Instead of root beer, I decided to make it an adult’s only party by adding beer. I like a stout for this, but I have seen it done with porters, lambics, cider and even a vanilla lager. Guinness is a classic St. Pat’s choice. The malty richness of the beer lends itself to dessert flavors […]
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Pasta Carbonara with Peas and Pepper
I had a pet theory about pasta carbonara. To me, it seemed like the quintessential late winter, early spring dish. Before being able to buy whatever ingredients whenever we wanted, eating with the seasons was the only option. In the late winter and early spring, the only meat still hanging around was doing it quite […]
Continue readingSmart Gal Salad: Tri-Color Peppers, Hearts of Palm, Cilantro
This recipe is quick, easy and satisfying assemblage cooking at its best. The fresh veggies take a couple of minutes to chop and the hearts of palm are canned. This salad can be assembled in 5 minutes. For real. While I make this salad most often in the summer for barbeques and picnics, it occurred […]
Continue readingChicken, Veggie and Quinoa Bowl
My dear friend Molly recently asked for this recipe. She likes to eat at Protein Bar in Chicago for quick, healthy lunches; her favorite is their Healthy Parm and she wanted advice on how to make it at home. While I’ve never been myself, next time I’m in Chicago, I hope to stop in and […]
Continue readingRoasted Veggie Caponata
Caponata is a Sicilian dish that’s old enough and it’s history murky enough that I can call this dish Caponata too. Most recipes and histories of the dish agree on eggplants and capers being included in the relish. And that’s where I started. Lots of eggplants. Then I balanced it out with lots of other […]
Continue readingChopped Beets, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese Salad
I roasted a lot of beets in January. And I still have some hanging around. This was intentional. One strategy that makes home cooking more relaxing in the long run is to prepare several recipes that require an overlapping labor intensive ingredient. So rather than roasting beets every week, I roasted a large quantity of […]
Continue readingGolden Beet and Fresh Chèvre Bruschetta
Guess what I asked of my sister for a Christmas present? If you said “golden beets,” I’m shocked but you’re right. They can be hard to get here in Philly, for no apparent reason. I prefer them to red beets; they taste more earthy to me and a little less sweet. Since she brought me […]
Continue readingDryuary Salad with Chickpeas and Feta
Last year, I didn’t eat meat or drink alcohol (unless I was at Blue Hill in New York since I made the reservation in November) for the month of January. This wasn’t a resolution so much as a staving off death measure. For whatever reason, December 2011 was so wet it required a Dryuary. Fortunately, […]
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Fig, Goat Gouda, Prosciutto Sandwich
I’m not sure whether she or I coined the term, but my sister-in-law, Liza, is an infamous assemblage cook. While I don’t always (or even often) practice assemblage cooking, it’s an important weapon in any culinary arsenal. Assemblage cooking, or assembling as Liza calls it, is the category of cooking devoted to keeping a variety […]
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