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
Accessories for Your Recipes
I apologize in advance to all of the loggers, crabfishermen, and construction tradesmen who might be among our readers. This article is probably only going to make any sense to women and those men among us who’ve got the “queer eye.” I love this analogy, though and think it might really help many of the folks who can relate. Read more
Plugged in to my Pestle
I have lots of tools I love. My Bob Kramer chef’s knife- affectionately named “Mike” for reasons I’ll explain later- is like an extension of my right hand when I’m prepping. When I’m making hot chocolate, whipping up a little cream, or blending an elixir to pour into a martini glass, my Bamix immersion blender gets its daily workout.
No tool holds me under its spell like my mortar and pestle. Though I’m not a romantic girl, I have a silly, girlish passion for this stone bowl and stick. This isn’t an infatuation- it’s the real thing because this love has grown and deepened the more I’ve used it. I’ll get to the practical ways that I use it in a moment, but indulge my little rhapsody a little longer. 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
Chicken with Pineapple and Mint
Adapted from the San Francisco Chronicle, probably May 15, 2002. I suspect it is a Mark Bittman recipe.
I found a newspaper clipping that included this recipe hidden in plain sight while looking for something in my recipe notebook. I still wonder why it took me six years to actually make it. This is fantastic. Simple. Delicious. The kids all loved it. Serve it simply with brown basmati rice and you have an amazing one-dish dinner. Like anything with a sauce, this would be a great candidate for freezing. Read more
Dean & Deluca Roast Chicken
Adapted from The Dean and Deluca Cookbook by David Rosengarten
I’ve been making this dish for almost 10 years now- way before I was an experienced cook. It is one of very few recipes I make routinely. The meat is incredibly juicy and full of the flavors of the spices. The sauce is so simple and beautiful. Read more
Kaddo Bourani
There’s a fantastic Afghan restaurant called Helmand’s with outlets in both Baltimore and San Francisco, fortunately for me. While I’m sure there are other delicious items on the menu, everyone I know insists on ordering the sweet pumpkin with meat and yogurt sauces called Kaddo Bourani. It’s simple to make, and surprisingly delicious given its few ingredients. Read more
