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” →

Comfort in the kitchen: Dijon Beef Stew with Brandy and Shallots

Beef, brandy, two kinds of mustard, generous aromatics, carrots and mushrooms braise into a robust, soothing stew. Recipe below.

Comfort food. Are there two more comforting words? They conjure up very different things for all of us, I’m sure, but for me, they often look/smell/taste like this meaty, stew-y dish. But comfort isn’t just in the food—it’s in the making of food, time spent in the kitchen. Continue reading “Comfort in the kitchen: Dijon Beef Stew with Brandy and Shallots” →

Arroz verde peruano: Peruvian Green Rice

A traditional Peruvian dish, green rice gets its green from cilantro and its plentiful flavor from onions, carrots, peas, garlic, cumin and chicken stock. Recipe below.

Since moving into our new old house a little over a year ago, we often talk here about how much we love our neighborhood, Pilsen. And we do. But Marion and I also both fell hard for our first Chicago neighborhood, now called Lakeview, but back then, New Town (and less officially but more permanently, Boystown). So we’re always up for an excuse to visit our old nabe. This time, our excuse was a new fast casual Peruvian chicken restaurant, Chopo Chicken. Continue reading “Arroz verde peruano: Peruvian Green Rice” →

A favorite Chinese restaurant remembered: Dim Sum Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp

Our take on a traditional dim sum favorite, eggplant stuffed with a shrimp/pork mixture, sautéed and steamed. Recipe below.

For quite a few years, one of our most beloved dim sum dishes was the eggplant stuffed with shrimp prepared at Hong Minh on Cermak in Chicago’s Chinatown. It was light and luscious and suave, and we were crazy about it. Continue reading “A favorite Chinese restaurant remembered: Dim Sum Eggplant Stuffed with Shrimp” →