One of the most rewarding aspects of travel is discovering local culinary traditions – those storied techniques and heritage dishes that I would love to weave into my own kitchen repertoire. Every trip is a research and development project. This past autumn, a winning bid at a school fundraiser bought us a week in a […]
Food & Drink
Posted inFood & Drink
Two cheers for chives
The past week was a tough one for plant lovers. The first half of the month was unseasonably warm, precipitating a premature flush of spring greenery and flowers only to be met with a drastic temperature dip into the teens. Generally, the first plants to break in spring are fairly resilient and can handle an […]
Posted inFood Features
An ancient food preservation method for today
Confit and rillettes are two traditional methods of food preservation. Dating back to ancient civilizations, these methods originated as a preservation practice before the advent of refrigeration. They both involve slowly cooking meat in its own rendered fat. By submerging the food under a layer of fat, an anaerobic environment was created, effectively preventing spoilage […]
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Irish soda bread
The sweet, raisin-studded soda bread that many of us Americans know and love is about as authentically Irish as corned beef and cabbage, which is to say, not really authentic at all. Real Irish soda bread, is generally simple and wholesome, a true hearth bread as opposed to an American-style soda bread which is closer […]
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How to make exceptional chicken stock
Freezers shouldn’t be packed more than 75-80% full to allow optimal airflow. Mine’s about 95-98% full, mostly with one-cup containers of various stocks. Stocks are a cornerstone of my cooking, and I am obsessive about maintaining an adequate supply. I find the rich, savory flavor of chicken stock indispensable. I routinely use it as the […]
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Crisp, flaky phyllo creations
Phyllo dough is one of those incredible back-pocket ingredients that’s smart to keep stashed in the freezer, right along with dumplings and peas and good broth. Known by varied names throughout the Eastern Mediterranean (phyllo in Greek, yufka in Turkey, fila in Arabic) these parchment-thin sheets of dough bake up into shatteringly crisp layers of […]
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Chicken in wine
“Don’t look around. The leaves are brown. And the sky is a hazy shade of winter.” It’s a dreary, frigid Saturday morning in Springfield, and I’m playing Simon and Garfunkel’s 1966 album “Bookends” as background music for my weekly chore ritual. My Saturday chores involve the stereotypical “husband duties” of vacuuming the carpet and emptying […]
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Make your own crêpes
Equally well suited to a romantic night in or a Champagne-infused Galentine’s brunch, crêpes are a sophisticated yet playful choice that can be served any time of day, from breakfast all the way to dinner. Made from a simple egg and milk batter, this French culinary classic dates back to 13th century Brittany where they […]
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Farmer’s cheese pancakes
Preserving food was vital for survival before modern refrigeration, especially for milk, which was plentiful in the summer but scarce in winter. About 8,000 years ago, a method was devised to ensure milk could be stored for the cold season: it was curdled using either acid or rennet, and the resulting curds were then preserved […]
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Braised lamb shanks
Meltingly tender and deeply aromatic, a meal of slow-braised lamb shanks provides a generous serving of stick-to-your ribs comfort food on a snowy winter afternoon. A meaty cut from the lower part of the leg, the tough, hardworking muscle is laden with connective tissue that breaks down during long, slow cooking to yield a succulent […]
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Hangover? Nothing beats “Old Sober”
Two decades ago, I attended an outstanding performance by the Derek Trucks Band at Tipitina’s in Uptown New Orleans. The evening’s most enduring memory, however, wasn’t the music – it was a late-night culinary discovery. Stepping outside for air, I was drawn by an irresistible aroma to a man selling noodle soup out of the […]
Posted inFood Features
One-pot rice dinners
Ready in under an hour, inexpensive and pantry friendly, these one-pot rice dinners are infinitely riffable and a dependable workhorse in our weekly meal rotation. With variations found around the globe, this preparation easily absorbs a range of flavors from punchy tomatoes and fresh dill to homey flavors of the Midwest. While the recipe is […]
