Spice-rubbed Grilled Chicken

This is the summertime version of Classic Roast Chicken.  This recipe is just as much about lifestyle as it is about flavor.  It’s about sitting out on the front porch with the other moms watching the kids play.  Suddenly, I look at the time and realize, ohmigosh, it’s five o’clock.  I run to the grill and light the coals with my beloved propane starter.  I pour a glass of wine, spatchcock a chicken, cleave the breast, rub it with spices, and before you know it I’ve got my bird on the grill and I’m back out with my girlfriends- breaking up squabbles about who spilled the bubbles and finding out the real reason why the folks on the next block put their house on the market. Read more

Creamy Asparagus Soup

I think the best cookbook title ever is “Happy in the Kitchen.”  The book is by a very interesting chef named “Michel Richard,” who made the amazing leap from being an acclaimed pastry chef to acclaimed savory chef.  This is comparable to Michael Jordan joining the PGA tour.  Michel’s happiness in the kitchen infects the recipes in his book: they are playful, imaginative and spirited.

Happy in the Kitchen contains a simple recipe for a white asparagus soup- well, kind of simple.  Most folks don’t have access to white asparagus, which is expensive even if you do have access to it.  We also don’t have access to quality fresh corn at the same time of year as asparagus.  Finally, his recipe only made a small amount of soup.  So I turned Michel’s idea into something a little less glam and a bit more homey. Read more

Persephone’s Risotto

Persephone is the Greek goddess of spring.  This risotto features the most divine, sublime produce of springtime all in one dish.  Admittedly, the artichokes and favas have a diva-like quality as they play “hard to get” with their hearts. Read more

Chicken Adobo–Happiness on a Plate

In my experience, Filipinos seem be among the happiest people on the planet.  Despite widespread poverty that forces many to take work overseas in order to support their extended families back home, it’s rare that you’ll come across a Filipino who doesn’t have an infectious smile and giggle always at the ready.  I suspect that one reason for their happiness may be chicken adobo.  It’s one of the Philippines’ great contributions to the culinary world.  It’s incredibly simple to make, inexpensive, and hauntingly delicious–or as they say in Tagalog, “galing galing!”  Try and say that five times without chuckling. Read more

Pink Pickled Onions

Adapted from Recipezaar.com recipe number 73203.  Originally published on Epicurious.com

A week or so after I made these, Sally, my five-year-old, was griping that she didn’t want to eat pizza for dinner.  We were ordering out that Friday night and she actually hates pizza.  When I told her to find something in the fridge that she’d prefer, she said she just wanted to eat the “onion pickles.” Huh?  “Sure,” I replied, convinced she’d figure out that this was not a good idea on her own.  Invariably distracted, I never realized that she ate the whole jar until I found it in the dishwater. Read more

Puerco Pibil (Yucatan-Style Slow Roasted Pork)

Adapted from Recipezaar.com recipe number 86448

Here’s a little something to consider for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo.  It’s a dish that’s a bit of a hybrid of braising and roasting.  It isn’t really roasting because you are containing the juices of the meat to keep the meat moist and flavorful.  It isn’t really braising because the meat isn’t sitting in a braising liquid.  It’s very flavorful and versatile. Read more

Flounder with Chorizo and Clams

This dish is a great example of the sophisticated flavor you can get from using high-quality ingredients in simple ways. To be sure, this recipe isn’t even as simple as it could be, but with just five ingredients, you will really enjoy the range of flavors, textures, and aromas it produces. Read more

Yeast-Raised Malted Waffles

Adapted from the King Arthur Flour website

I’m one of few people who get genuine amusement from learning she’s been an ass.  I mean, really, isn’t it a wonderful thing to know that life is so varied and unpredictable that you can never be sure of anything?

Most Sundays my family goes to a local brunch place after church.  While I rarely order them for lunch, I’ve been a bit obsessed with the waffles at this place.  They have a malty flavor, are crisp on the outside and soft and light on the inside.  I’ve spent the better part of a year trying to replicate their texture and flavor.  I’ve played with malt syrups and grains.  I’ve played with raising techniques.  I’ve never exactly replicated them, though I’ve come up with some otherwise great waffle recipes in the process. Read more

When life hands you rutabagas…

So I picked up my Community Supported Agriculture mystery box of veggies this week, and I thought I’d show you how I approach cooking my way through the contents.  Why not start with some chard and rutabagas?  Now, I know–who doesn’t have a dozen “go-to” rutabaga recipes in their repertoire already, right? Read more

German Pancakes

Adapted from the Food Network Website

I’ve been a bit bored with the breakfast rotation lately.  I was rescued from my doldrums a few weeks ago when I heard someone talking about German Pancakes and suddenly found myself with a new craving.  But are German Pancakes a weekday sort of breakfast? Read more

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