Cooking for one, well done: Lamb Chops, Couscous with Raisins and Onions

While Blue Kitchen is enjoying a short break, we’re sharing favorite recipes from the archives. This week, it’s actually two recipes—Pan-grilled Lamb Chops and Couscous with Raisins and Onions—plus some thoughts on the pleasures of cooking for one.

Shortly after I’d moved to Chicago the first time, I bought a half ham. Trying to figure out what to do with it, I consulted Joy of Cooking, where I was greeted by these cheery words: “Someone defined eternity as a ham and two people.” Standing there alone in the galley kitchen of my tiny studio apartment, I did the math—my half ham and I were in for a long haul. [Read more here…]

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…]

Provence redux: Layered Pot Roast with Anchovies, Capers and Garlic

Blue Kitchen is going on a short break for the next few weeks. We are crazy busy with a major project that, no, isn’t a cookbook—or anything even specifically food-related. All is good—we’ll fill you in soon. In the meantime, we’ll be posting recipes from the archives that we especially like. This week, it’s a traditional Provençal pot roast that is toothsome and ridiculously easy. Don’t let the anchovies scare you—they disappear into the dish, leaving only dialed-up umami behind.

A couple of weeks ago, I admitted to being a major Francophile when I wrote about roasting chicken on a bed of lentils. I guess that makes Karin over at Second Act in Altadena an enabler. After reading that post, she told me about three different French cookbooks. Already having more cookbooks than we have shelf space for, I immediately headed for the library website and ordered them. Of course, all three showed up within days of each other. [Read more here…]

Seasonal times two: Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Mushrooms and Shallots

Grapes, in season now, are roasted in chicken pan drippings with mushrooms, shallots and rosemary for a deliciously autumnal dinner. Recipe below.

Seasonal cooking can refer to working with ingredients that are in season. It can also refer to using seasonal cooking methods. This week’s recipe is a mix of both. Temperatures recently took on an autumn coolness here, encouraging me to turn on the oven and roast something for the first time in a while. For the seasonal ingredient, I chose grapes. Continue reading “Seasonal times two: Roasted Chicken with Grapes, Mushrooms and Shallots” →

Extra crispy, please: panko adds crunch to Chicken Schnitzel

Panko breadcrumbs give these chicken breast schnitzels an assertively crispy outside. Dredging the chicken with cornstarch helps keep the meat tender inside. Recipe below.

THE BREADED MEAT CUTLET GOES BY MANY NAMES. For Germans and Austrians, it’s schnitzel. Italians call it cotoletta alla milanese—or milanesa for short. At our current favorite Mexican restaurant, it’s milaneza, and our favorite Polish spot calls its schnitzel schabowy. In Japan, it’s katsu (tonkatsu when it’s made with pork). Continue reading “Extra crispy, please: panko adds crunch to Chicken Schnitzel” →

Greek-inspired, weeknight-easy: Lamb Chops with Feta and Olives

A marinade with red wine vinegar and lemon juice quickly tenderizes flavorful lamb shoulder chops. Feta cheese, Kalamata olives, red onion and lemon zest add even more flavor. Recipe below.

For me, grabbing lamb when I see it in the store is almost automatic. Ground lamb for weeknight-quick burgers, cooked rare, a leg of lamb for a special holiday feast or maybe lamb rib chops when I’m feeling extravagant. Or, most often, lamb shoulder chops—cheap, flavorful and with a chewiness that can be easily tamed with a trick or two. Continue reading “Greek-inspired, weeknight-easy: Lamb Chops with Feta and Olives” →

The simple pleasures of grownup taste buds: Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Feta and Bacon

Quickly browned, then braised with onions and garlic, Brussels sprouts are tossed with feta, bacon and sage and served over pasta. Recipe below.

AT MY OFFICE, THE CREATIVE DEPARTMENT recently did a workshop on presentation skills. Each of us had five minutes to speak on the topic of “What I have learned.” One colleague spoke enthusiastically (to be fair, that’s her default mode of speaking) on learning to love Brussels sprouts. Continue reading “The simple pleasures of grownup taste buds: Linguine with Brussels Sprouts, Feta and Bacon” →

Sautéed Tofu with Ginger and Garlic, and thoughts of a semi-reformed carnivore

Soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and aromatics dial up the umami in this sautéed tofu main course. Recipe below.

Our friend Carolyn recently shared a meme on Facebook about preparing tofu. It said this: Step 1: Throw it in the Trash. Step 2: Grill some Meat. Not that long ago, I would have laughed even harder than I did. Continue reading “Sautéed Tofu with Ginger and Garlic, and thoughts of a semi-reformed carnivore” →

Make a double batch—you’ll want leftovers: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Tarragon, shallots, herbes de Provence and panko breadcrumbs give Meatballs in Tomato Sauce a nicely complex finish. Recipe below.

I did not grow up in a meatball-eating household. We ate plenty of ground meat, of course—in countless meatloafs, in burgers cooked until my mom or grandma were sure they were dead, in giant pots of chili or spaghetti sauce (the word pasta was never used in our house). But never as meatballs. Continue reading “Make a double batch—you’ll want leftovers: Meatballs in Tomato Sauce” →

Velveting keeps things tender: Stir-fried Chicken with Asparagus

Velveting the chicken before stir-frying it, a simple Chinese cooking technique, keeps the meat moist and tender in Stir-fried Chicken with Asparagus. Recipe below.

WE HAVE A LOT OF VINTAGE CHINA, mostly individual pieces picked up at antique shops, flea markets, yard sales and farm auctions. Some are quite old and fairly valuable, true antiques. Others fall squarely into the collectibles realm. All were chosen because we liked them and wanted to use them on our table. Continue reading “Velveting keeps things tender: Stir-fried Chicken with Asparagus” →