“Yes, and…” one-pan(demic) improv cooking: White Beans with Sausage and Kale

White Beans with Sausage and Kale is the perfect pandemic dish—easy to make, infinitely adjustable based on what you have on hand and comfortingly delicious. Recipe and variations below.

THE FIRST THING THEY TEACH YOU IN IMPROV is the “yes, and” rule. When someone puts an idea out there, you don’t refute it. You agree and build on it. “Boy, it’s a beautiful day today.” “Yes, and as we continue to approach the sun, it just keeps getting brighter!” We’re applying “yes, and” thinking a lot in the kitchen these days. Continue reading ““Yes, and…” one-pan(demic) improv cooking: White Beans with Sausage and Kale” →

A much needed taste of home: Detroit-style Pizza

A Detroit favorite, this pan-baked pizza is versatile, easy to make and delicious. Recipe below.

I MISS DETROIT SO MUCH. Since the pandemic started, we have not been anywhere that is not here. We have not been outside the city limits. No one except one of our kids has been in our house, and we have not been in anyone’s house, or in a restaurant, or a store, or a bar, or a hotel, or the office. Our offices are entirely remote (some people at my workplace think we will not reopen for five years). Our usual frequent road trips and train trips and lazy weekends spent wandering around Wisconsin or Michigan and quick drop-ins to see the kids—that has not happened. We miss the kids so much. We miss our familiar places so much. We miss Detroit so much. Continue reading “A much needed taste of home: Detroit-style Pizza” →

Yogurt adds tang, tenderness to Greek Grilled Chicken

Olive oil, lemons, garlic, oregano, paprika and Greek yogurt create a delicious, tenderizing marinade for grilled chicken thighs. Recipe below.

ONE THING THAT’S BEEN KEEPING US SANE during all of everything has been nightly walks in our neighborhood. Or sometimes drives to other neighborhoods for new places to walk. One favorite destination is downtown. To get there, we often cut through Chicago’s Greektown on South Halsted Street. Continue reading “Yogurt adds tang, tenderness to Greek Grilled Chicken” →

An easy pasta dish you’ll make again and again: Lemony Linguine Carbonara

Lemon brightens up this summery take on rich, creamy carbonara sauce. Recipe below.

Lemony Linguine Carbonara

TURNS OUT WE DON’T HAVE ALL THE IDEAS. I know! I’m as surprised as you are! In our quest to find new recipe ideas—and keep our inbox as stuffed as possible—we subscribe to Mark Bittman’s weekly emails. The other day, he talked about “What Some Really Fascinating People Like to Eat.” Continue reading “An easy pasta dish you’ll make again and again: Lemony Linguine Carbonara” →

Captain’s log, supplemental: No-Knead Loaf Pan Bread

Adjusting some ingredient amounts and using a loaf pan makes our original no-knead bread faster rising and sandwich friendly. Recipe below.

WE’VE BEEN BINGE WATCHING STAR TREK, specifically The Next Generation. There’s just something comforting about the ensemble cast’s interactions and development, the late ’80s hairstyles of the future (and late ’80s views of future technology—who knew iPads would still be with us?), the creative technobabble…

Steeped in this fun alternate universe, when we started thinking about making a loaf pan version of our no-knead bread, I wondered aloud if it needed its own post, or if it was merely a “captain’s log, supplemental.” Continue reading “Captain’s log, supplemental: No-Knead Loaf Pan Bread” →

Mastering secrets and Blueberry Thyme Scones

Fresh blueberries, thyme, lemon zest and juice—and two insider tips—create light, delicious scones. Recipe below.

BY NOW, PROBABLY EVERYONE HAS HEARD OF MASTERCLASS, where masters of their crafts in various fields teach online classes. The creative agency where I work gave us all MasterClass subscriptions so we could learn whatever caught our imaginations while we’re all stuck at home. But being a creative agency, we of course took it further. We’ve started doing our own master classes, with colleagues sharing their own special skills. These scones are a direct result of that. Continue reading “Mastering secrets and Blueberry Thyme Scones” →

Tasting history: West African Groundnut Stew

From the cookbook Jubilee: Recipes from Two Hundred Years of African American Cooking, this comforting stew features chicken, aromatics, tomatoes, spices and peanut butter. Recipe below.

IF YOU’RE A READER OF FOOD BLOGS, YOU PROBABLY ALSO HAVE COOKBOOKS. Maybe even a fairly impressive collection. By her own count, Toni Tipton-Martin has “rescued nearly 400 Black cookbooks—many of them rare—dating back to 1827.” To Tipton-Martin, a James Beard Book Award-winning food and nutrition journalist, these are more than cookbooks. They are a history of African Americans, primarily women, told through the filter of food and the kitchen. Continue reading “Tasting history: West African Groundnut Stew” →

Get creative with what you have on hand: Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops

Mustard(s), vinegar, oil, herbs and garlic create a lively marinade for bone-in pork chops. Recipe—and multiple variations—below.

I AM NOT BIG ON PLANNING. NEVER HAVE BEEN. So one of my challenges with cooking, especially these days, is having/getting ingredients. Far too often, I’ll look at a recipe that sounds interesting only to see that I don’t have a crucial ingredient. Or several. Continue reading “Get creative with what you have on hand: Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops” →

Smoke, heat and indelible memories: Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail

Mezcal supplies the smoke and Ancho Reyes liqueur the fire in this summery, spicy, cucumber-y cocktail. Recipe below.

ON THE FIRST NIGHT WE WERE IN MEXICO CITY, we set out from our room for a drink and a light dinner. It was nighttime, and the first time we’d visited the CDMX. The weather was perfect—a little cool, with a light breeze, and we were feeling that steady, quiet pleasure that we only get when we are exploring a place new to us. Continue reading “Smoke, heat and indelible memories: Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail” →

What are you cooking for the 4th? 15 surprising recipe ideas

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

ANOTHER MAJOR FOOD HOLIDAY IS UPON US. Everywhere, magazines, emails, friends and online food sources are sharing recipes. Seemed like a good idea to us too. So good that when we checked our archives, we found we’d done a pretty bang up job a few years ago. Unexpected dishes, like this one, chicken tea-smoked with star anise and orange, then grilled. You’ll find this and 14 other surprising recipes, from grilling to appetizers, sides (including three potato salads) and desserts, right here. Have a great, delicious 4th.