A traditional favorite still impresses: Chicken Paprikash

Genuine Hungarian paprika—and lots of it—drives this popular old world chicken dish. Recipe below.

WHEN I WAS A KID, THERE WAS A HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT IN DETROIT that was one of my favorites. I am not sure of the name (Hungarian Village?); I am not sure where it was (near the river?). I very dimly remember my family driving there, in the dark, riding in the back seat and peering out the window as we rattled across train tracks and past solemn, squat warehouses, their loading docks illuminated by a single low light, and past obscure low factories and empty lots, and after this confusing ride in the dark, finally arriving and bustling into the inviting restaurant. Continue reading “A traditional favorite still impresses: Chicken Paprikash” →

“Yes, and…” one-pan(demic) improv cooking: White Beans with Sausage and Kale

White Beans with Sausage and Kale is the perfect pandemic dish—easy to make, infinitely adjustable based on what you have on hand and comfortingly delicious. Recipe and variations below.

THE FIRST THING THEY TEACH YOU IN IMPROV is the “yes, and” rule. When someone puts an idea out there, you don’t refute it. You agree and build on it. “Boy, it’s a beautiful day today.” “Yes, and as we continue to approach the sun, it just keeps getting brighter!” We’re applying “yes, and” thinking a lot in the kitchen these days. Continue reading ““Yes, and…” one-pan(demic) improv cooking: White Beans with Sausage and Kale” →

A much needed taste of home: Detroit-style Pizza

A Detroit favorite, this pan-baked pizza is versatile, easy to make and delicious. Recipe below.

I MISS DETROIT SO MUCH. Since the pandemic started, we have not been anywhere that is not here. We have not been outside the city limits. No one except one of our kids has been in our house, and we have not been in anyone’s house, or in a restaurant, or a store, or a bar, or a hotel, or the office. Our offices are entirely remote (some people at my workplace think we will not reopen for five years). Our usual frequent road trips and train trips and lazy weekends spent wandering around Wisconsin or Michigan and quick drop-ins to see the kids—that has not happened. We miss the kids so much. We miss our familiar places so much. We miss Detroit so much. Continue reading “A much needed taste of home: Detroit-style Pizza” →

An easy pasta dish you’ll make again and again: Lemony Linguine Carbonara

Lemon brightens up this summery take on rich, creamy carbonara sauce. Recipe below.

Lemony Linguine Carbonara

TURNS OUT WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE IDEAS. I know! I’m as surprised as you are! In our quest to find new recipe ideas—and keep our inbox as stuffed as possible—we subscribe to Mark Bittman’s weekly emails. The other day, he talked about “What Some Really Fascinating People Like to Eat.” Continue reading “An easy pasta dish you’ll make again and again: Lemony Linguine Carbonara” →

Tasting history: West African Groundnut Stew

From the cookbook Jubilee: Recipes from Two Hundred Years of African American Cooking, this comforting stew features chicken, aromatics, tomatoes, spices and peanut butter. Recipe below.

IF YOU’RE A READER OF FOOD BLOGS, YOU PROBABLY ALSO HAVE COOKBOOKS. Maybe even a fairly impressive collection. By her own count, Toni Tipton-Martin has “rescued nearly 400 Black cookbooks—many of them rare—dating back to 1827.” To Tipton-Martin, a James Beard Book Award-winning food and nutrition journalist, these are more than cookbooks. They are a history of African Americans, primarily women, told through the filter of food and the kitchen. Continue reading “Tasting history: West African Groundnut Stew” →

Get creative with what you have on hand: Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops

Mustard(s), vinegar, oil, herbs and garlic create a lively marinade for bone-in pork chops. Recipe—and multiple variations—below.

I AM NOT BIG ON PLANNING. NEVER HAVE BEEN. So one of my challenges with cooking, especially these days, is having/getting ingredients. Far too often, I’ll look at a recipe that sounds interesting only to see that I don’t have a crucial ingredient. Or several. Continue reading “Get creative with what you have on hand: Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops” →

What are you cooking for the 4th? 15 surprising recipe ideas

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

ANOTHER MAJOR FOOD HOLIDAY IS UPON US. Everywhere, magazines, emails, friends and online food sources are sharing recipes. Seemed like a good idea to us too. So good that when we checked our archives, we found we’d done a pretty bang up job a few years ago. Unexpected dishes, like this one, chicken tea-smoked with star anise and orange, then grilled. You’ll find this and 14 other surprising recipes, from grilling to appetizers, sides (including three potato salads) and desserts, right here. Have a great, delicious 4th.

Hearty, flavorful, vegan: Indian-style Butter Beans

Fragrant and spicy (but hot overly hot), this vegan dish with canned butter beans is a quick, satisfying main course when served with rice, naan or roti. It can also be a flavorful side. Recipe below.

LIKE MOST EVERYONE, WE’RE COOKING AT HOME. A LOT. So we’re trying to mix things up as much as possible, keep things interesting. A recent grocery delivery included canned butter beans. We both love butter beans, and I primarily equate them with the American South. But when Marion was too busy to cook one evening, she nudged me toward dishes of the Indian subcontinent. Continue reading “Hearty, flavorful, vegan: Indian-style Butter Beans” →

Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole

This twist on the classic comfort food tuna casserole swaps cannellini beans for pasta. The recipe, with many options and substitutions, below.

THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CONNECTEDNESS OF ALL THINGS. It’s based on a recipe in The New York Times by Melissa Clark, who in turn based her take on a recipe by London-based food writer Diana Henry, which in turn is a take on a French recipe, Breton tuna white bean gratin, which leads to that foundation stone of American home cooking, the tuna casserole. Continue reading “Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole” →

Chicken with a side of history, substitutions allowed: Country Captain

A Southern Lowcountry curried chicken dating back to the 1800s welcomes variations and tastes comfortingly old-fashioned. Recipe below.

FOOD CHANGES, TASTES EVOLVE. Yes, there are some enduring classic dishes that will forever be made, but many have their moment, then fade from memory. I only heard of Country Captain recently, when I read about a baker in Savannah giving it a makeover as a salad. I immediately wanted to know more about the non-made-over original. Continue reading “Chicken with a side of history, substitutions allowed: Country Captain” →