Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes

Blueberry Peach Galette

GALETTES ARE PIES’ LESS FUSSY COUSINS, with the filling simply piled in the middle of an unbaked, rolled out crust and the edges of said crust folded up and crimped around it. Imperfections aren’t just allowed—they’re part of the rustic beauty. Continue reading “Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes”

If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it

A Detroit favorite, this pan-baked pizza is enjoying a very long national moment pretty much everywhere.

Detroit-style Pizza

DETROIT-STYLE PIZZA. Thick, square cut, chewy, crunchy—and increasingly, ubiquitous. Two years ago, in fact, Food & Wine covered the trend in an article entitled “How Detroit-Style Pizza Took Over America.” Continue reading “If Detroit-style Pizza won’t come to you, here’s how to make it”

Don’t call them bite-sized: down-sized scones are a perfectly sized treat

WE MADE A LOT OF SCONES LAST WEEKEND. Like many scone recipes, the ones here at Blue Kitchen make eight scones. But honestly, when we make them that size, we often eat part of one, then come back later to finish it. So lately, we’ve been downsizing our scones, getting a dozen from the same batch of dough. The smaller scones are perfect for a breakfast treat, dessert or afternoon snack. Continue reading “Don’t call them bite-sized: down-sized scones are a perfectly sized treat”

Japan’s lighter take on the classic Gin & Tonic: Gin Sonic

The Gin Sonic adds club soda to traditional tonic water for a lighter taste that highlights the gin’s flavor. Recipe below.

Gin Sonic

GIN & TONIC HAS LONG BEEN MY GO-TO SUMMER COCKTAIL. Then our friend Kevin told us about Spain’s take on this most British of cocktails, and I was newly smitten. So imagine my delight to discover Japan’s own lighter version, the Gin Sonic. Continue reading “Japan’s lighter take on the classic Gin & Tonic: Gin Sonic”

For an almost no-cook dinner, just boil water: Pasta with Pecan Pesto

Basil, Parmesan, garlic, pecans and olive oil create a fresh, lively summer meal without heating up the kitchen.

Pasta with Pecan Pesto

SUMMER HEAT HAS US ALL COOKING LESS. Or at least trying to not heat up the kitchen. Pesto in its various forms is an ideal compromise. It’s essentially a salsa cruda—a raw, uncooked sauce. And besides quickly pan roasting the pecans, the only thing you cook is the pasta. Continue reading “For an almost no-cook dinner, just boil water: Pasta with Pecan Pesto”

Summer fruit meets a classic French dessert: Nectarine Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a traditional French dessert, basically baked custard with fresh fruit. This version features summery nectarines. Recipe below.

Nectarine Clafoutis

IL éTAIT UNE FOIS, I would make clafoutis for dessert all the time. It was my effortless fallback, quick, simple, fresh and, of course, delicious. Continue reading “Summer fruit meets a classic French dessert: Nectarine Clafoutis”

So cool, so delicious: Balaban’s Chilled Cucumber Bisque

Balaban’s Chilled Cucumber Bisque

WE BOUGHT CUCUMBERS RECENTLY FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE and that had me thinking about this exquisite chilled bisque. It is cool and fresh and surprisingly luxurious—for that, credit goes to cream, egg yolks and lots of butter. The soup was created at a storied St. Louis restaurant, Balaban. You’ll find the recipe for this wonderful summer-perfect soup—and the delicious, improbable back story for the restaurant—right here. And you’ll find me at the grocery store. I’ve gone to get cucumbers.

Summery, spicy and fruit forward: Smoky Raspberry Margarita

Raspberries, orange juice and lime juice bring the fruit, mezcal, the smoke and jalapeño, the heat to this summer cocktail. Recipe below.

Smoky Raspberry Margarita

ANYONE WHO’S BEEN FOLLOWING US A WHILE KNOWS WE LOVE MEZCAL. We love the smoke, we love the variations—every mezcal is essentially an artisanal product, so every label is its own adventure. We love just sipping it slowly on its own, but that is more of a winter thing.  Continue reading “Summery, spicy and fruit forward: Smoky Raspberry Margarita”

Happily rediscovering Chicken Schnitzel

Classic Austrian schnitzel gets a crispy, juicy, chickeny makeover.

Chicken Schnitzel

WHEN YOU’VE BEEN SHARING RECIPES FOR 16+ YEARS, you can be forgiven for forgetting some of them. Not just ingredients and measurements and processes, but the actual dish. When we were shopping recently and came across thinly sliced chicken breast cutlets, though, a couple of synapses fired. Suddenly, we sort of remembered doing something with this cut that maybe involved panko and was definitely delicious. Continue reading “Happily rediscovering Chicken Schnitzel”