Tofu and Vegetable Soup in Miso Broth
As Chicago warms up to a balmy 40-degrees, the hearty, beefy stews of winter begin to feel like a wool sweater- uncomfortably heavy. But we’re not yet ready to start showing off our pedicures. This is the time when I most crave a dashi-based soup. It’s light, nourishing and full of flavor. It’s also still warming. Read more
Dashi Broth (Ichi-ban Dashi)
Posted by Jill | March 9, 2010 | Filed under: Ingredients, Recipes
I can’t help but giggle at the likely reaction most of you will have to the idea of this recipe even as I begin to write it. This is going to seem like such a stretch for some of you.
“She wants me to make a broth out of seaweed- kelp, no less- and shaved flakes of dried fish! Blech! Are you kidding me?!” Read more
Craveable Veggie Burgers
One of the bigger challenges in feeding my family well is the minivan roadtrip. Ack! It has been such a temptation to throw my hands up in despair and give in to the siren call of the fast food islands at the side of the road. But I now have my iPhone! I can pass a hundred miles of freeway looking for little food gems in far-flung towns along our routes. I’ve made a science of discerning the truth behind the chatter of sites like Yelp. Read more
Mustard and Panko Crusted Pork Chops
Oh, you are SO going to love the simplicity of this dish! It smells absolutely amazing while it cooks- perfuming the house with the fragrance of mustard and thyme. It is also delicious, of course.
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Pork Chops with Red Cabbage and Apricots
This is a trifecta dish: beautiful, simple and delicious. It is a great example of how to use technique to build great flavor: the fond and fat of the pork chops are used to flavor the aromatics for the cabbage. The juices from the resting chops further boost the savory quality just before serving. When they’re all served together, they all speak to each other perfectly. Read more
Classic French Chicken Stock
The odds are high that people will make fun of you for making your own chicken stock. “Don’t you know you can buy that at the store?” “ You really don’t have anything better to do?” And so on. Be confident. You’ll have the last laugh. Read more
Chicken in Creamed Coconut Sauce
Adapted from Classic Indian Cooking, by Julie Sahni
Julie’s recipe stresses the importance of making your own coconut milk for the overall quality of this finished dish. “Why not?” I thought, “I’ve never tried that before.” Okay, never mind the difficulty of actually opening the coconut. The real b*#$h was finding a non-rancid coconut in the middle of winter in the Midwest. Read more
Cinnamon Beef Noodles
Adapted from Asian Noodles, by Marie Simonds
This is a wonderful cold weather, comforting food that, unusually, isn’t the least bit leaden. I think I crave and make it as much to smell it cooking as I do to actually eat it. The perfume of this dish always gets everyone asking, “Wow, what’s for dinner?” Read more
Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Jonesing for the cream of mushroom soup sort of sauce of your childhood? Look no further. Use this as a healthier alternative to cream of mushroom soup even in casseroles. The volume made is comparable to what you’d get out of the can (give or take a little). Why bother? Uh, read the label on the can-MSG and loads of sodium. Read more
Hummus
Based on Jane Brody’s recipe from Good Food Gourmet
I’m not a big Oprah watcher these days, but there was nothing on TV last week and I happened to have it on Tivo. She had Queen Rania of Jordan on the show to discuss her new children’s book. The book uses an incident from her childhood to illustrate the importance of being open to people who are different. In the story as it happened in her childhood, she was eating a Hummus sandwich and another girl was eating a PB&J. Each girl learned that the other girl’s sandwich was tastier than she imagined and world peace was initiated.
That’s all lovely, but all I could think was, “Hummus! Why has it been so long since I’ve made hummus?” Guess what I made for lunch the next day.
Hummus has become rather ubiquitious in the last decade and for good reason. It is not only delicious, but incredibly versatile at adding flavor (and nutrition!) to so many foods. It makes me cringe when I see folks spending $10 for a big tub of it at my local warehouse club. It is so ridiculously easy, and cheap, to make at home. Read more
