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 easy, one-layer cake defies the usual techniques and I wouldn’t have noticed the recipe if I hadn’t spotted a pet peeve: expresso for espresso. That the word appeared on a box of Domino powdered (icing) sugar only increased my irritation. Domino is our top sugar producer and they should know better. Of course, they […]

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 […]

This is a perfect, refreshing accompaniment to grilled poultry or pork. Its tropical flavors are welcome in hot weather and complement chicken, turkey or pork that’s been prepared with its companion recipe, a Caribbean spice rub. Both recipes are fine on their own but together, they are more.
I found this at Fine Cooking, in one of the […]

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 […]

There’s nothing like a heat wave to make me crave fresh fruits and when it happens this early — it’s still officially spring — I search my recipes for something fast, light and refreshing. It was 94 degrees yesterday (34C) and even hotter in New York and Washington. More of the same is expected today.
This somewhat-unusual […]

This is the companion recipe to the gingered carrot soup I posted a few days ago. Like the soup, it’s fabulous and can stand on its own but they are better together; their flavors compliment each other perfectly. It’s fast, simple and tastes as if it required a lot more work. It epitomizes the wisdom of […]

Like most people, when I think of vindaloo I think of a hot dish, one of the hottest on the menu, and one that needs a long and low stay in the oven. This vindaloo is different on both counts. It’s dinner on the table in well under an hour and it’s as mild — […]

It’s not hyberbole. This really is the best marinade recipe I’ve ever used. It’s also a recipe for chicken fajitas, but I love the marinade so much I often use it on its own. 
This gets raves. The herbs are right, the acids are right and the chicken is moist and delectable whether it’s grilled outdoors or […]

The convenience of no-bake fruit pies can’t be denied, but neither can their frequent shortcomings. Often they’re little more than a baked pie shell with fruit in a runny pool of syrup or they’re strawberries coated with a neon-red, artificial-tasting, cloyingly-sweet commercial glaze.
My mother used to make a no-bake strawberry pie that didn’t pool, but […]

This is one fool I’ll suffer gladly and it doesn’t have to be a raspberry fool. Strawberry fool, blackberry fool, blueberry fool are all welcome. Even red currant fool, which is why I learned to make this in the first place.
This dessert is a cousin to the trifle and goes back hundreds of years. In […]

This will be on my Easter table along with the divine roasted asparagus in the photo. Their flavors complement each other well. I’ve made Coca-Cola Ham for years but decided to try something new and this fits the bill. Its gives the ham a more complex taste, less sweet, and there’s a perfect amount of glaze for a […]

It wasn’t too long ago that the appearance of asparagus at the market, in time for Easter dinner, heralded the arrival of spring. Now, like so many fruits and vegetables, it has become virtually seasonless, nearly always available, although the more tender white variety can be harder to find. Despite that, it’s still a labor-intensive vegetable and therefore […]

I like this bread a lot. It’s perfect for snacking, whether as an afternoon pick-me-up or for kids after school. It’s terrific tucked into a backpack while hiking or trail walking. A schmear of cream cheese would be delightful but I prefer it on its own. It’s just sweet enough.
It’s a small loaf, only one pound […]