Pecan Tassies (think teeny tiny shortbread pecan pies)

Pecan Tassies are buttery, rich pecan pies made bite-sized with shortbread crusts. Recipe below.

AS IT HAPPENED, THIS YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 20 YEARS, we did not host Thanksgiving. One of our daughters got married in the spring, and we now find ourselves part of a big new family of the nicest, kindest, most fun people walking the earth. We spent Thanksgiving out of town with them, in Milwaukee (which admittedly is not that far out of town for us). I committed to bring a number of dishes, and among them were pies. Continue reading “Pecan Tassies (think teeny tiny shortbread pecan pies)” →

Thanksgiving on the road

Looking Along Broadway Toward Grace Church, Red Grooms, Cleveland Museum of Art

FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WHO CAN REMEMBER, we’re not hosting Thanksgiving this year, but traveling to a potluck celebration with family and friends. We’re still doing some cooking because we can’t not do some cooking. But we’re (and by that, I mean mostly Marion) not doing all of it. Mostly, we’re looking forward to spending time with everyone and enjoying a dazzling array of treats. Including, yes, a turkey. However and wherever you’re celebrating, if you are, we wish you a wonderful day and a wonderful meal. Happy Thanksgiving, all! Check back next week for a new recipe here.

Tasting the world in a Detroit weekend

A RECENT DETROIT WEEKEND REMINDED US YET AGAIN of how much richer migrants make us all—including on our plates. Our daughter and her boyfriend are major explorers of international cuisines in the Detroit area, and we are always happy to tag along, feasting on their finds. Like this Salvadoran pupuseria tucked between a quiet residential neighborhood and an industrial area in the city. The pupusas were amazing, our first time trying them. And the trio making them in the food truck, a family from El Salvador, was friendly, helpful and generous. We left with more food than we ordered, at their insistence. Continue reading “Tasting the world in a Detroit weekend” →

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup

Wild Rice Mushroom Soup is a hearty, savory, satisfying vegetarian soup, perfect for cold nights. Recipe below.

I’VE NEVER HAD LUCK WITH WILD RICE, which is my way of saying that in the distant past I’ve made some really awful things with it. So when our friend Carmen gave us a beautiful bag of black, shining wild rice from Minnesota, it took me some time to get over my fears and figure out, already, what to do with this thoughtful gift. No one should be surprised that the gateway to a wild rice dish that I actually love was: soup. And mushrooms. Continue reading “Wild Rice Mushroom Soup” →

Savoring seasonality: Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)

This luscious traditional northern French chicken dish, made with apples, apple cider and brandy, is a perfect autumnal meal. Recipe below.

FALL—AND FALL INGREDIENTS—ARE UPON US. For us, it means enjoying being back in the kitchen. This classic French recipe includes both apples and apple cider, true autumnal ingredients. As a bonus, it also calls for turning on the oven, warming the kitchen. Continue reading “Savoring seasonality: Poulet à la Normande (Normandy Chicken)” →

Linguine with Sautéed Fish and Parsley Anchovy Sauce

A bright, savory, umami-rich way to add more seafood to your diet. Recipe below.

ON OUR RECENT TRIP TO BOSTON, our diet consisted mostly of seafood and cannolis. Since we’ve been back, we’ve been craving more seafood in our regular diet. Well, and cannolis too, but our doctor encourages only the former. So when we came across a recipe featuring fresh and tinned fish, and pasta, we were all in. Continue reading “Linguine with Sautéed Fish and Parsley Anchovy Sauce” →

Cabbage and Red Lentil Soup, for cool autumn nights

NEXT MONTH, BLUE KITCHEN TURNS NINETEEN YEARS OLD. And when you’ve been creating recipes as long as we have, you lose track of some (or many) of the things you’ve cooked. The other day, Marion came across a recipe for a soup made with cabbage and lentils. It sounded maybe worth doing something with. When she checked our archives, though, it turned out she’d already made our own version of it, Cabbage and Red Lentil Soup. Continue reading “Cabbage and Red Lentil Soup, for cool autumn nights” →

Quick Berry Cake—berry, berry delicious

Fresh blueberries and raspberries, brown sugar and sour cream create a delicious not-too-sweet snack cake. Recipe below.

SINCE WE CAME BACK FROM OUR TRIP, I’ve been blundering around with simple, fruit-laden quick bread recipes. One that I was very optimistic about included oat flour, cinnamon and fresh chopped apples. That smelled great and looked so comforting, and it was a lot of fun to whiz up rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour. But in the end it was an aesthetic disaster, totally falling apart when sliced and even when speared with a fork. Yikes, no idea what I did wrong. Then I remembered some of the simple Polish cakes of my youth, featuring sour cream, blueberries and loads of sugar. Continue reading “Quick Berry Cake—berry, berry delicious” →

Notes from the road, eastern time

WE DO LOVE OUR ROAD TRIPS. Our latest took us to Boston, in search of seafood, art and history—and hanging out with friends here. Oysters and lobster were big parts of our mostly seafood diet while we were here. We ate at Neptune Oyster not once, but twice, during our four-day visit. Briny, sweet, creamy oysters and lobster rolls—warm with butter one night, cold with mayo the other, incredibly rich and delicious both nights. Continue reading “Notes from the road, eastern time” →

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

Black tea, orange zest and a host of aromatics give Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange a satisfyingly complex taste.

WE DON’T GRILL VERY OFTEN. Not sure why—we love grilled foods, and it’s no harder (or easier, for that matter) than other cooking methods. But over the years, we’ve stumbled across some techniques that have been showstoppers. One is the ancient Chinese technique of tea-smoking. Continue reading “Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange” →