Barbequed Pulled Pork
Pulled pork is meaty, smoky, sweet, tangy, saucy heaven. Its that amazing combination of flavors that makes it so perfect. Every year I do a large batch of pulled pork and freeze the results in vacuum sealed bags for quick, delicious dinners or picnics. Read more
Ultimate Baked Chicken Nuggets
After about 18 months of experimenting, I finally got the baked chicken nuggets of my dreams. They’re crunchy and just fantastic. I integrated the technique I use for Parmesan Grouper with what I had already been doing for these nuggets (which were good but still not perfect). I now think they’re perfect, and that’s something I’d only say about, maybe 1 in 100 recipes. Read more
North Carolina Style Barbeque Sauce
Adapted from U.S.A. Cookbook by Sheila Lukins
The spices do a sassy tango with smoke and sweetness and a feisty bit of vinegar in this barbeque sauce, which is perfect for Barbequed Pulled Pork. Read more
Rustic French Meatloaf
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, April 2009
When I first made this meatloaf and caught my family’s reaction, I knew this would likely be the kind of dish the kids would ask me to make when they come home from college for the weekend. I’m not a big meatloaf lover but we all went crazy for it. Read more
Sauteed Cabbage with Bacon & Cream
One day, my then 7-year-old daughter, Sophie, came home from school with a friend, Jessica. “What’s for dinner?” Soph asked me. “Roasted Pork Loin with Cabbage.” I replied. “The creamy kind?” she pursued with obvious anticipation. “Yup.” Read more
Spaetzle
Adapted from The Betty Crocker Cookbook, 40th Anniversary Edition
Spaetzle [shpet-sluh, -suh
l] are wonderful, light, tiny dumplings that just love anything made with a gravy or sauce. They couldn’t be easier to make (buying a boxed version of these is unthinkable). Think about substituting spaetzle for noodles in a chicken or beef soup. Read more
Spicy Stir-fried Chicken with Fresh Vegetables
Adapted from A Spoonful of Ginger, by Marie Simonds
To make this recipe is to take a mini-course on Asian stir-frying. The marinade, seasonings and sauce are so typical and use many Asian pantry staples. You can play with all elements of this recipe and come up with endless combinations of vegetables and seasonings. Read more
Steak au Poivre
I spent a few years looking for a great recipe for Steak au Poivre. It is my husband’s very favorite dish, and is sort of the quintessential man-food. This dish is great as special weeknight fare because it is so easy, but is also sophisticated enough for a dinner party for up to eight (You can only cook 2 steaks at a time in a pan, so it would be very hard to scale beyond eight and still enjoy your guests). Read more
Sweet Black Pepper Fish
Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light
A very simple, quick, crazy-good fish dish, this is a very simple dish and a great example of a simmer. Fish just can’t be cooked very long before it falls apart, but cooking it in a flavorful liquid gives a mild white fish like halibut so much amazing flavor. Read more
Veal Scallops with Lemon and Capers
Adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook, Edited by Ruth Reichl
This is a family staple. It involves almost no prep and cooks in no time. It is totally elegant in appearance and taste. My kids actually jump up and down when they find out this is for dinner. Read more
