Border-straddling Basque Chicken and Chorizo melds two countries’ kitchens

Borrowing influences from Spain and France, chicken, chorizo, bell peppers, tomatoes, aromatics and spices create a robust, one-pot meal. Recipe below.

Braised Basque Chicken

TO SAY THAT BASQUE COUNTRY STRADDLES THE BORDER BETWEEN SPAIN AND FRANCE isn’t entirely accurate. The Basque people inhabited the region before those nations existed. In fact, according to the American Journal of Human Genetics, the Basque predate the arrival of agriculture in the area some 7,000 years ago. Still, Spain and France did come to exist and, along with them, their regional cuisines. This robust dish of chicken, chorizo, peppers, onion and spices borrows from both. Continue reading “Border-straddling Basque Chicken and Chorizo melds two countries’ kitchens” →

Healthy Indian cooking, by the book: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

The classic Indian dish Chicken Tikka Masala is made slow cooker simple—and healthier. Recipe below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e first met cookbook author and journalist Anupy Singla at a dinner she hosted in her home almost six years ago. Born in India, raised near Philadelphia and now living in Chicago’s Lincoln Park with her husband and two daughters, Anupy is on a mission to make authentic Indian cuisine approachable and accessible to American home cooks. She’s also making it healthier. Continue reading “Healthy Indian cooking, by the book: Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala” →

One ingredient, seven recipes: Chinese five-spice powder

Seven recipes—traditional and not-so-traditional—make use of Chinese five-spice powder. Recipes below.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]H[/su_dropcap]ow many times have you bought a spice for a specific recipe and then never used it again? It just sits there among your other spices, taunting you. If Chinese five-spice powder falls into that category for you, here are some delicious ways to use it up—or excuses to go buy some. Continue reading “One ingredient, seven recipes: Chinese five-spice powder” →

A new-to-us ingredient from Ancient Rome makes Linguine Colatura di Alici sing

Colatura di Alici, an Italian fish sauce, brings savory deliciousness to a quick, simple pasta. Recipe below.

The oddest little things catch my eye in the most random places. And lots of recipes here start that way. In a recent issue of New York magazine, a description of ribs at Danny Meyer’s Vini e Fritti included “After a toss in a sticky mix of Calabrian chiles, honey, vinegar, and the Italian fish sauce colatura…” Italian fish sauce? I stopped reading and started Googling. Continue reading “A new-to-us ingredient from Ancient Rome makes Linguine Colatura di Alici sing” →

Hummus, served Southern style: Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Butter

Black-eyed peas stand in for chickpeas in this delicious Southern take on hummus. Recipe below.

Who doesn’t love hummus? This now-ubiquitous Middle Eastern staple has become nearly a staple in homes around the globe. According to the USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, an estimated 25 percent of US households regularly stock hummus (as of 2016). There are many variations on this dish, perhaps none as interesting as one that swaps black-eyed peas for chickpeas. Continue reading “Hummus, served Southern style: Hoppin’ John Black-Eyed Pea Butter” →

East meets chuck roast: Chinese-inspired Pot Roast with Potatoes

Chinese five-spice powder, fresh ginger, soy sauce, star anise and oyster sauce bring subtle Asian flavors to this traditional meat-and-potatoes pot roast. Recipe below.

SLEET IS PELTING THE WINDOWS AS I WRITE THIS. The first day of spring is less than two weeks away, but for many of us, that’s just a number on the calendar—a cruel false promise. So we remain in the braising mode, filling the kitchen with the oven’s warmth and the entire house with heavenly, meaty smells. Continue reading “East meets chuck roast: Chinese-inspired Pot Roast with Potatoes” →

Frozen fish becomes a warm Spanish meal: Merluza à la Gallega

Can’t find fresh fish? Frozen will do. Here, chunky pieces of cod are quickly braised in a sauce of tomatoes, bell peppers, potatoes, saffron and paprika in the traditional Merluza à la Gallega. Recipe below.

Years back, I lived in a port town in Nova Scotia, where great, fresh seafood was a fact of life. In the morning, the boats came in around 10 or 10:30, and I would put on my sneakers and walk down to the dock and buy a fish off the boats, and that night that fish would be dinner. This came to mind the other day when we were at Trader Joe’s. Continue reading “Frozen fish becomes a warm Spanish meal: Merluza à la Gallega” →

A busy weekend and a delicious, if reheated, recipe: Crispy Chicken Schnitzel

A house favorite from the archives: Panko breadcrumbs give chicken breast schnitzels an assertively crispy outside. Recipe, eventually, below.

There really should be a new recipe here. We have a few ideas we’re working on and a new cooking memoir awaiting our review. Didn’t get to any of it. This post isn’t an excuse for that—it’s a recounting of things we found more interesting than cooking this weekend. But if you make it to the end, you’ll find a simple dish we like to cook fairly often. Continue reading “A busy weekend and a delicious, if reheated, recipe: Crispy Chicken Schnitzel” →

White House special: Six recipes created, inspired or influenced by Africa

Six recipes showcase meals, flavors, techniques and culinary influences of the African continent.

Quite unintentionally, a serially bankrupt businessman and second-rate former reality TV celebrity has become the education president. On practically a weekly basis, anxious parents find themselves scrambling to teach their children the meanings of new offensive terms—and worse, explain new offensive behaviors by the so-called leader of the free world. The most recent (as we go to press, at least) is truly appalling. Continue reading “White House special: Six recipes created, inspired or influenced by Africa” →

A simple, versatile sauce makes this dish: Seared Scallops with Orange Gastrique

Orange gastrique—a simple, classic French sauce of reduced sugar, vinegar and orange juice—adds an elegant touch to quickly pan-seared scallops. Recipe below.

You never know what will send us down some culinary rabbit hole. This week’s recipe was inspired by a restaurant review in a back issue of some magazine, now misplaced and forgotten. What caught my eye was the term gastrique. Unrepentant Francophile that I am, I had never heard it. Continue reading “A simple, versatile sauce makes this dish: Seared Scallops with Orange Gastrique” →