There are many versions of the Northern Italian dish osso buco. This one uses slow oven braising to make the meat flavorful, fork tender and moist.
A RECENT DINNER IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT reminded us how much we like actual Italian cuisine. We’re also fans of Italian-American cuisine, but it is something slightly different. Continue reading “Classic Northern Italian Osso Buco”
Roasted mushrooms combine with polenta and Parmesan to create a creamy, earthy, cheesy vegetarian meal. Recipe below.
THE OTHER DAY, SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERED ME A VIDEO of someone making what he called Mushroom Polenta Bake. It was one of those super short, super telegraphic videos, the sort of airy thing that breezes past the nonsense side of cooking—measurements, timing, a lot of the ingredients—in favor of a quick, charming impression. But, as with so many of these sort-of-cooking videos, the information may have been ridiculous, but the visuals were alluring—so very alluring. Continue reading “Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms”
This layered cabbage roll casserole delivers the comforting flavor of gołąbki (cabbage rolls) without all the effort of making the rolls. Recipe below.
IF, LIKE ME, YOU GREW UP WITH A MOM WHO WOULD MAKE GOŁĄBKI—the comforting, homey classic that not-Polish people call cabbage rolls—then you sometimes just get a hankering. And it’s an itch that is not easy to scratch. Gołąbki (pronounced go-UMPki), frankly, is a colossal nuisance. It is complicated. It is time consuming. It demands a particular appearance, and it is very easy to ruin. Continue reading “Gołąbki in casserole form—unrolling cabbage rolls”
IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, we’re revisiting a recipe, a cookbook and a place. We first reviewed Hedgebrook Cookbook: Celebrating Radical Hospitality back in 2013. Hedgebrook is a women’s writing retreat on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Since 1988, its six cabins have been home to an impressive list of women writers. Continue reading “Italian Chicken Stew from a women’s writing retreat”
MANY PEOPLE SEE MARCH AS HEADING INTO SPRING. And indeed, March 20 is the first official day this year. But the reality here in Chicago and many places elsewhere can be quite different. Lately, we’ve been craving warming comfort food. In recent weeks, we’ve made Kimchi Chicken Soup, Valerie’s Split Pea Soup, Polish Hunter’s Stew, Shepherd’s Pie… March also being the month of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re currently thinking fondly of Irish Lamb Stew. Continue reading “Lamb Stew and a guide to Chicago weekend fun”
Adapt this weeknight-quick, satisfying casserole based on what’s in your fridge—or what you’re hankering for. recipe below.
AT MY WORKPLACE, WE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT ROI—RETURN ON INVESTMENT—AND THE ROI FOR THIS RECIPE IS IMMENSE. This is one of those classic recipes that is weeknight fast and super flexible. The key ingredients are tomatoes, rice and cheese. What else you add depends on what you have in your fridge and what you’re in the mood for. For this batch, we included kielbasa and green bell pepper.
Continue reading “Quick Tomato Rice Cheese Casserole”
“GOOD FENCES MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS.” Robert Frost’s neighbor likes the thought so much he says it twice as they mend the stone wall between them. We think good food makes even better neighbors. It’s certainly one reason Rosa is a great next door neighbor. Continue reading “Friends, family and comfort food: Shepherd’s Pie”
A mix of Asian ingredients create roasted chicken that is juicy, slightly spicy, tangy and a little sweet. Recipe below.
LOOK IN OUR FRIDGE AND PANTRY, AND YOU’LL FIND ASIAN INGREDIENTS GALORE. Some esoteric, but mostly basic things we use regularly. This easy chicken recipe calls for three of the latter, all from different parts of Asia. White miso paste from Japan, gochujang paste from Korea, and rice vinegar used throughout East and Southeast Asia—China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam… Which makes perfect sense since it comes from a lovely pan-Asian cookbook. Continue reading “Miso Gochujang Butter Chicken”
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.
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”