PASSOVER IS HERE AND THAT MEANS MATZOH is readily available in stores. During Passover, those who celebrate cannot eat leavened bread. Matzoh (matzo, matzah, matza) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine, made with flour, water, salt and maybe a little olive oil. The matzoh you find in stores is crispy, like oversized crackers. Here are two of our favorite ways to use it. Continue reading “Matzoh for breakfast, dessert”
Steak au poivre, a French bistro favorite with peppery, creamy sauce, gets a lighter makeover with chicken thighs. Recipe below.
WE’RE EATING LESS RED MEAT THESE DAYS, for all the various reasons many people are. So when we came across recipes for using chicken instead of steak for the classic French dish steak au poivre, we were excited. Continue reading “A lighter twist on a French classic, Chicken au Poivre”
Shrimp, garlic, red pepper flakes, paprika and lemon create a popular Spanish tapas dish.
WE ALL NEED CULINARY SECRET WEAPONS, dishes that taste amazing and are easy to make. Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp ajillo) is one of those secret weapon dishes, showstopping delicious and ridiculously simple to prepare. Cook some sliced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes (LOTS of both) in olive oil for a minute; add paprika, lemon juice, sherry and shrimp, and cook for another few minutes; top with parsley and done. Serve with crusty bread for soaking up the juices and you’ll have guests elbowing each other out of the way for the last bits. Continue reading “Gambas al Ajillo: a showstopping Spanish shrimp tapas”
Not really a ramen or pho hack, but a flavorful, satisfying, easy-to-make soup. Recipe below.
RECIPES ARE RIFE WITH HACKS AND CHEATS THESE DAYS, especially online and on social media. We recently succumbed to exploring “ramen cheats” because we love ramen. Was the soup we ended up making ramen? No. Was it a faux pho? Again, no. But what it was was a delicious, comforting, easy Asian Style Soup. Continue reading “Ramen? No. Pho? Not that either—comforting, easy Asian Style Soup”
A mix of marinade seasonings delivers big flavor and tender, juicy chops. Recipe below.
PORK CHOPS ARE GREAT AT ABSORBING FLAVORS, especially with a marinade. This recipe uses a mix of flavorings—fresh ginger, garlic, soy sauce, honey, gochujang (fermented red pepper paste), sesame oil and soy sauce—to create savory, slightly sweet, slightly spicy pork chops that are juicy and tender. Continue reading “Tender, juicy, flavorful—Korean Style Pork Chops”
Modestly sized Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with a maple cinnamon cream cheese icing pack big flavor. Recipe below.
WHEN IT COMES TO BAKING, MY VERY FAVORITE BLOG IS SALLY’S BAKING, a great site for bakers at every skill level. Want to make mille-feuille, or baked Alaska, or a checkerboard cake? Sally’s got you. Want to make cornbread, or dinner rolls, or pizza dough? She’s got you. She’s also got you if you are completely inexperienced and baking-curious. She and her team explain everything with a friendly clarity and precision and her site, in operation since 2011, is chock full of excellent recipes. I never fail to learn a lot, and all her recipes taste just great. Case in point? These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Continue reading “Small in size, big on taste—Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls”
Stovetop-cooked Braised Pork Stew with Leeks and Mushrooms is simple, subtle and absolutely comforting. Recipe below.
BIG FLAVORS TEND TO DRIVE A LOT OF OUR COOKING. Sometimes a single big-flavored ingredient, sometimes several. Braised Pork Stew with Leeks and Mushrooms is the opposite—simple, subtle and absolutely comforting in a mild-mannered way. Continue reading “Braised Pork Stew with Leeks and Mushrooms”
Parboiling potatoes before grating and frying them makes Swiss rösti potatoes creamy inside and crispy outside. Recipe and variations below.
MY SISTER RECENTLY REMINDED ME OF A TRIP WE TOOK TO TORONTO back in the 90s, which included brunch at one of those restaurants that have a bunch of food stations scattered through a pleasant, bustling hall. Places like that seem to have become the province of hospital and museum cafeterias, but at the time it was a fairly new concept, and, man, I loved it. The place was charming and inviting, everything we had was enjoyable, and everyone was having a lovely time. And the dish my sister particularly remembers was their Rösti potatoes. Continue reading “Creamy fried Swiss potatoes: Rösti Potatoes with Gruyere”
Fresh fennel, and lemon and orange slices roasted with chicken thighs deliver a lively, bright, savory meal. Recipe below.
WE COOK WITH FENNEL QUITE A BIT, judging from our archives. The licorice or anise flavor (some stores even call fennel bulbs anise) gets subtle as you cook it and adds a nice freshness to all kinds of dishes. In this simple chicken dish, citrus adds its own brightness, creating a lively, savory dish that belies how easy it is to make. Continue reading “Roast Chicken Thighs with Fennel and Citrus”
SOMETIMES THE HUMBLEST RESTAURANT DISHES are what you really crave. Like egg drop soup. It is indeed a traditional Chinese soup, served across many regions with a number of variations. As Fred Walter says in FLAVORYCOOKING, “Egg drop soup has become an integral part of Chinese culture, symbolizing good fortune, prosperity, and unity.” Continue reading “Restaurant authentic, homemade Egg Drop Soup”