A comforting, rustic soup born in the South West of France: Garbure

Hearty, meaty and stuffed with vegetables, including white beans and cabbage, garbure is a soul-satisfying French tradition. Recipe below.

WINTER WEATHER BRINGS OUT THE SOUP LOVER IN EVERYONE. And for us, that means a world of soups to explore. Marion recently discovered garbure, a hearty traditional favorite in the South West region of France—think Toulouse, Bordeaux, Gascony, the Pyrénées along France’s border with Spain. It generally features white beans and savoy cabbage, but it’s not a bean soup or cabbage soup. Continue reading “A comforting, rustic soup born in the South West of France: Garbure” →

Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare

Juniper berries and genever (or regular gin) give simple pan-roasted chicken a sharp, clean flavor.

NOW WELL INTO FALL, WE’RE LEANING INTO HEARTY COOKING. Soups and stews and roasts are sounding good. Pots of chili. Meat or chicken braised in wine or beer or something stronger. Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries checks all those boxes, but the juniper berries and gin give it a sharp, clean flavor. Continue reading “Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare” →

Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew

Beef stew meat, Portuguese chouriço, bell peppers, paprika and potatoes drive the comforting flavor of this hearty stew.

IT SNOWED HALLOWEEN MORNING. The water in the back porch birdbath froze. Okay, so the snow didn’t stick around, and plugging in the birdbath—it’s heated—got it ready for the birds’ drinking and bathing needs again. But still, snow in October. That got us thinking about warm, hearty, meaty stews. Continue reading “Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew” →

If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it

A Detroit favorite, this pan-baked pizza is enjoying a very long national moment pretty much everywhere.

DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA. Thick, square cut, chewy, crunchy—and increasingly, ubiquitous. Two years ago, in fact, Food & Wine covered the trend in an article entitled “How Detroit-Style Pizza Took Over America.” Continue reading “If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it” →

Summer fruit meets a classic French dessert: Nectarine Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert, basically baked custard with fresh fruit. This version features summery nectarines. Recipe below.

IL éTAIT UNE FOIS, I would make clafoutis for dessert all the time. It was my effortless fallback, quick, simple, fresh and, of course, delicious. Continue reading “Summer fruit meets a classic French dessert: Nectarine Clafoutis” →

Simple, summery Tuscan Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken

Rosemary, garlic and lots of lemon create an easy-to-make, delicious grilled chicken dish. Recipe below.

FOR US, PART OF THE CHARM OF GRILLING IS SIMPLICITY. Uncomplicated recipes that let you relax when cooking, hanging out with guests instead of performing alchemy in the kitchen and at the grill. This simple chicken recipe is a prefect example. Continue reading “Simple, summery Tuscan Grilled Lemon Rosemary Chicken” →

Lively, celebratory comfort food: Nigerian Goat Stew

This flavorful, colorful, spicy goat stew is a traditional meal across West Africa. Recipe below.

GOAT STEW IS EATEN ACROSS WEST AFRICA, often shared as a holiday or celebratory dish. We recently discovered this delightful meal at a Nigerian food truck in Detroit, Fork in Nigeria. Continue reading “Lively, celebratory comfort food: Nigerian Goat Stew” →

A tangy, creamy, vegetarian Middle Eastern treat: Labneh Sandwiches

Sourdough toast topped with labneh, olives, a mix of pickled vegetables and a drizzle of olive oil makes a tangy, delicious, satisfying vegetarian sandwich. Recipe below.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN STREAMING FROM MUSLIM AND ARAB COUNTRIES to the Detroit area since the1880s—from Syria and Lebanon and Iraq and Egypt and Yemen and India and Bangladesh and Pakistan and many more places, creating the oldest, largest and most diverse Muslim American and Arab American community in the United States. That’s well known. Far less known is one marvelous annual occurrence that our Detroit daughter always speaks of with enormous enthusiasm. I am not talking, yet, about the Hamtramck Yacht Races, but about something far more delicious. I can sum it up in three wonderful words: RAMADAN. FOOD. TRUCKS. Continue reading “A tangy, creamy, vegetarian Middle Eastern treat: Labneh Sandwiches” →

Step aside, corned beef—seven recipes that make cabbage the star

WITH ST. PATRICK’S DAY UPON US, MANY ARE THINKING CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE. Which is fine, except it puts cabbage in an undeserved supporting role—the romantic lead’s goofy buddy. That’s just wrong. In a recent issue of Taste, Rachel Wharton rightly proclaimed “Cabbage is Always King.” She dives deep into cabbage’s history (we’ll share the link further down). But for now, we’d like to share seven recipes that show off the healthy brassica’s flavor and versatility. Continue reading “Step aside, corned beef—seven recipes that make cabbage the star” →

Sunday in the kitchen with family

A couple of our favorite recipes turn into an informal Sunday dinner when family drops in.

IF BLUE KITCHEN WERE A PRINTED COOKBOOK, some pages would be more dogeared and food-speckled than others. Often, Marion or I will be in the kitchen, a laptop open to a recipe on the blog as we cook. Last Sunday, we were both in the kitchen armed with laptops. We were cooking two of our favorite recipes. Continue reading “Sunday in the kitchen with family” →