Vodka, St~Germain, champagne, lime juice, simple syrup and a sprig of fresh thyme create a bright, herby, seasonal drink. Recipe below.
WE DON’T ALWAYS DRINK ON THE JOB at my office, but when we do, we do it right. As we continue to work from home, the ad agency where I work is making sure to keep us connected, keep the lively agency culture strong. Most recently, they did it with a cocktail class. Continue reading “One springy, summery cocktail, coming up: Elderflower Fizz”
No recipe this week. Just food for thought on cautious, happy traveling.
NORMALLY WHEN WE VISIT DETROIT, our plans are filled with more events and places than we can possibly get to, more restaurant meals than we can possibly eat. This past Memorial Day weekend, our plan, singular, was simply to be with our daughter Claire, whom we hadn’t seen in person since December 2019. Continue reading “A reunion with a daughter and Detroit”
Lettuce, peas, leeks, garlic, tarragon, butter and cream make a fresh soup that can be served warm or cold, and tastes like spring. Recipe below.
SOUP OR SALAD? IT’S A QUESTION most of us have answered countless times in restaurants. This soup, made with six cups of chopped lettuce, lets you answer “both.” Next question: who would make lettuce a main ingredient in a soup? French cooks, of course. And it is brilliant. Continue reading “Two courses in one: Delicate Pea and Lettuce Soup”
Chicken thighs, black beans, rice, tomatoes with green chilies, and cilantro make a hearty, slightly spicy dish that’s even better the second day. Recipe below.
WE’RE ALL LOOKING FOR EXTRA LITTLE BITS OF COMFORT these days and taking them wherever we find them. Not big or extravagant things—more often than not, just things that feel comfortably normal. This week, we talk about a few comforts we’re finding, including in the kitchen. Continue reading “Simple comforts and everyday cooking: Chicken with Black Beans and Rice”
From soup to roast, stew, crêpes and more, we explore classic French cooking and regional favorites.
THE NUMBER OF FRENCH-INSPIRED RECIPES I’ve shared here impresses (surprises? frightens?) even me. And they are all of a particular sort—not the haute cuisine of gourmet restaurants and luxury hotels, but the everyday dishes cooked at home that illustrate, for me, the French understanding—and love—of food. Simply cooked, usually with a handful of perfectly chosen ingredients perfectly prepared. Here are some of my favorites. Continue reading “10 French and French-inspired recipes from an unrepentant Francophile”
Five basic ingredients—soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns—turn Asian eggplants into a tangy, vegan Philippine adobo dish. Recipe below.
WE LOVE EGGPLANT. We also understand that some people don’t. There’s that slightly bitter taste that just puts them off. That’s one reason we really love Asian varieties of eggplant—they’re slightly sweet, without any bitterness. Of course another big reason we love Asian eggplants is that we most often encounter them on menus in Chinese restaurants—seek them out, in fact. Recently, a Filipino eggplant dish, Eggplant Adobo, caught our eye. Having just made Chicken Adobo, the unofficial national dish of the Philippines, we were intrigued, to say the least. Continue reading “Don’t like eggplant? Love it? Eggplant Adobo is for you”
FAMILY RECIPES GET SHARED IN MANY WAYS. Boxes of index cards, well worn and food-stained. Favorite cookbooks passed on with page corners turned down. And, for our daughter Laurel, this blog. Continue reading “Five favorite Blue Kitchen recipes, as selected by our Milwaukee daughter”
Make a whole batch of these delicious buttermilk waffles and freeze some for homemade toaster waffles. Recipe below.
ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, IF WE ARE IN TOWN (and let’s face it, these days we still always are), we kind of laze out of bed whenever. We drift down to the kitchen and sit around the island and have boatloads of coffee (me) and tea (Terry). We look out the back door into the tiny backyard and comment on whatever birds are visiting the birdbath (lately, a pair of cardinals are bossing around all other comers). Eventually, one of us makes a late breakfast. Continue reading “A cozy breakfast for you and future you: Buttermilk Waffles”
This simple vegetarian dish made with scallions, oil, two soy sauces, sugar and noodles is pure comfort food in Shanghai homes. Recipe below.
CHINESE FOOD IS ALWAYS SURPRISING US, always teaching us something new. There are so many regional cuisines, so many cooking techniques, so many secrets. Recently, ordering takeout from a new-to-us restaurant featuring Shanghai dishes, we came across scallion oil noodles— cōng yóu bàn miàn. Continue reading “Humble comfort from the city on the sea: Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles”
You’ll want to add this hearty soup of red lentils, coconut and coconut milk, garam masala, spinach and tomatoes to your rotation. Recipe below.
BY MOST STANDARDS, WE COOK WITH LENTILS A LOT. But to us, every time we do, we lament that we don’t do so more often. Most recently, cooking this vegetarian soup with red lentils, coconut and coconut milk, spinach, and tomatoes had us thinking just that. Continue reading “Vegetarian (or vegan) and delicious: Red Lentil Soup”