Globetrotting flavors and history: Lamb Meatballs with Saffron, Lavender and Paprika

Lamb meatballs are seasoned with a global mix of flavors and served over pasta—or made smaller and served as a canapé. Recipe below.

Terry’s comment last week about always liking the flavors of a braise, whatever the weather, had me asking myself how to achieve that depth of flavor without several hours of stoveness. At the same time I happened to be reading Roger Crowley’s City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas, about the way Venice was a prime mover in the growth of global trade, “the first virtual city,” “the central cog that meshed two economic systems—Europe and the Orient—shunting goods across hemisphere, facilitating new tastes and notions of choice.” And reading about this adventurous time, when “Venice was the middleman and interpreter of worlds,” started me looking at medieval recipes that involved great wallops of flavors like saffron and combinations that are unfamiliar to us today.

This dish is about travel and the global economy. It is a hat tip to the Venetian merchants of the Middle Ages, when trading could mean being gone for years, at enormous personal risk; when the great empires, so long in isolation, were getting their first little views of each other; and when cooks boldly began mixing together newfound flavors, in part seeking cures and in part because they came to love these daring new tastes. These were the first fusion cooks, picking and choosing flavors from a lush global toybox. Continue reading “Globetrotting flavors and history: Lamb Meatballs with Saffron, Lavender and Paprika” →

Heat up flavors, not the kitchen: Spicy Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Cilantro Salsa

Grilled chops flavored with chili powder, cumin and cayenne pepper are topped with mango, cilantro, tomatoes, red onions and jalapeño pepper. Recipe below.

Harry S Truman famously said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” I took the 33rd president at his word last week, although probably not as he intended. When the temperatures finally (and temporarily) dropped below dangerous levels last Friday, but were still high enough that I didn’t want to heat up the kitchen, I fired up the grill instead. Continue reading “Heat up flavors, not the kitchen: Spicy Grilled Pork Chops with Mango Cilantro Salsa” →

One versatile spice rub, two recipes, part 2: Tandoori-spiced Pork Tenderloin

Last week’s spice rub of cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric and cayenne flavors a one-pan braised meal: Tandoori-spiced Pork Tenderloin with Chickpeas and Spinach. Recipe below.

Don’t you hate it when a recipe tells you to reserve the rest of some ingredient “for another use?” Usually, I end up with half a jalapeño pepper or something dutifully wrapped in plastic and stowed in the fridge until it rots. But that’s exactly what I did last week—told you to reserve the rest of the tandoori spice rub from the Tandoori-spiced Grilled Salmon recipe “for another use.”

Unlike most times when recipes tell you to do that, though, I’m going to show you what to do with that reserved spice rub right now. This use points up the rub’s versatility. Last week, it was grilling and salmon; this week, it’s stovetop braising and pork. It could as easily be roasting and chicken or stir frying and shrimp or tofu. Continue reading “One versatile spice rub, two recipes, part 2: Tandoori-spiced Pork Tenderloin” →

Compound interest for steaks: Cilantro Jalapeño Compound Butter

Simple pan-seared steaks are topped with a compound butter made with cilantro, jalapeño peppers, shallots and lime juice for a lively flavor boost. Recipe below.

Julia Child famously said, “If you’re afraid of butter, just use cream.” We’re not afraid of butter. It sees a lot of action in our kitchen, if in moderate amounts. Sometimes, it’s just a pat added to oil in a pan to give something a little buttery goodness.

So compound butters already have something going for them in my book because, well, they contain butter. Simply put, compound butters are butter with something added for flavor. Those herb butters that come with dinner rolls in some restaurants are an example.

Often, though, compound butters are used as finishing sauces for fish, meats or vegetables, a dollop placed on the still hot food just before serving, melting into and onto it as we eat. Continue reading “Compound interest for steaks: Cilantro Jalapeño Compound Butter” →

Cookware test drive: Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Lemon Caper Sage Butter

Quick, elegant and springlike—pan seared lamb chops are topped with a bright, buttery sauce with capers, sage and lemon zest. Recipe below.

The mishmash of pots and pans in our kitchen reflects our eclectic approach to cooking. It’s a mix of old and new, cool and utilitarian, from our cherished and recently retinned French copper pots to our Staub enameled cast iron La Cocotte (also French, also cherished), a workhorse of a lidded sauté pan that sees almost daily use and a rotating supply of cheap nonstick skillets that we replace every couple of years as they wear out. Continue reading “Cookware test drive: Pan Seared Lamb Chops with Lemon Caper Sage Butter” →

A hearty winter meal with a hint of spring: Lamb Thyme Meatballs with Vegetables

Lamb meatballs, peas, carrots and potato wedges, all flavored with fresh thyme, satisfy in winter, taste like spring. Recipe below.

