Category: Main Courses

Just buttery enough Shrimp Scampi

A mix of olive oil and butter (and not too much of either) gives Shrimp Scampi with Fettuccine its classic rich, indulgent flavor.

Shrimp Scampi with Fettuccine

LAST WEEK’S SHRIMP CUCUMBER STRAWBERRY SALAD HAD US WANTING MORE SHRIMP. And the abundant parsley in our garden made us think of shrimp scampi. It’s a perfect summery pasta dish—garlic, white wine and parsley brighten it up while butter gives it a luxurious finish. But too many recipes go way overboard with the butter, making it heavy and calorific. Continue reading “Just buttery enough Shrimp Scampi” →

A cool dish for a hot summer day: Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad

Shrimp, crisp cucumber slices, juicy strawberries, fresh basil, chives and a slightly sweet vinaigrette create a cool, summery light meal. Recipe below.

Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad

WHEN SUMMER COMES IN HOT AND HEAVY, you don’t want your food to do the same. This light, flavorful Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad is as easy to make as it is to enjoy when it’s really hot out. Continue reading “A cool dish for a hot summer day: Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad” →

Sunday dinner memories and Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce

The Dill Dijon Sauce on this Seared Salmon Fillet tastes rich, calorific and sinful, but is in fact 100% fat free.

Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce

SUNDAY DINNERS USED TO BE A REGULAR THING WITH US. First, with a rotating cast of friends, and then as we had kids, with family and the occasional friend. Then the girls grew up and moved to other cities, and Sunday dinners became much less frequent. Ironically, the pandemic revived them for us. Continue reading “Sunday dinner memories and Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce” →

Classic Northern Italian Osso Buco

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.

Osso Buco with Gremolata

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” →

Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted mushrooms combine with polenta and Parmesan to create a creamy, earthy, cheesy vegetarian meal. Recipe below.

Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms

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” →

Gołąbki in casserole form—unrolling cabbage rolls

This layered cabbage roll casserole delivers the comforting flavor of gołąbki (cabbage rolls) without all the effort of making the rolls. Recipe below.

Gołąbki (cabbage roll casserole)

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” →

Italian Chicken Stew from a women’s writing retreat

Italian Chicken Stew

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” →

Lamb Stew and a guide to Chicago weekend fun

Irish Lamb Stew

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” →

Quick Tomato Rice Cheese Casserole

Adapt this weeknight-quick, satisfying casserole based on what’s in your fridge—or what you’re hankering for. recipe below.

Quick Tomato Rice Cheese Casserole

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” →