it up six ways from Sunday” →

From the archives: More ideas to liven up the holiday table

’Tis the season for parties and celebrations. Here are a few ideas from the Blue Kitchen archives for easy, delicious entertaining.

Let’s get this pâté started. This easy make-ahead pâté makes for an elegant first course or party appetizer. It is also a noble use for the reserved duck fat from the Duck with Raspberries recipe above.

A great salad remembered. This Endive Salad with Blue Cheese and Walnuts always reminds me of one of my favorite little New York bistros. It’s a great first course—or a nice complement to a bottle of wine shared with friends.

Mascarpone: Italian for easy, elegant desserts. The culinary equivalent of the little black dress, versatile delicate, creamy mascarpone Continue reading “From the archives: More ideas to liven up the holiday table” →

Stuff we like: Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffins

Okay, is there anyone out there who still doesn’t know that fiber is good for you? The list of health benefits just keeps growing. But besides all that, fiber also helps you feel full longer. This is especially good at breakfast, because it helps you power through ’til lunch [and for all of you who still don’t believe in eating breakfast, that’s a whole other post].

Well, Thomas has taken its famous English muffin and fibered it up bigtime, while shaving off a few calories. A single Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffin provides 8 grams of fiber, about 1/3 of your daily needs. All with a mere 100 calories, 1 gram of fat [2% of your recommended daily value] and no trans fats or high fructose corn syrup. By comparison, their original English muffin—a slightly heftier 120 calories, but still only 1 gram of fat—delivers only 4% of your daily fiber needs.

And they taste great. Here are a few ideas for enjoying them. If you can think of others, join in with a comment at the end. Continue reading “Stuff we like: Thomas Light Multi-Grain English Muffins” →