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.

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.

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.

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” →

A pause, but not a silent one.

Forgive

WE’RE NOT SHARING A RECIPE THIS WEEK. You’re reading this post when you’re reading it, but we’re writing it on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Eight days after the death of George Floyd. Right now, in these unprecedented—and many would say unpresidented—times, no one is thinking much about cooking. We’re thinking about safety. And justice. About something so broken for so long.

Take care of yourselves. Care about others—even, and maybe especially, those you don’t know. And may never know. Do what you can do to help, and be safe. We’ll be back next week.

Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole

This twist on the classic comfort food tuna casserole swaps cannellini beans for pasta. The recipe, with many options and substitutions, below.

THIS IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE CONNECTEDNESS OF ALL THINGS. It’s based on a recipe in The New York Times by Melissa Clark, who in turn based her take on a recipe by London-based food writer Diana Henry, which in turn is a take on a French recipe, Breton tuna white bean gratin, which leads to that foundation stone of American home cooking, the tuna casserole. Continue reading “Based on, based on, based on: Tuna White Bean Casserole” →

Chicken with a side of history, substitutions allowed: Country Captain

A Southern Lowcountry curried chicken dating back to the 1800s welcomes variations and tastes comfortingly old-fashioned. Recipe below.

FOOD CHANGES, TASTES EVOLVE. Yes, there are some enduring classic dishes that will forever be made, but many have their moment, then fade from memory. I only heard of Country Captain recently, when I read about a baker in Savannah giving it a makeover as a salad. I immediately wanted to know more about the non-made-over original. Continue reading “Chicken with a side of history, substitutions allowed: Country Captain” →