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”
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”
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”
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”
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”