Braised chicken, upgraded: Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Chestnuts

Leeks, chestnuts and whole grain mustard seriously up the game on braised chicken thighs. Recipe below.

Dorothy Parker famously said, “I hate writing, I love having written.” If I’m being honest, that’s sometimes how I feel about cooking. I like having cooked—sitting down to something I’ve made, sharing it with family and with friends. And most of the time, I enjoy the process of getting to that point. But not always. Continue reading “Braised chicken, upgraded: Chicken Thighs with Leeks and Chestnuts” →

Hearty fare for a winter’s night (or day): Lentils with Fennel and Sausage

Earthy, fiber-rich lentils combine with fennel bulb, carrots, Italian sausage, onion and garlic for a satisfying antidote to cold weather. Recipe below.

At least once each winter, I seem to need to start a post by talking about weather. Chicago deserves some of the credit here. One morning last week, it was 0ºF when I left for work. Zero. The high that day was 11º. Throw in the inevitable stiff winds and the five or six blocks to and from the El at both ends of the commute, and you develop a deep appreciation for hearty, simple, stick-to-your-ribs fare. Like this lentil dish. Continue reading “Hearty fare for a winter’s night (or day): Lentils with Fennel and Sausage” →

Simple and simply delicious: Coffee Cumin Lamb Chops

Ground coffee, whole cumin seeds, chili powder and cinnamon create an easy, amazing spice rub for pan-seared lamb chops. Recipe below.

I have really tried to like coffee. There was almost always a pot brewing in my house when I was growing up, and over the years, starting as a teenager, I tried many times to acquire a taste for it. Never happened. I’m not proud of the fact—I consider it a major social shortcoming on my part. But even though I don’t drink coffee, I’m intrigued by what it does to food. Continue reading “Simple and simply delicious: Coffee Cumin Lamb Chops” →

Comfort food with a side of memory: Fresh Spinach and Bacon Quiche

Fresh spinach gives this classic quiche a bigger flavor than frozen—and a frozen crust simplifies preparation. Recipe below.

I DON’T REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I ATE QUICHE, but I do remember the most memorable slice. Marion and I were in Paris several years ago, searching for the modest hotel where my brother and I had stayed many years before. It was walking distance from the Eiffel Tower, and even though the bathrooms and showers were down the hall, the rooms were clean and charming, and we paid $7.50 a night. In the intervening years, the neighborhood I’d remembered as working class—Rue de Passy—had become a fashionable shopping destination. Continue reading “Comfort food with a side of memory: Fresh Spinach and Bacon Quiche” →

Korean-Italian comfort food: Pork Chops with Kimchi and Cannellini Beans

An international ingredient list produces a hearty, one-pan dinner big on flavor and comfort. Recipe below.

With a headline like that, you’re probably expecting a decent backstory. Most of the recipes here at Blue Kitchen come with one. A new cookbook. An old family tradition. A restaurant discovery. Not this one. This recipe came from two simple questions. Continue reading “Korean-Italian comfort food: Pork Chops with Kimchi and Cannellini Beans” →

French cuisine, by way of Nebraska: Red Wine-braised Duck Legs

Reducing red wine adds depth to these duck legs oven-braised with shallots, carrots, parsnip, garlic and thyme. Recipe below.

I ATE A LOT OF DUCK IN OMAHA. When we told friends about our plans to spend several days in Nebraska on our recent road trip, everyone told us to be prepared to eat a lot of beef. Nobody mentioned duck. The first night, I ate a duck leg in red wine that inspired this week’s recipe. Continue reading “French cuisine, by way of Nebraska: Red Wine-braised Duck Legs” →

To boldly go without a recipe: Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Lemon and Capers

Weeknight-quick and one-pan simple, braised chicken thighs and potatoes are brightened with lemon juice and capers. Recipe below.

An impromptu stop on our recent road trip got me thinking about my journey to learning to cook. It was the final day of our trip. The day before, we had driven more than 550 miles, and now we were rocketing across Iowa on I-80, on the last 480-mile leg of our journey. Suddenly, Marion announced that we were not far from the “future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.” Of course, we were going to stop. Continue reading “To boldly go without a recipe: Chicken Thighs with Potatoes, Lemon and Capers” →

Old school comfort food deliciously revisited: Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff was invented in mid-19th-century Russia and embraced in America in the 1950s. Here, this comfort food favorite gets a welcome update/upgrade. Recipe below.

We are just back from a wonderful road trip that covered almost 2,500 miles and brought us to so many beautiful parts of America and left us dazzled with the natural beauty and grandeur of, well, pretty much everything we saw. Continue reading “Old school comfort food deliciously revisited: Beef Stroganoff” →

Falling for autumn: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Apples and Capers

Chicken thighs are seared, then pan roasted with apples, capers, shallots and rosemary for a meal that tastes like autumn. Recipe below.

FOR MUCH OF MY LIFE, AUTUMN HAS FELT LIKE A BEGINNING TO ME. Starting with grade school, fall marked the start of something new. A new year, with fresh school supplies, new clothes, new classes—and sometimes, new schools (we moved a lot). After college, I taught for a number of years—first elementary, then college—and that autumnal sense of renewal stayed with me. Now, I get that same sensation in the kitchen when September rolls around. Continue reading “Falling for autumn: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Apples and Capers” →

Making the most of a bumper crop: Turkey Zucchini Stir Fry

Cantonese-inspired, Turkey Zucchini Stir Fry is weeknight quick and a delicious way to take advantage of your garden’s (or farmers market’s) sudden zucchini bounty. Recipe below.

The wayback machine is reminding me of the summer when everybody I knew, absolutely everybody, was growing zucchini. It was the first time any of us had grown zucchini, so no one really knew what to do—how to plant it, when to plant it and, most critically, when to harvest it. Continue reading “Making the most of a bumper crop: Turkey Zucchini Stir Fry” →