From Scratch

For some reason, we Americans tend to think of scrambled eggs as a breakfast or brunch dish, not a main course for lunch or a light dinner. Many people in other countries have them for any meal of the day and they can be a perfect choice.
Since I’ve been trying to follow the Big Breakfast […]

We usually think of this type of dish as French bistro fare and it is, but this one’s Italian, from Lombardy — its proper name is pollo all’ aceto — so the often-used shallots and thyme are not present. It’s every bit as delicious as its French counterpart and just as simple, now that I’ve streamlined […]

This spice rub is the companion recipe to Pineapple Salsa and can be used when grilling chicken, turkey or pork indoors or out. It’s a keeper for me, for a couple reasons.
Sure, we can buy spice rubs but like taco seasoning mixes, they tend to have more sodium than anyone needs when eating sensibily. Like all […]

Think of this as a cousin to Spanish rice but with a kick, a high kick the Rockettes might envy. I love rice, I love hot stuff. Put ‘em together and I’m in heaven.
You can tone it down, of course. Most of the heat is from Tabasco sauce, not the jalapenos, which are mild. I […]

Since I do practice what I advocate — cuisine d’opportunité – I have another, but very different, raspberry recipe on the heels of raspberry fool. I found gorgeous berries at a great price a few days ago and bought several containers; the savings with this raspberry vinaigrette recipe alone pays for them all.
I don’t know what bothers […]

Nothing racy here, just chicken thighs, and their name’s a bit of a misnomer because they’re flavorful but gently seasoned.
I mentioned a few days ago that I’ve been cooking with ginger and this was on the “to try” list. It’s another winner from Perdue and uses a touch of chili powder and some cumin along […]

I’ve made this recipe for more than a decade. It’s another one that’s super-easy with a handful of ingredients that deliver a lot of flavor. Better still, it’s high in protein, low in calories, fat and carbs and is easy on the budget. 
It’s from Mitzi Perdue’s chicken cookbook. She’s an expert on poultry and ways to […]

I can’t help but love a recipe that’s quick and versatile, although in this case the versatility was accidental.
The original was in Self magazine and it’s a delicious, simple version of chicken breasts simmered in an herby, lemony sauce. I had leftover sauce which I used the next day on pasta and, hey presto, I had a […]

Everything has a price. Too often, the price of convenience is steep, both in dollars and good health, and it’s a steeper price than I’m willing to pay.
Take taco seasoning. Those handy envelopes of not quite three tablespoons sell for about a dollar and contain way more than a day’s worth of sodium. Depending on the brand, each […]

I don’t know if food prices are rising in your country but they are in mine, and quite sharply. Sometimes the only way to stay within a budget is to use more economical cuts of meat, the really flavorful ones that are tough from frequent use on the animal but which become fork tender when cooked […]

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 […]

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 […]

Adobo is both a seasoning — you’ve probably seen it at the market — and a national dish of the Philippines. With the latter, it’s a tangy soy braise of chicken or pork, and like most of my favorite dishes it consists of a few good ingredients, simply prepared. The sum is greater than the parts.
When […]

Someone who saw the Coca-Cola Ham recipe here sent me a recipe for pork chops using Coke. She said it’s a week night favorite and popular in the South and, best of all, fast. You can count the ingredients on one hand.
It looked intriguing but awfully sweet, with Coke in the sauce and brown sugar on […]

There’s nothing that’ll cut down on pizza consumption faster than moving from the Big Apple to the Little Snowball. The local pizza joints’ pies range from bad to worse to inedible. At least one of them uses frozen crust already rolled into a thick circle and all of them have chewy, doughy crusts. That’s blaphemy for someone […]