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.

No-knead Loaf Pan Bread
No-knead Loaf Pan Bread

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.

Blueberry Thyme Scones
Blueberry Thyme Scones

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.

West African Groundnut Stew
West African Groundnut Stew

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.

Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops
Grilled Dijon Balsamic Pork Chops

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.

Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail
Absent Friends Mezcal Cocktail

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
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.

Aptly named, make-it-again delicious: Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry

Lao Gan Ma Spicy Chili Crisp adds crunchy, garlicky spiciness to celery, bell peppers, garlic, ginger and extra firm tofu in this quick vegan stir fry. Recipe below.

Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry
Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry

IN RECENT DAYS, WE’VE SEEN A NUMBER OF ARTICLES in which food writers and chefs stuck at home and even regular folks talk about the extras they need to have in their kitchen—not the basic pantry items like beans or tinned fish or unbleached flour, but basics-plus—the things that bring a dish to life, that are the foundations of their palates and styles. Preserved lemons, black garlic, 5-year cheddar, harissa paste, Plugra butter, fish sauce, Tabasco, gochujang. Continue reading “Aptly named, make-it-again delicious: Weeknight Spicy Tofu Stir Fry”

Hearty, flavorful, vegan: Indian-style Butter Beans

Fragrant and spicy (but hot overly hot), this vegan dish with canned butter beans is a quick, satisfying main course when served with rice, naan or roti. It can also be a flavorful side. Recipe below.

Indian-style Butter Beans
Indian-style Butter Beans

LIKE MOST EVERYONE, WE’RE COOKING AT HOME. A LOT. So we’re trying to mix things up as much as possible, keep things interesting. A recent grocery delivery included canned butter beans. We both love butter beans, and I primarily equate them with the American South. But when Marion was too busy to cook one evening, she nudged me toward dishes of the Indian subcontinent. Continue reading “Hearty, flavorful, vegan: Indian-style Butter Beans”

Black Lives Matter: ways we can help, learn, make a difference

NO RECIPE AGAIN THIS WEEK. With so much going on everywhere, we’re just not ready to write about sautéing and braising and such. Events continue to roller coaster, even now. But along with the pervasive anger, fear and hopelessness, there are true signs of hope. Signs change may be finally coming. Continue reading “Black Lives Matter: ways we can help, learn, make a difference”