From Scratch

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 […]

When this landed in my inbox last week from Nestle, I knew I had to make it for Valentine’s Day, but my dilemma was how to make it in advance, to share here, and show the layers without cutting into it. The solution was to make it in a springform pan instead of a square […]

Chocolate truffles are always a perfect treat, and they’re especially appropriate for celebratory days, whether it’s a birthday, a holiday or Valentine’s Day. There are two ways to make them: the easy way and the time-consuming way. If you think I’m going for the latter, then you’re probably a first-time reader here.
This truffle is a […]

Meatless meals are always welcome on my table, and because I observe Lent I have several mandatory meatless days ahead of me between now and Easter. A new recipe as quick and delicious as this one definitely makes life easier. It’s the kind of dish that you can make once and never have to look at […]

In my corner of the world, fresh fruit in the dead of winter often comes from Chile. Many supermarkets have Chilean promotions or “summer in January” sales, as if a bounty of fruit might trick me into forgetting I’m wearing so many layers that I’m as bulky as a teddy bear. I’m rightly skeptical about 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 […]

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 […]