WE LOVE MUSSELS. A LOT. Every time we cook them, we think we should have them way more often. Here are four reasons you should cook them more often. Continue reading “Four good reasons to cook mussels, six great recipes for cooking them”
BECAUSE PASSOVER IS UPON US (sundown April 12 through April 20), you’ll find that matzoh is readily available in many stores. For us, that means it’s time for two of our favorite recipes, matzoh brei and matzoh crack. Continue reading “Making the most of Passover with two matzoh treats”
This layered cabbage roll casserole delivers the comforting flavor of gołąbki (cabbage rolls) without all the effort of making the rolls. Recipe below.
IF, LIKE ME, YOU GREW UP WITH A MOM WHO WOULD MAKE GOŁĄBKI—the comforting, homey classic that not-Polish people call cabbage rolls—then you sometimes just get a hankering. And it’s an itch that is not easy to scratch. Gołąbki (pronounced go-UMPki), frankly, is a colossal nuisance. It is complicated. It is time consuming. It demands a particular appearance, and it is very easy to ruin. Continue reading “Gołąbki in casserole form—unrolling cabbage rolls”
IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, we’re revisiting a recipe, a cookbook and a place. We first reviewed Hedgebrook Cookbook: Celebrating Radical Hospitality back in 2013. Hedgebrook is a women’s writing retreat on Whidbey Island in Washington state. Since 1988, its six cabins have been home to an impressive list of women writers. Continue reading “Italian Chicken Stew from a women’s writing retreat”
Four simple ingredients and minimal effort create rich, delicious fudge. Recipe and multiple variations below.
I WAS TODAY YEARS OLD WHEN I FOUND OUT HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE FUDGE. Really, I had no idea. I thought it was an ornate process requiring marble slabs, special molds and spatulas, numerous ingredients and long hours. Turns out, none of that is the case. Continue reading “Easy-to-make “College Fudge,” a women’s colleges legacy”
FANCY MUSHROOMS ARE EVERYWHERE. Supermarkets, farmers markets. Even foraging, if you’re adventurous. So it’s easy to overlook the humble white button mushroom. But as it turns out, they have as much, and in some cases, more anti-oxidant properties than more expensive varieties. And with a few simple ingredients, they can pack some amazing flavor. Continue reading “Two easy recipes featuring delicious, healthy button mushrooms”
MANY PEOPLE SEE MARCH AS HEADING INTO SPRING. And indeed, March 20 is the first official day this year. But the reality here in Chicago and many places elsewhere can be quite different. Lately, we’ve been craving warming comfort food. In recent weeks, we’ve made Kimchi Chicken Soup, Valerie’s Split Pea Soup, Polish Hunter’s Stew, Shepherd’s Pie… March also being the month of St. Patrick’s Day, we’re currently thinking fondly of Irish Lamb Stew. Continue reading “Lamb Stew and a guide to Chicago weekend fun”
Leftover rotisserie chicken, kimchi and canned white beans create a big-flavored, satisfying, healthy, weeknight-quick meal. Recipe below.
WE LOVE LEFTOVERS. Besides the way certain dishes just taste better the second day, there’s the deliciously smug pleasure we get from using stuff up rather than discarding it. So when we were recently faced with leftover rotisserie chicken and a giant jar of kimchi that wasn’t depleting or getting any younger, we created this impromptu soup. It was so good that you’re actually looking at the second batch we’ve made—from the same chicken and jar of kimchi. Continue reading “Kimchi Chicken Soup and the Luxury of Leftovers”
A few extra simple steps create a delightful fruit-filled cake you’ll be happy to share—or keep for yourself. Recipe below.
WE’VE BEEN IN THE MOOD TO BAKE LATELY. So when a wintry cold snap aligned with a new-to-us apple find, we were ready to warm up the kitchen and try a new-to-us apple cake recipe. Continue reading “French Apple Cake”
Adapt this weeknight-quick, satisfying casserole based on what’s in your fridge—or what you’re hankering for. recipe below.
AT MY WORKPLACE, WE ARE ALWAYS TALKING ABOUT ROI—RETURN ON INVESTMENT—AND THE ROI FOR THIS RECIPE IS IMMENSE. This is one of those classic recipes that is weeknight fast and super flexible. The key ingredients are tomatoes, rice and cheese. What else you add depends on what you have in your fridge and what you’re in the mood for. For this batch, we included kielbasa and green bell pepper.
Continue reading “Quick Tomato Rice Cheese Casserole”