A good friend is moving soon, and I recently hosted a going-away dinner for her. Eggplant parm is her favorite meal, so I wanted to make a truly superlative one. After crowd-sourcing recipes and tips from trusted foodie friends, I came up with this recipe which I would absolutely, enthusiastically make again.
Read MoreI went to the market earlier and picked up a gorgeous bunch of fresh carrots with an excess of feathery green tops as well as a can of coconut milk for no good reason except that it was on sale. When I got home, I came across the lone ghost pepper I'd bought last week. While cooking dinner for the boys, I thought about risotto...
Read MoreDuring my childhood (in southwest Louisiana), my mom and grandmother cooked a lot of squash. Squash casserole, boiled squash, stuffed squash, lightly fried squash....White-skinned scalloped squash were prevalent in the summers, and Nanny and Mom sliced them into rounds, dipped them in an egg-milk mixture before dredging them in generously salted and peppered flour, and then frying them quickly in hot canola oil. The batter was so light, barely clinging to the delicate squash. Parmesan grated over the top was the finishing touch,
Read MoreIt's been cold and rainy here lately, and all I wanted today was hearty comfort food. Chicken and rice always fits that bill, especially when slicked with a hearty bit of brown butter. I brightened the whole thing with lemon zest and a squeeze of lemon juice but otherwise, it's just the chicken, rice and brown butter shining away. I'm full, comforted and totally satisfied.
Read MoreY'all, sometimes I just want a really, really good sandwich, one that rises above the standard turkey or tuna. I want every element to be flavorful and well-considered, and I definitely want the sum to be more than the parts. If juices run down my hands and arms, that's great. If I use three napkins before finishing the sandwich, that's great too.
Read MoreTomato soup is the ultimate in comfort. Much of the time, I prefer it to chicken noodle soup because of the thick, hearty factor and because I am a mad tomato lover. Plus, you can't dunk a grilled cheese in chicken soup, but life is better when you do so with tomato.
I love the subtle notes of hot pepper, lemon and saffron in my recipe, and after once adding white beans to get my sons to eat more soup, I decided I really loved their inclusion too.
A few summers ago, I had pneumonia. It was pretty awful, but I rediscovered a love for both thousand-piece puzzles and homemade chicken noodle soup. Since then, I've been perfecting my recipe, and without further ado, here it is.
Don't skimp on ingredient quality if you can help it. Nothing called for is overly fancy. I find it so lovely that basic things can coalesce into a magical elixir.
This glorious salad is summer on a plate. The tomatoes and peaches pair beautifully and are elevated by the herbs, shallots, cheese and vinaigrette.
Use the best tomatoes you can find, and do not refrigerate them before using. Please- you will kill all their flavor and mar their texture. Use a young chèvre if you can, or really, any good goat cheese will do. If you're growing herbs in your garden, use those. They will taste more delicious than anything you buy. And use a ripe peach but not one that is remotely mushy.
As summer hits its stride, and gloriously fresh produce becomes a luxurious stalwart of everyday noshing, I eat as many tomatoes as I possibly can. But sometimes, it's fun to diversify as well as let tomatoes play a supporting role rather than star. This tart seems to defy gravity and is wonderful warm, at room temp, and even cold. It's the best sort of simple- to make and in flavor- and takes full advantage of and highlights what's in season now!
Read MoreThis is such a great entree salad. Southern meets healthy meets autumnal aioli? What's not to love!
Read MoreI recently had an outstanding meal in Richmond, VA. My appetizers were the stars, and the flavors of the simple but perfectly executed arancini have stayed on the tip of my tongue since. Orbs of Manchego, rosemary and creamy rice were fried to a light, greaseless crisp and perched atop fig compote and adorned with pea tendrils. Each bite was breathtaking. As such, I simply had to recreate.
Because I don't love to fry at home and because I wanted more of an entree than appetizer, I decided on risotto; after all, the primary ingredient -rice- is the same.
This is the fall season in a dish. A delicious grain (farro) plus a veggie (roasted gold beets), cheese (feta), nut (maple-glazed pecans) and a fresh herb dressing (chive-sage oil). Absolutely wonderful, fresh, healthy and pretty!
Read MoreCaramelized shallots, cabbage and tasso suspended in an egg custard and studded with goat cheese: this is just so, so good. It's rustic, full of flavor, easy to pull together and even better the next day. Great for brunch, lunch or dinner!
Read MoreCaramelized Brussels sprouts and shallots concentrate in flavor and soften just enough to provide a slight textural contrast to the pasta. The sherry offers a touch of sweetness that perfectly matches the savoriness of the veggies and the speck. The dish is subtle yet each bite suffuses your mouth with flavor. Sublime!
Read MoreThese tacos are exactly what I think of when considering "the best shrimp tacos ever." They are spicy, sweet, savory...utterly delicious in every bite, in every way.
Read MoreThough not a beef burger fan, I do love the idea of burgers, especially during summertime when you can sit outside, crack open a watermelon, pour some sweet tea and enjoy the sunshine. As such, I need non-beef burgers in my repetoire, and I prefer that they not look like pancakes or pucks, sad seconds to the juicy beef patties sharing grill space. I love real veggie burgers but chicken and/or turkey make the best substitutes for the "real" deal. This recipe is inspired by a southwestern turkey burger recipe I once had (white meat and chili) and by a delicious Aleppo-yogurt chicken kebab recipe I found on epicurious (chicken, Aleppo, yogurt). It's lighter than air, super moist and completely satisfying.
Read MoreFull of white beans, shrimp, aromatics and tomatoes, this is a simple, flavorful, one-pot, hearty stew for a cold night.
Read MoreAnother hit from Molly Wizenberg! I can't tell you how many times I've made this tart, for us, for parties, for catering gigs and for friends. It is a hit every single time and now boasts legions of fans. Scrumptious!
Read MoreThis past weekend I bought a bag of clams at our local farmers market. With them I made spaghetti alle vongole, one of my favorite meals. Since then I’ve been noodling on a clams second verse, and this morning, quesadillas came to mind! On my way home from dropping my boys off at school, I stopped by the store. A mind map exercise led me somewhere like this: I love clams plus...ooh, look fresh corn. Clams and corn! I also love corn and scallions, and bacon with all those things. So, I added those fixings -fresh corn is here! finally!- to my cart and then spent a hefty amount of time in the cheese aisle to get to just the right combo. Ultimately I chose Monterrey Jack and Asiago Fresco, a younger, softer version of its Asiago kin. These are great- the corn and scallions pop brightly in both taste and color, while the clams and bacon sing quietly but critically in the background. Delicious!
Read MoreA super-simple, healthy meatball that's good both unadorned or slathered in yogurt sauce! In place of the usual binding/filling agents of eggs and breadcrumbs, I use a combo of ground chickpeas and walnuts! You'll likely have leftover yogurt sauce- cheers to that! This makes about two dozen meatballs.
Read Moremusings from a stay-at-home, cooking-obsessed mom
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