Tamarind-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Tamarind paste and fresh orange juice create a lively, sweet/sour, caramelly, smoky glaze for roasted chicken thighs. Recipe below.

TAMARIND’S INTERNATIONAL APPEAL is what caught our eye first. The tamarind tree is native to Africa, but is now grown all over Asia and in Mexico. According to The Spruce Eats, the dark, sour, sticky paste made from its fruit is a common ingredient in Thai, Indian and Mexican cuisines, as well as Vietnamese, Latin, and Caribbean cooking. Here, it teams up with orange juice to bring a bright, citrusy freshness to oven-roasted chicken thighs. Continue reading “Tamarind-Glazed Chicken Thighs” →

Just buttery enough Shrimp Scampi

A mix of olive oil and butter (and not too much of either) gives Shrimp Scampi with Fettuccine its classic rich, indulgent flavor.

LAST WEEK’S SHRIMP CUCUMBER STRAWBERRY SALAD HAD US WANTING MORE SHRIMP. And the abundant parsley in our garden made us think of shrimp scampi. It’s a perfect summery pasta dish—garlic, white wine and parsley brighten it up while butter gives it a luxurious finish. But too many recipes go way overboard with the butter, making it heavy and calorific. Continue reading “Just buttery enough Shrimp Scampi” →

A cool dish for a hot summer day: Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad

Shrimp, crisp cucumber slices, juicy strawberries, fresh basil, chives and a slightly sweet vinaigrette create a cool, summery light meal. Recipe below.

WHEN SUMMER COMES IN HOT AND HEAVY, you don’t want your food to do the same. This light, flavorful Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad is as easy to make as it is to enjoy when it’s really hot out. Continue reading “A cool dish for a hot summer day: Shrimp Cucumber Strawberry Salad” →

Sunday dinner memories and Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce

The Dill Dijon Sauce on this Seared Salmon Fillet tastes rich, calorific and sinful, but is in fact 100% fat free.

SUNDAY DINNERS USED TO BE A REGULAR THING WITH US. First, with a rotating cast of friends, and then as we had kids, with family and the occasional friend. Then the girls grew up and moved to other cities, and Sunday dinners became much less frequent. Ironically, the pandemic revived them for us. Continue reading “Sunday dinner memories and Seared Salmon Fillets with Dill Dijon Sauce” →

Vegetarian flavor fest: Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter

A host of big-flavored ingredients—kimchi, gochujang paste, crumbled dried seaweed, garlic, Parmesan and scallions—all topped with an egg create a delicious vegetarian meal. Recipe below.

CHEF AND FOOD WRITER LARA LEE calls her Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter “a dish that flies the flag for sweet-spicy-salty-umami-fermented flavor.” That pretty much nails it. Continue reading “Vegetarian flavor fest: Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter” →

Classic Northern Italian Osso Buco

There are many versions of the Northern Italian dish osso buco. This one uses slow oven braising to make the meat flavorful, fork tender and moist.

A RECENT DINNER IN AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT reminded us how much we like actual Italian cuisine. We’re also fans of Italian-American cuisine, but it is something slightly different. Continue reading “Classic Northern Italian Osso Buco” →

Celebrating National Scone Day

SO, MAY 30 IS NATIONAL SCONE DAY. There being only so many days in the year, it is also National Creativity Day and National Mint Julep Day. But you know us, we’re happy to celebrate scones. Continue reading “Celebrating National Scone Day” →

Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill: A food safety guide for home cooks

EACH YEAR, FOODBORNE DISEASES SICKEN ABOUT 48 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE U.S. This cheerful estimate comes from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). They go on to say that an estimated 128,000 of those people are hospitalized and about 3,000 of them die. Fortunately, CDC offers ways home cooks can reduce the risk of foodborne illness in the kitchen. They break their cooking safety tips into four categories: clean, separate, cook and chill. Continue reading “Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill: A food safety guide for home cooks” →

Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms

Roasted mushrooms combine with polenta and Parmesan to create a creamy, earthy, cheesy vegetarian meal. Recipe below.

THE OTHER DAY, SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERED ME A VIDEO of someone making what he called Mushroom Polenta Bake. It was one of those super short, super telegraphic videos, the sort of airy thing that breezes past the nonsense side of cooking—measurements, timing, a lot of the ingredients—in favor of a quick, charming impression. But, as with so many of these sort-of-cooking videos, the information may have been ridiculous, but the visuals were alluring—so very alluring. Continue reading “Baked Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms” →

Braised Turkey Thighs

Braising turkey thighs with aromatics, red wine, broth and some unexpected umami ingredients delivers a perfect weekend dinner for family or friends. Recipe below.

TURKEY THIGHS ARE LIKE SUPER-SIZED CHICKEN THIGHS, IN THE BEST WAY. Meaty, juicy, flavorful and tender—the opposite of turkey or chicken breasts respectively, but with that distinctive turkey flavor that turns a meal into a celebration. Which makes them perfect for elevating a simple weekend dinner with family or friends. Continue reading “Braised Turkey Thighs” →