From Scratch

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 quick and easy recipe of angel hair pasta and shrimp delivers heavenly flavors but can be made in roughly the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta. Dinner’s on the table in 15 to 20 minutes.
There aren’t many steps here, but when the garlic and oregano were in the pan with olive […]

I hate last-minute cooking for a big meal, holiday or otherwise. That’s why I prepare make-ahead gravy at Thanksgiving. But not every meal includes turkey and often, everyday meals need gravy that I am still not willing to scramble around to make at the final moment.
If you’re the same way, set aside your thoughts about […]

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 […]

When chilly weather arrives, as it has in The Little Snowball, my thoughts turn to hot tea or coffee and the flavors of autumn. Tea and shortbread are linked in my mind, so when I found a recipe for cinnamon shortbread bars in my inbox I moved it to the top of the “to try” list. […]

Raspberries are on sale so I bought some over the weekend, thinking a cake would be good. I make a couple elaborate cakes with these fabulous berries but, my goodness, it’s summer. I want something fast, refreshing and, if possible, not too sinful.
And this is it. Creamy on top, somewhat sweet, somewhat tart, loaded with appeal […]

From grunts to galettes and turnovers to tartlettes, the good folks at Fine Cooking have put together a special feature called Summer Berry Desserts, with a dozen seasonal recipes to enjoy. They had people like me in mind when they wrote, “It’s a truism that berries at the height of their season are best served […]

The origin of hummus can be told in three words: lost to antiquity. It’s been around for thousands of years, in the Middle East, the Mediterranean and parts of India. While the word “hummus” is Arabic for chick pea, the primary ingredient, most of us use the word for the popular dip and spread, which […]

Someone who is just beginning to cook emailed me and asked, rather shyly, if I have a “real” recipe for pork chops, not just a mention of pork brined in a few ingredients, as in yesterday’s rice timbales post. I replied with this recipe, which produces moist and flavorful chops, as long as they’re not overcooked.
Since […]

This is a summer favorite. It’s chilled, it’s lemony-refreshing, it’s pasta and it’s a snap to make. Technically it’s a side dish, but I’ve also eaten it as a main course, adding veggies or protein to it or having it with greens or fruit salad.
When this recipe ran in The New York Times — I believe it […]

Mark Bittman, aka The Minimalist, offers 101 ideas for quick, simple meals in the food section of today’s New York Times. They’re intended to get us in and out the kitchen in about ten minutes, with main courses that often use summer’s bounty and are better than takeout.
Some are expected, such as #12: boil a […]

One of the best surprises is finding an interesting recipe while I’m already at the market. When it turns out to be good enough for the regular rotation and fast enough for any weeknight, I’m thrilled. This delicious, refreshing recipe goes together so quickly the first thing I did was put the water on for the […]

Something about food blogging should have been obvious from the start, but wasn’t: I think about food more than I used to and probably a lot more than you do. So while I was at dinner at an Indian restaurant recently, enjoying my raita, I thought about the no mayo deviled eggs I was working on […]

I enjoy a challenge so when my friend and fellow blogger, linshaolin, (see Breakdown in the Fast Lane in the blogroll) requested some deviled eggs recipes I was happy to give it a try, even though I hate mayonnaise, as I’ve mentioned more than once.
I had two goals: to come up with tasty and satisfying […]

When fresh, sweet corn is available, locally-grown or from warmer states, I make this wonderful side dish over and over. It takes little more time than the five minutes needed for the couscous, a pasta not a grain, to steep. In winter I use frozen corn and it’s almost as good. And when I haven’t got fresh chives, like […]