[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e were in Mexico City recently. Ciudad de México, CDMX. On our return, a colleague asked me what we’d done. I said, “We drank mezcal and ate bugs.” Totally true. We also did other things. Continue reading “Eating, drinking, walking and museuming our way through Mexico City”
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]L[/su_dropcap]ast week’s scone recipe left us with a surplus of dried tart cherries—and a reminder of how deliciously versatile they are. Here are five ways you can use dried cherries, some sweet, some savory. Continue reading “Dessert? Dinner? Five recipes show how dried tart cherries do both”
The traditional bowl of red turns green and lightens up, as tomatillos replace tomatoes and chicken and turkey stand in for beef. Recipe below.
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]C[/su_dropcap]hili. For many, it’s over-the-top flavor pyrotechnics. Or “I dare you” fiery hot. To us, chili is comfort food. Like a good stew or soup. Subtle complexity rather than giant flavors, heartily satisfying. You know, comforting. This tomatillo-based turkey/chicken chili checks all those boxes and then some. Continue reading “Big on comfort, easy on the heat: Tomatillo Chicken/Turkey Chili”
Pasta alla Norma, a beloved traditional dish, gets its name from a Bellini opera—and an update with Japanese eggplant. Recipe below.
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e’ve been doing a lot of harvesting and prepping of crops from our modest city yard. Last weekend, Terry brought in all the remaining basil and put up a bunch of pesto. I froze a flock of shishito peppers. We are drying herbs, and I am pondering whether to dry some tomatoes or just continue my usual policy of eating and eating and eating them out of hand while standing next to the tomato plants. Continue reading “The classic Sicilian dish named for an opera: Pasta alla Norma”
In Spain, the classic gin & tonic gets more relaxed, more creative, more sippably refreshing, with more garnishes and lots of ice. Recipe below.
THE CLASSIC BRITISH GIN & TONIC has been one of my summer go-tos for years. Easy to make, and crisp and refreshing to drink. Turns out Spanish bartenders have long been doing their own take on gin & tonics, amping up the drink’s classic taste with a whole range of interesting garnishes and dialing up its summeryness. Continue reading “A classic summer cocktail gets a fresh twist: Spanish Gin & Tonic”
Chicken gets a buttermilk brine and a lively spice mix—Szechuan peppercorns, cumin seeds and Korean red chile powder—then is grilled instead of frying. Recipe below.
WE LOVE FRIED CHICKEN, BUT WE DON’T DEEP FRY. Still, when I come across a particularly enticing fried chicken recipe, I’m, well, enticed. That happened last week. Spending more time than was strictly proper studying it, I decided to see what elements of the recipe could translate from deep frying to grilling. Continue reading “Borrowing deep fried tricks for the grill: Szechuan Buttermilk Grilled Chicken”
STRAIGHT UP GRILLING—DELICIOUS, RIGHT? Smoke, seasonings, maybe a little barbecue sauce and you’re good to go. But borrow some spices, cooking techniques and flavors from various stops around the world and some wonderful things happen. Just in time for Memorial Day, the semi-official start of grilling season, here are seven globally-inspired recipes. Continue reading “Seven recipes for grilling globally”
Pasta carbonara, a bacon-rich Italian favorite, gets a cross-cultural makeover with kimchi, Korea’s national dish. Recipe below.
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]C[/su_dropcap]arbonara is one of nature’s perfect foods. Whatever recipe you follow, it involves bacon (or some sort of fatty pork), vegetables and aromatics cooked in bacon fat, pasta, cheese and eggs. Sometimes cream, sometimes not. Like I said, perfect. And now we’ve discovered something that makes it more perfect. Continue reading “The Korean-Italian mashup you’ll set on repeat: Kimchi Carbonara Linguine”
Hoisin sauce, ginger, garlic and scallions help flavor these hearty short ribs. You can cook them quickly in your Instant Pot—or braise them slowly in the oven. Recipe below.
WE HAVE COOKED SHORT RIBS SO MANY TIMES, SO MANY WAYS. So when we had dinner guests coming this weekend and spotted beautiful flanken-cut ribs at the meat market, I wondered if I could find a new way to cook them. The answer, of course, was yes. Continue reading “A new way to love our favorite cheap cut: Chinese-style Short Ribs”
[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]his weekend, our daughter who bakes was in town. So she and Marion baked the traditional Italian cake you see here, made with ricotta, goat cheese, dried tart cherries and a mere seven tablespoons of flour. More about this cake later, but it got me thinking about ricotta. Continue reading “From dinner to dessert to breakfast: five ricotta recipes (and a surprise or two)”