Quick Berry Cake—berry, berry delicious

Fresh blueberries and raspberries, brown sugar and sour cream create a delicious not-too-sweet snack cake. Recipe below.

SINCE WE CAME BACK FROM OUR TRIP, I’ve been blundering around with simple, fruit-laden quick bread recipes. One that I was very optimistic about included oat flour, cinnamon and fresh chopped apples. That smelled great and looked so comforting, and it was a lot of fun to whiz up rolled oats in the blender to make the oat flour. But in the end it was an aesthetic disaster, totally falling apart when sliced and even when speared with a fork. Yikes, no idea what I did wrong. Then I remembered some of the simple Polish cakes of my youth, featuring sour cream, blueberries and loads of sugar. Continue reading “Quick Berry Cake—berry, berry delicious” →

Notes from the road, eastern time

WE DO LOVE OUR ROAD TRIPS. Our latest took us to Boston, in search of seafood, art and history—and hanging out with friends here. Oysters and lobster were big parts of our mostly seafood diet while we were here. We ate at Neptune Oyster not once, but twice, during our four-day visit. Briny, sweet, creamy oysters and lobster rolls—warm with butter one night, cold with mayo the other, incredibly rich and delicious both nights. Continue reading “Notes from the road, eastern time” →

Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange

Black tea, orange zest and a host of aromatics give Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange a satisfyingly complex taste.

WE DON’T GRILL VERY OFTEN. Not sure why—we love grilled foods, and it’s no harder (or easier, for that matter) than other cooking methods. But over the years, we’ve stumbled across some techniques that have been showstoppers. One is the ancient Chinese technique of tea-smoking. Continue reading “Tea-smoked Grilled Chicken with Star Anise & Orange” →

Thai-style Watermelon Salad

Chilled watermelon cubes, Thai basil, mint, peppers, pickled red onion and fish sauce create a refreshing salad with a touch of umami. Recipe below.

I AM NOT A BRUNCH PERSON, but there’s a place in Milwaukee, Uncle Wolfie’s Downtown, that is making me change my ways. It’s always so delicious, and friendly, and interesting, and I always have something that opens my eyes. TBH, it’s one of my favorite places to eat on the planet. Continue reading “Thai-style Watermelon Salad” →

Jazzing up jarred red sauce for weeknight-quick deliciousness

YOU’LL ALWAYS FIND A JAR OR TWO OF RED SAUCE IN OUR PANTRY. We think of it as a starter kit, something to tweak into dinner quickly on a busy weeknight. And to use up fresh veggies or whatever in the fridge. Last week, after returning from a few days in Detroit, we were pleased to see that a half-pound of baby bella mushrooms were still beautiful and fresh, perfect for a red sauce dinner. Continue reading “Jazzing up jarred red sauce for weeknight-quick deliciousness” →

Blending global flavors deliciously: Grilled Moroccan Flank Steak

Cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic and fresh ginger all add to the big, exotic flavor of this quickly grilled, tender steak.

CHECK MANY AMERICAN PANTRIES AND FRIDGES, and you’ll find ingredients from all over. That’s certainly the case here at Blue Kitchen. Apparently, it’s also true in Morocco. Continue reading “Blending global flavors deliciously: Grilled Moroccan Flank Steak” →

Weeknight-quickish Chicken Thighs with Basil and Lemon

Fresh basil, lemon and garlic add bright, lively flavor to easy-to-make roast chicken thighs. Recipe below.

BASIL IS A REGULAR FEATURE IN OUR GARDEN. Easy to grow, it most often sees action in batches of pesto in our kitchen—some consumed the day they’re made as part of a summery pasta, many more batches frozen for enjoying a taste of summer in the dead of winter. Looking for another way to use our bounteous basil, we remembered some chicken thighs lurking in the fridge. Continue reading “Weeknight-quickish Chicken Thighs with Basil and Lemon” →

Rich Fudgy Brownies with (or without) Pecans

These rich, chewy, chocolaty brownies are topped with a delicious two-ingredient icing. Recipe below.

THE OTHER DAY, OUR NEIGHBOR ROSA INVITED US TO A COOKOUT in her backyard in honor of her sister Lorena’s birthday. We love her cookouts—there’s always great food and great conversation and her yard is an elegant, shady oasis—even on the hottest days, she somehow conjures cooling breezes. And we love Lorena, so celebrating her birthday? in Rosa’s yard? sounded like a perfect evening. Continue reading “Rich Fudgy Brownies with (or without) Pecans” →

Greek Grilled Chicken Thighs

Olive oil, lemons, garlic, oregano, paprika and Greek yogurt create a delicious, tenderizing marinade for grilled chicken thighs.

SUMMER IS MADE FOR GRILLING. This summer, though, I’ve glanced guiltily at our grill on the patio countless times when we’ve been working in our garden, but haven’t fired it up even once. So we figured we could at least share one of our favorite grilled chicken recipes for those of you who are grilling this summer. Continue reading “Greek Grilled Chicken Thighs” →

Arugula Mushroom Quiche

Arugula and mushrooms team up in this slightly peppery, umami-rich vegetarian quiche. Recipe below.

ONE OF LIFE’S LITTLE PLEASURES FOR US is looking in the fridge and seeing leftover quiche, ready to be gently reheated or, honestly, just eaten cold. We’re experiencing that now, thanks to my recent urge to actually make a quiche. Continue reading “Arugula Mushroom Quiche” →