From Scratch

Some of my fondest childhood memories are of biting into fuzzy, fragrant peaches so ripe the juice dribbled down my chin and made my face sticky. Today, searching for peaches like that in New England is almost futile. For two or three weeks every summer, we have reliably great peaches from New Jersey but otherwise, they’re […]

I’ve been cooking frequently with ginger the past few months. I love the depth it brings to a dish, even when used in small amounts. And I’m especially fond of Asian flavors, so when this recipe showed up in the Healthy Dinners widget, it went onto my “to try” list.
I made it in April with […]

For me, few thing are homier on a cold winter day than a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup. It’s easy and quick to make and so adaptable to individual tastes or what’s on hand; canned soup just doesn’t compare.
I don’t think I’ve ever made chicken noodle soup exactly the same twice. A pinch of this, a […]

The first time I had turkey chili, back when the idea was a novelty, it was so bland it was almost tasteless. Turkey is hardly full of flavor. A friend who made turkey chili would try to compensate for that by loading up on the hot stuff, giving everyone at the table a runny nose and […]

I was attracted to this hearty stew the moment I saw the recipe, but it was 100 degrees (38C) when it was published last summer in a New York Times article about Senegalese food in Harlem. Now that it’s about 90 degrees colder, it was a perfect time to try it.
And I am bowled over […]

It’s not just the absense of ham hocks or other meat that makes this lentil soup a little different, it’s also the inclusion of lemon, adding another dimension to the broth. The end result is a colorful lentil soup that’s lighter than most and I welcome that right now.
I’ve been eating sparingly since the holidays; indulging […]

It’s simply called “chowda” here in New England, as if Manhattan Clam Chowder, with tomatoes, does not exist. A bowl of good New England clam chowder is so satisfying, but making it with fresh clams that have to be steamed, shucked and chopped can be time-consuming, even impractical at times. Toss in the need for […]

Anthony Bourdain says this soup is ridiculously easy and he’s right. It’s also delicious and was a perfect starter for Christmas dinner.
But don’t wait for a special meal to try this. It doesn’t have to be bone-chilling outdoors to enjoy soup and if, like me, you’re trying to atone for holiday indulging, it’s been shown that we tend to […]

I love chili and even when I was a rookie in the kitchen I made it without a recipe, concocting it according to my mood and what was on hand. You probably make chili that way too, and this is not a recipe. It’s about a technique I adopted a few years ago.
I’d always added […]

There’s something so satisfying about a hot bowl of homemade split pea soup on a chilly day, but so dreary when it’s a puddle of green puree, reminding me of Oliver Twist and his bowl of gruel.
Like everyone, I eat first with my eyes and that means more than color. It also means texture. Shapes. Even height […]

The temperature doesn’t have to drop much for me to think of beef stew. Depending on which appliance you use, the cooking time for this flavorful meal in a bowl will be either 10 minutes or 8-10 hours. Either way, it’s carefree.
It’s a pressure cooker recipe but I’ve also made it in the slow cooker […]

I’ve always loved soup, especially cold soup in hot weather, and there is more to summertime soup than just gazpacho. Jacques Pépin’s soups are favorites. They are generally simple, relying on just a few top-notch ingredients, and always delicious; many use a touch of something unexpected, such as the sesame oil in Velvet of Carrot or the Tabasco […]

I was going to wait until tomatoes are at peak season to post this, but it occurred to me that by the time they’re abundant in The Little Snowball, they’ll be past peak in most other places. So here it is, my very favorite Jacques Pépin soup recipe, good cold as well as hot. It’s from […]

Lent is long gone, but I don’t limit my meatless days to Lenten Fridays. I try for two meatless days each week, and fish is on the menu at least one of those days. Tonight I’m trying a new curried tuna recipe, but about twice a month I make this favorite. Not only is it meatless, […]

I have a rule: only one carrot item per Easter dinner.  It’s not that I don’t especially like carrots — I love them — but the holiday, after all, is not about a mythical bunny. In fact, if I didn’t love carrots, I might banish them from the Easter menu just to avoid any suggestion of […]