December 21, 2008
I’m not entirely clear on what makes a good pancake so good, and a sub-par pancake, well, so just plain filling. What I do know is that once New Yorkers catch wind of brunch spot that boasts good pancakes, suddenly you must go to great extremes to get a seat (i.e. show up at ungodly early hours on a Sunday, wait in line exposed to the elements, giving diners dirty looks because how dare they order a second cup of coffee while you stand on line, freezing your toochis off). Why go through that when you can make pancakes at home, in your jammies, with your favorite coffee and the paper?
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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…”
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December 6, 2008
This recipe involves fresh pasta. To learn how to make fresh pasta at home, see my post on making fresh pasta at home.
Ravioli is on my top ten list of comfort foods and goat cheese is high on my superlative list of ingredients. I love how it instantly add richness and divine flavor to, well, anything that mingles with it. Recently I had purchased very disappointing goat cheese ravioli from Russo’s, our neighborhood cheese and pastisseria (so sad because Russo’s handmade buffalo mozzarella is out of this world), and I was craving the goat cheese ravioli of my dreams: creamy, melty, and delightful. This one totally delivered (do not be deceived by the underwhelming picture above – my camera skills are sadly lacking).
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December 5, 2008
This recipe involves fresh pasta. To learn how to make fresh pasta at home, see my last post.
Sometimes we start out a recipe with the best intentions of carrying it through, only to be struck by creativity and veer far from the directions on the page. That is exactly how Jamie Oliver’s Open Stained-Glass Lasagne with Roasted Squash turned into Lauren’s Open Lasagne with Acorn Squash Puree, in all of it’s smooth, spicy, nutty deliciousness.
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December 2, 2008
I’m a latecomer to the Southern foods craze, and while I’m still not down with grits or hush puppies, I have discovered a fondness for the fried green tomato. I made these one sultry night last August and discovered how delicious and easy they are to make. If you do it right, you end up with a delicious, liquified tomato inside a crispy crust. Most people chose to garnish with aioli, but I prefer sour cream spiked with lime.
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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.
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November 28, 2008
I know, I know. Thanksgiving is over and you’ve had it with heavy, homemade, homestyle, or any recipe that can be labeled “Mom’s Famous ____________”. Unfortunately, the feeding frenzy has only begun – holiday party time is here, so let the marathon of gluttony begin! You’re probably going to need a pie crust recipe sooner or later this winter, and when you do this is a great one – originally published two years ago in the New York Times as part of one woman’s obsessive quest to bake a perfect pie crust.
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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.
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November 25, 2008
I’ve been on a crusade to stop wasting produce. Carefully planning the meal calendar before going to the greenmarket and the grocery works great until one of us (inevitably) ends up with impromptu dinner plans and throws off the plan completely, leaving us with less-than-fresh food. With bananas there is just no excuse since they are generally a breakfast food that we grab as we are dashing out the door to work in the morning. This week though, there were bananas left which meant I was saddled with the burden of making banana bread – yeah, some burden.
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November 24, 2008
The omlette used to be my nemesis in the kitchen. I’d get all my ingredients prepped and have them in little bowls, ready for the moment that I could add them to my perfectly cooked egg canvas…but alas… I’d ruin the integrity of the egg by ripping it, and end up with fancy-pants scrambled eggs. It takes some practice, but if I can do it it is proof that anyone can.
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