cooking
farmer’s market pasta with beurre blanc
This meal was brought to you with a little help from Trader Joe. I purchased some of the spinach tortellini from their refrigerated section (its not a favorite of mine but it sure makes somebody special in my life happy, so…). And with a plan to add fresh-from-the-market produce, that tortellini makes a pretty... »
duck fat potatoes
I’d read about a year ago that duck was going to be hot. And although I can’t say I’ve seen a rise in duck meat’s popularity, there is one part of the duck that seems to constantly come up in conversation. I’m talking about duck fat. I can barely flip through a magazine or... »
radish-avocado picnic sandwiches
One of my favorite farmers’ market specialties of spring is those finger-shaped, fuschia and cream French breakfast radishes. I think radishes taste best raw, particularly this variety because of its delicate flavor. But you can only eat so many radishes! So after 3 weeks of my spring radish diet, I had to invent... »
squash blossom clinic
Every spring I try to make squash blossoms. And every spring I throw the whole mess in the trash. But since my friend Annette (chef extraordinaire) was in town for the weekly farmers’ market I requested a squash blossom clinic. Annette gave me a choice: fried or sauteed. (Since saute is much easier, I... »
garlicky pea tendrils
Its been a while since I’ve done a Sunday at the farmers’ market. I just couldn’t find the motivation to get out of bed during the cold months and since pregnancy has given me an aversion to all the bitter, winter green things (kale, chard, brussels sprouts, etc), it hardly seemed worth it. But... »
lessons from friends
You don’t always need a cooking class, Food Network show or a famous cookbook to get a great lesson on cooking. At one time, the art of cooking was passed down through family, generation by generation. Although that tradition has all but vanished, we can still look to those around us to teach us... »
pork shoulder makeover
This week I was inspired by the chilly weather to cook a pork shoulder. I decided to try my own version of “Simple Roasted Pork Shoulder” from the Food Network site. (Craving ease, I was lured in by the recipe’s list of a mere 4 ingredients.) And although among the pork recipes I considered... »
plum and raspberry crumble redone
I had a partial bag of frozen berries I wanted to finish off and I found this crumble recipe from Ina Garten. (You can view the original here). Since I can still find plums at my fruit stand this time of year, it sounded like a perfect choice. The crumble is loaded with delicious... »
super slim roasted potatoes from a sensual goddess
Its been a while since I’ve put my skinny spin on a superstar’s recipe. (I’ve been busy finalizing the recipes for my own book, Romancing the Stove.) But last weekend I got down to cooking and one of the dishes I tried was this perfect, simple winter side. The original inspiration was Nigella Lawson’s... »
my super skinny version of cookbook chick parm
One of my chosen summer reads this year is Man with a Pan, the collection of essays and recipes from men who cook (and can write). I loved the idea of New Yorker cartoonist and family “chef” John Donohue’s Weeknight Chicken Parmigiana as it involves making your own super simple sauce and doesn’t involve... »