Simple comfort when we need it most: Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup

Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup is delicious, comforting, infinitely flexible—vegetarian, not vegetarian—and easy to make from what you have on hand. Recipe below.

Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup
Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup

SHELTER IN PLACE. Enough has been said about how we got to this strange time and place that I don’t need to add anything here. But suddenly, more of us are cooking at home than ever, oftentimes with what we have at hand. Partly, of course, it is by necessity. But many of us are taking comfort in cooking. Continue reading “Simple comfort when we need it most: Tuscan Lentil and White Bean Soup” →

Two distinctly French ingredients flavor Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

Cognac and two Dijon mustards flavor this rich, hearty classic French stew. Recipe below.

Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew
Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew

LOOK UP CARNIVOROUS FRANCOPHILE in the dictionary and you’ll probably see my picture. Okay, it’s not a real dictionary term, but it should be. The French are particularly good at taking humble cheap cuts of meat—beef chuck roast, for instance—and slow cooking them into something spectacular. Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew is a perfect example. Continue reading “Two distinctly French ingredients flavor Dijon and Cognac Beef Stew” →

Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made

Un-iced and not overly sweet, this cinnamon roll is a perfect dessert, breakfast or anytime snack. Recipe below.

Cinnamon Roll
Cinnamon Rolls

YOU KNOW HOW SOMETIMES SOMEONE SAYS A THING TO YOU that unexpectedly puts everything in a whole new light? That opens a doorway where, for the longest and most wearying time, you’d just seen the same dull wall? Continue reading “Cinnamon Rolls, almost like my mother made” →

Easy, subtle comfort: Cream of Belgian Endive Soup

Belgian endives, leeks, onions, celery and cream are the basis for this delicately flavored traditional Belgian soup. Recipe below.

Cream of Belgian Endive Soup
Cream of Belgian Endive Soup

SOME YEARS AGO, MARION AND HER SISTER VISITED PARIS REGULARLY. On one trip, they also went to Belgium. Marion said they ate better there than any place they had eaten in Paris. So when I recently discovered the apparently appropriately named Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook, I was intrigued, to say the least. Continue reading “Easy, subtle comfort: Cream of Belgian Endive Soup” →

Hold the garlic for traditional Amatriciana sauce

Guanciale (or pancetta), onion, canned Italian tomatoes and Pecorino Romano—but no garlic—are the basic ingredients for Amatriciana sauce, a simple Italian favorite. Recipe below.

Spaghetti with Amatriciana Sauce
Spaghetti All’ Amatriciana

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]o me, garlic is deeply ingrained in Italian cuisine. So much so that every single time I make Lidia Bastianich’s Ziti with Sausage and Fennel, I’m surprised to remember that it has no garlic. Turns out Italians have a much more nuanced relationship with this fragrant Allium. Continue reading “Hold the garlic for traditional Amatriciana sauce” →

Shop and store right to keep spices fresher longer

A quick guide to buying spices—in-store and online—and to properly storing them.

The Spice Shop, Paolo Antonio Barbieri, 1637

SPICES AND THEIR AROMATIC BRETHREN, HERBS, are key tools for turning food into cuisine, for giving dishes a major part of their identity. Besides using them wisely, knowing how and where to shop for them—and how to store them when you’re not using them—can make a huge difference in your cooking. Here are some tips. Continue reading “Shop and store right to keep spices fresher longer” →

A Korean staple flavors perfect-for-winter Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower

Gochujang—a readily available Korean pepper paste—teams up with ginger, garlic and lime juice to create a lively sauce for roasted chicken and cauliflower. Recipe below.

Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower

TO US, THE BEST WAY TO ROAST A WHOLE CHICKEN is to not roast a whole chicken, but to roast chicken parts. So when Marion came across a promising recipe for a slow-roasted whole chicken featuring a gochujang sauce, we broke it down to thighs and drumsticks. Continue reading “A Korean staple flavors perfect-for-winter Gochujang Chicken and Cauliflower” →

A vegetarian Okra Stew offers balancing, restorative powers

This traditional, vegetarian Sudanese stew of okra, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cinnamon, topped with cinnamon-flavored couscous, is perfect for re-energizing—or just enjoying. Recipes below.

Alek Wek’s Balancing Okra Stew

[su_dropcap style=”flat” size=”3″]T[/su_dropcap]his refreshing, healthy recipe is by the model, author and Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Alek Wek. A traditional Sudanese dish, it originally appeared in the New York Times in 2018, part of its occasional My Detox series. Continue reading “A vegetarian Okra Stew offers balancing, restorative powers” →