January 24, 2009
I’ve arrived at the point in the winter season when I turn into a serious hater. I hate my coats, my scarves, and my gloves. I hate shoving my feet into boots and freeing my face off each morning as I make the trek to the subway. I hate the sad selection of root vegetables and apples at the greenmarket. And with the teeth-rattling wind chills that raged all week, the only place that I wanted to be (besides curled up in bed) was in the kitchen making soup, pretending that I’d never have to go outside again.
Read More »
January 8, 2009
The feedback from blog readers was so positive for for my Roasted Tomato Garlic Hummus, that I decided it couldn’t hurt to share this yummy variation that looks quite similar but bursts with the flavor of fresh roasted red peppers. I whipped it up last night when we were feeling too lazy to get out of the house and it was delightful with a little homemade herb focaccia.
Read More »
December 31, 2008
I have childhood memories of asking my mother if ratatouille contains rats, which probably meant that she had to talk me into eating it. No more. While cruising Epicurious yesterday night looking for heathy and satisfying dinner inspiration, I happened across this recipe, written by the Culinary Institute of America’s Associate Dean of Restaurant Education, Chef Lou Jones. I realized that besides seeing the adorable Pixar movie, it had been a very long time since I had indulged in this simple, fresh, and amazing dish.
Read More »
December 9, 2008
You just can’t beat a satisfying hummus! With the ones that you really love it starts innocently enough – you’re picking at the bowl at a party, absent-mindedly scooping dollops with pita wedges while trying to balance your wine glass and hold a conversation all at the same time. Then your mind starts to wander… “wow, this is some creamy hummus…I love it when there’s lemon… and so light! Mmmmm I think I’ll have just a little more… crap, I finished the bowl. I hope no one noticed! I wonder if there’s more in the kitchen…”
Read More »
December 1, 2008
Ever learn about something you think is new and novel only to discover that pretty much everyone already had tried/loved/adored that thing ages ago? That’s how I feel about smoked paprika. It’s a spice that I had eaten many times but never identified, and had never cooked with until a few months ago.
Read More »
November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving is coming and in an effort to not feel too much like huge pigs, each year we try to eat pretty light during the days leading up to the big event. Some years we are more successful at it than others, but when this spicy and flavorful butternut squash soup is on the pre-game menu, we have a shot at staying on the wagon until Thursday evening.
Read More »
November 20, 2008
I just started a new job and I’m thrilled to not be working downtown for the first time in almost four years! For a long time I had been dreaming of the day that I would not have to brave the crappy commute, the depressing streets surrounding the stock exchange, and most of all, the lack of decent lunch options. In fact, I ate at the same soup counter day after day, and I only got one type of soup – the three lentil chili. you’d think I’d be sick of it after four years, but I found myself missing it yesterday, and decided to whip up some chili of my own.
Read More »
November 17, 2008
My second favorite thing about serving tapas to guests is that many of the most crowd-pleasing recipes are rediculously simple, to the point that the guest “ooooh and ahhhh” to work ratio is so vastly spread it feels like you are cheating. Here there are three recipes that use as few as two ingredients and involve just a few minutes of prep time each. (Photoshop credit to Brian for the lovely composite above)
Read More »
November 13, 2008
The arrival of my November 10th installment of NY Magazine elicited squeals of delight from yours truly – a whole spread of holiday foods featuring local ingredients (and the farmers who grow them!) written by a few of my favorite chefs. Given that I’ve been in a soup-y mood lately and that I love love love fennel, deciding to dive in with Dan Barber’s recipe for a fennel soup was a no-brainer (stay tuned for other gems, including Ed Brown’s Roasted Oysters with Leeks & Bacon – drool).
Read More »
