Slow, seasonal yard-to-table goodness: Romano Beans with Cashews

In season—and farmers markets—right now, Romano beans are simply, slowly cooked with olive oil, salt and chili pepper, then tossed with lemon juice and chopped cashews for a summery side or a lunch on their own. Recipe below.

Roma Beans

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]he first thing I did when we got home from our latest giant road trip was go out to survey the back 40. What with almost two weeks of neglect and dry weather, I had figured that things in the garden could be anything from merely meh to disastrous. They were actually pretty wonderful! Continue reading “Slow, seasonal yard-to-table goodness: Romano Beans with Cashews” →

Notes from the back roads of Quebec

No recipe this week—just a few thoughts about a road trip we’re on, driving the coast of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec.

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e are at Land’s End, in the town of Gaspé at the easternmost tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. We are on another of our patented road trips, but this one is unlike the others. We are not visiting any museums. We are spending little time in urban areas. Continue reading “Notes from the back roads of Quebec” →

Cocktail in a can: just add gin to Trader Joe’s Lemon Elderflower Soda

Gin and store-bought lemon elderflower soda—and maybe optional lemon—make a quick, refreshing summer cocktail. Recipe below.

Gin with Lemon Elderflower Soda

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]W[/su_dropcap]e’re big fans of fancy cocktails. We like the arcane ingredients, the layered flavors, the rituals of making them. We like sitting at bars and watching bartenders construct artisanal cocktails (everything is artisanal these days, so why not cocktails?). We like making them at home. But sometimes, all you need is something cold, refreshing, boozy and easy to make. This cocktail is exactly that. Continue reading “Cocktail in a can: just add gin to Trader Joe’s Lemon Elderflower Soda” →

Happy 4th of July. Pass the kimchi potato salad.

Kimchi Potato Salad

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]O[/su_dropcap]n this most American holiday, it is yet again necessary to remind us all that one thing that makes America what it is—that makes it, in fact, great—is immigrants. The men who drafted and signed the Declaration of Independence (and they were all men—don’t get me started on that) were either immigrants or children or grandchildren of immigrants. If you are not a descendant of Native Americans, you are the product of immigrants.

Today, Marion and I are going to a barbecue hosted by friends of ours, both first generation Americans, children of immigrants. We will be bringing this kimchi potato salad as our contribution to the meal. Not as a political statement, but because it is amazingly delicious. This is what happens when you welcome everyone to the table. You get to share wonderful riches. Happy fourth of July, everyone.

Welcoming summer with mezcal and nectarines: Nectarine Campfire

Sweet, juicy nectarines combine with smoky mezcal, basil, lime juice and simple syrup to create a cocktail that tastes like its name—Nectarine Campfire. Recipe below.

Mezcal Nectarine Cocktail

ONE OF THE PRIMAL PLEASURES OF SUMMER IS STONE FRUITS. Biting into a ripe plum and having its juice run down your chin. Slicing a fresh peach into a bowl of vanilla ice cream. Turning apricots, rosemary and sugar into an effortless, classically French dessert. Or maybe inventing a smoky, fruity summer cocktail with mezcal and nectarines. Continue reading “Welcoming summer with mezcal and nectarines: Nectarine Campfire” →

Macau-style Pork Chops and a farewell dinner

Inspired by Macau street food, pork chops are pounded thin and marinated overnight, then coated with panko bread crumbs and quickly fried. Serve with tossed greens or on slices of white bread. Recipe below.

Anthony Bourdain's Macau-style Pork Chops

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]L[/su_dropcap]ast Friday, Anthony Bourdain broke our hearts. All of our hearts. Partly, of course, because we knew we would never see him again, never hear his funny/smart/poignant/fierce stories again, never vicariously share his adventures again. But what truly broke our hearts was knowing that this generous, gentle, good man had suffered such profound sadness and pain. Continue reading “Macau-style Pork Chops and a farewell dinner” →

This soup runs hot and cold: Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup

Deceptively creamy despite the lack of dairy or butterfat, this deliciously mild-flavored soup can be served hot or cold. Recipe below.

Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup
Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup

THE WEATHER IS BEING VERY NEUROTIC. It’s June, but today it feels like… April maybe? We’ve had some days of near-90s, but that never sticks. The temperature keeps slinking back down. Continue reading “This soup runs hot and cold: Roasted Cauliflower and Potato Soup” →

Mixing it up, keeping it cool: five salad recipes

The sudden onslaught of full-on summer has us thinking salads. Here are five recipes—traditional and otherwise—for flavorful summer salads.

Berry Blue Cheese Watercress Salad

I THINK WE SLEPT THROUGH SPRING THIS YEAR IN CHICAGO. We went from comforters on the bed well into May to 98º this past weekend. From braises and stews to salads. These are some of our favorites. Continue reading “Mixing it up, keeping it cool: five salad recipes” →

Three new ways to up your Dutch oven game

At the 2018 International Home + Housewares Show, three cookware makers shared exciting updates to the hardworking kitchen mainstay, the Dutch oven.

Staub La Mer La Cocotte

[su_dropcap style=”flat”]T[/su_dropcap]he sturdy, versatile, cast iron Dutch oven traces its roots back to the early 1700s, the brainchild of an Englishman borrowing a casting technique developed in the Netherlands. At the Housewares Show, we saw some exciting variations on this venerable theme. Continue reading “Three new ways to up your Dutch oven game” →