This pretty much defines our life at the moment. All good, but zero time to cook tonight’s post, let alone photograph it and write about it. See you next week.
Not weeknight quick, but company worthy: Pan-roasted Chicken with Cranberries
The signature tartness of fresh cranberries turns pan-roasted chicken, potatoes, shallots and herbs into a complex, company-ready meal. Recipe below.
SOMEWHERE IN OUR STASH OF VINTAGE ADVERTISING EPHEMERA is a cardboard novelty sign that probably hung behind a bar somewhere in the fifties, or maybe the forties: “I’m not a slow bartender. I’m not a fast bartender. I’m a half fast bartender.” That pretty much describes my cooking style. Continue reading “Not weeknight quick, but company worthy: Pan-roasted Chicken with Cranberries”
Simple to make, not too sinful: Mixed Berries Olive Oil Cake
Mixed fresh berries and olive oil keep this cake deliciously light—for weekend guests or a treat for yourself. Recipe below.
OUR THANKSGIVING DESSERTS, as ever, ranged from the delicious reliables (pumpkin pie!) to the wild and crazy throwbacks (tiny chocolate bottles filled with liqueur!) to the outrageous (chocolate tres leches cake!). But when the guests had gone, and the last loads of bedsheets and dishes were stacked and put away, and the idiot cats had emerged from their hiding places blinking into the light, I found myself wanting something easy, something simple and sweet—and something I could knock together in a few minutes, without having to go to the store or particularly think. Continue reading “Simple to make, not too sinful: Mixed Berries Olive Oil Cake”
Breakfast for dinner: Breakfast Pasta with Bacon and Kale
Bacon, kale and a freshly beaten egg give this weeknight-quick pasta a satisfyingly breakfasty flavor. Recipe below.
Our younger daughter just moved to a new city and started a rewarding, but demanding, job. To her credit, she is still managing to cook at home more often than not. Sunday evenings will often find her cooking a batch of something that will serve as at least a few lunches. For dinners, she frequently improvises something like this quick pasta. Continue reading “Breakfast for dinner: Breakfast Pasta with Bacon and Kale”
Fried Green Tomato Soup, inspired by Toledo
Green tomatoes make this creamy soup less tomato-y, more vegetal. Leeks, garlic, thyme and bacon add to its savoriness. Recipe below.
We seem to have a natural affinity for the Rust Belt. Marion grew up in Detroit, me in St. Louis. And while our ultimate destination on our recent road trip was Washington, DC and the Virginias, stops in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Toledo moved us every bit as much. Continue reading “Fried Green Tomato Soup, inspired by Toledo”
The Anniversary Edition: 11 Years, 11 Recipes
Eleven years ago this month, we started Blue Kitchen. We really had no idea exactly what we were doing or any clue we’d still be publishing it now. But our love of food—eating it, making it, thinking, talking and writing about it—has kept us going. Today, we launch into year 12 with a look back at the first 11 years, one recipe per. Continue reading “The Anniversary Edition: 11 Years, 11 Recipes”
Sipping autumn: Apple Cider Old Fashioned
A seasonal spin on the classic old fashioned, made with bourbon, apple cider, maple syrup and rosemary. Recipe below.
Our recent road trip had a definite autumnal feel, everywhere we traveled. Crisp, chilly mornings followed by warm, sunny afternoons with deep blue fall skies. Followed later by rainy, misty gray weather the last two days on the road. Continue reading “Sipping autumn: Apple Cider Old Fashioned”
Sweet home Chicago
We are home again after having driven precisely 2,200 miles in 11 days. An amazing trip through Pittsburgh; Washington, DC; various points in Virginia; Charleston, West Virginia; and Cleveland (with an art stop in Toledo this afternoon). Tuesday nights are when we write our posts that go up on Wednesday, but we’ve seriously been home an hour and a half now. See you next week with a recipe and a travel story or two.
Another road trip, more random thoughts
We are on the road again, right now in our nation’s capital. In the next week or so, we’ll talk about some of the food we ate, the cocktails we drank. But for now, just a few thoughts about one place we visit every time we come to Washington, D.C. Continue reading “Another road trip, more random thoughts”
Making the most of the cheap cuts: four recipes for braised short ribs
IT’S BEEN A SLOPPY COUPLE OF DAYS HERE AS FALL SETTLES IN—rainy, blustery, chilly. That might get some people thinking about warm, sunny climes somewhere. What I’m thinking about is short ribs. Meaty, flavorful and, yes, a little chewy, short ribs are one of my favorite “cheap cuts” of beef. Here are four recipes perfect for cold, rainy days. Continue reading “Making the most of the cheap cuts: four recipes for braised short ribs”