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”
WE BOUGHT CUCUMBERS RECENTLY FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE and that had me thinking about this exquisite chilled bisque. It is cool and fresh and surprisingly luxurious—for that, credit goes to cream, egg yolks and lots of butter. The soup was created at a storied St. Louis restaurant, Balaban. You’ll find the recipe for this wonderful summer-perfect soup—and the delicious, improbable back story for the restaurant—right here. And you’ll find me at the grocery store. I’ve gone to get cucumbers.
Raspberries, orange juice and lime juice bring the fruit, mezcal, the smoke and jalapeño, the heat to this summer cocktail. Recipe below.
ANYONE WHO’S BEEN FOLLOWING US A WHILE KNOWS WE LOVE MEZCAL. We love the smoke, we love the variations—every mezcal is essentially an artisanal product, so every label is its own adventure. We love just sipping it slowly on its own, but that is more of a winter thing. Continue reading “Summery, spicy and fruit forward: Smoky Raspberry Margarita”
Classic Austrian schnitzel gets a crispy, juicy, chickeny makeover.
WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SHARING RECIPES FOR 16+ YEARS, you can be forgiven for forgetting some of them. Not just ingredients and measurements and processes, but the actual dish. When we were shopping recently and came across thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets, though, a couple of synapses fired. Suddenly, we sort of remembered doing something with this cut that maybe involved panko and was definitely delicious. Continue reading “Happily rediscovering Chicken Schnitzel”
Roasted eggplant, fresh dill and Greek yogurt make a delicious summery dish that can be served warm or chilled. Recipe below.
THE SUDDEN ARRIVAL OF MASSIVE RAINS turned around the scary drought we’d been experiencing here in Illinois, and it had a more intimate effect: our Japanese eggplant, which had been struggling and miserable, suddenly and eagerly began producing. Continue reading “A simple, seasonal, sensational side: Eggplant with Dill and Yogurt”
JARRED PASTA SAUCES ARE HAVING A MOMENT. Once something that many home cooks publicly looked down on (and maybe secretly used), they’re increasingly being seen as smart time savers for, well, all of us. Continue reading “Making jarred pasta sauce deliciously your own”
Rosemary, lemon and garlic get dialed up with bacon and red crushed pepper in this Italian-inspired chicken dish. Recipe below.
OUR ROSEMARY PLANT IS CONVENIENTLY THRIVING ON THE BACK PORCH. This after surprising us by successfully wintering over on a windowsill inside. The other day, trying to figure out something to do with some chicken thighs, I stood looking out the back door. And there was the rosemary. Continue reading “A classic ingredient mix with delicious results: Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Bacon”
NO RECIPE THIS WEEK, but we’ll be back with one next Wednesday. Happy fourth of July—enjoy the long weekend!
No recipe this week. Just a little food for thought after visiting two lovely side-by-side cities this weekend.
EVERY TIME WE VISIT MINNEAPOLIS AND ST. PAUL we seem to love the two cities more. This being a food blog, we’ll start by saying we ate well everywhere, nothing as basic as what would likely be served at George Segal’s “The Diner” at the Walker Art Center. Continue reading “Feasting in the Twin Cities”
Lettuce, peas, leeks, garlic, tarragon, butter and cream make a fresh, creamy soup that can be served warm or cold. Recipe below.
AFTER MONTHS OF GETTING LITTLE OR NO RAIN, we are suddenly getting all the rain. Our garden is loving it, of course, and so are we, begrudgingly. The cool, rainy weather has us thinking about soup, but the calendar has us craving something not so stick-to-your-ribs hearty. And that made us think of this lovely, light soup that can be served warm or chilled. Continue reading “A springy, summery soup for a soupy day: Delicate Pea and Lettuce Soup”