Last week’s recipe was inspired by boredom. This week’s was born of disaster. I spent much of Sunday afternoon in the kitchen, filling it—and the entire apartment, in fact—with heavenly smells, if I say so myself. The taste of the finished dish delivered on the aroma, and the dish was acceptably photogenic. Sadly, it was also irreparably dry and chewy.

At moments like this, I sometimes question what I’m doing here in the food blogosphere. On occasion, as on Sunday night when I lay in bed wondering what I was going to do now for a post, the question takes a succinct and, well, non-question form: “I suck.” Continue reading “A hearty winter meal with a hint of spring: Lamb Thyme Meatballs with Vegetables” →

The unexpected rewards of culinary boredom: Moroccan Lamb Chops with Chickpeas

A Moroccan spice rub with cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne pepper and other spices is used to flavor both pan grilled lamb chops and a side of chickpeas with golden raisins. Recipes below.

Boredom is underrated. To me, it’s often a critical part of the creative process. When I’m cooking for Blue Kitchen posts, I’m always actively looking for new ingredients, techniques and ideas—or at least new to me. But when I’m just cooking to get something on the table for a weeknight dinner, I can fall into a rut, cooking reliable favorites over and over.

Such was the case when I grabbed a couple of lamb shoulder chops at the supermarket recently. These flavorful, cheap cuts of lamb see lots of action at our house. I was planning the next night’s dinner and went through the current kitchen inventory in my head. We had potatoes and lettuce at home, so the lamb was all I needed. I would pan grill the chops after tenderizing them with kosher salt, the way I almost always do. And I would serve them with garlicky mashed potatoes and a salad. The way I almost always do. But then boredom kicked in. Continue reading “The unexpected rewards of culinary boredom: Moroccan Lamb Chops with Chickpeas” →

Berry, beery satisfying: Beef Pot Roast with Beer and Juniper Berries

Flavorful, inexpensive beef chuck roast, braised for hours in a low oven with beer, juniper berries, onion, garlic, potatoes and carrots, is the very definition of comfort food on a winter evening. Recipe below.

WHEN THE FIRST REAL SNOWSTORM OF THE SEASON IS PREDICTED, most people stock up on sidewalk salt. I bought a chuck roast.

The snow began falling in the morning, not heavy but persistent. I happened to be working from home, and I watched the snow coating first the lawns, trees and bushes, then the sidewalks and the street outside the study window. I also kept an impatient eye on the clock, eager to start cooking our first pot roast of the year. Continue reading “Berry, beery satisfying: Beef Pot Roast with Beer and Juniper Berries” →

One-pan impromptu in the key of winter: Pork Chops with Chickpeas, Spinach and Cumin

Chickpeas and spinach bring big health benefits to this hearty one-pan meal. Cumin, chili powder, garlic and onion bring big flavor. Recipe below.

This meal wasn’t going to be a post. It was just meant to be dinner. But suddenly, the kitchen was smelling heavenly (assuming there’s cumin in heaven, and I certainly hope so). And when I served the chops and spooned the chickpea spinach mixture next to them, the plates looked really inviting. So before cutting into my chop, I had Marion taste hers. She smiled and nodded, and here we are.

This particular dish came together because we’ve been eating too much chicken. We love chicken, but even for us, there’s been a lot of it. So when I saw a nice looking pair of pork chops in the grocery store, I grabbed them. My first thought for sides were mashed potatoes and a salad, quick and easy. But we’ve been doing those a lot lately too. Continue reading “One-pan impromptu in the key of winter: Pork Chops with Chickpeas, Spinach and Cumin” →

Lamb, onions and potatoes become comfort food with an English accent: Lancashire Hotpot

This take on Lancashire hotpot—traditional English food at its most comforting—is made with lamb, onions and carrots topped with sliced potatoes and baked until fork tender. Recipe below.

DON’T YOU HATE IT WHEN A GOOD MYTH GETS DEBUNKED? Turns out one of Mark Twain’s cooler quotes may never have been uttered by him. I say ‘may’ because while no one can find it in his writings anywhere, they also can’t find anyone else who said it. Continue reading “Lamb, onions and potatoes become comfort food with an English accent: Lancashire Hotpot” →