Treat holiday house guests to shakshouka brunch
Expecting house guests for the holidays? Shake up brunch with a spicy egg dish. But be warned. Your guests may try to extend their stay. Check out my latest column and this easy recipe for Sharif’s Shakshouka.
Invade your own kitchen and make these dumplings
Warm up at home with a comfort meal. You’ll master a no-fail dish and find yourself with plenty of cash left in the food budget to splurge dining out. Try this variation on chicken and dumplings, an old family favorite that I love to prepare with my mom’s beat up old roaster pan.
Chinese cooking: Bring on the high heat
When Chinese stir fry looks as good as it tastes, you’ve arrived. And when it comes to experts, let them take over your kitchen. Follow Dr. Martha’s easy steps to prepare Chinese stir fry. 1. Make it uniform: if you’re going to slice the beef, slice the onions. If you’re dicing the chicken, dice the […]
Spicy devotion
I thought I was I lucky enough to have a friend who keeps me well stocked with my favorite Middle Eastern blend of allspice: She knows what’s cooking in my kitchen. Then I received a spicy gift box of Penzeys from my gardening inspiration. That welcome surprise was followed by a spice selection by mail […]
Perfect Gazpacho
Got veggies? Round up whatever you’ve got and toss it in the blender. That’s what we’re enjoying this week along with beautiful August weather. Use what’s on hand in the garden, in your crisper, or at the farmer’s market. Try this simple take on gazpacho.
Let kitchen tools do the heavy lifting
Some cooking tools can do the heavy lifting in the kitchen, if you don’t bury them in a cabinet. I always try to remember, like a gym membership that you’ve already paid for, if you’re not going to use it, pass it on to someone who will appreciate and benefit. So it goes for the […]
Stranger from New Delhi shares love of gohbi matar
Contemporary travel comes with all sorts of boundaries, and many of us just want to get on with a flight without bumping passengers near us. The stranger from New Delhi sharing an arm rest with me on a recent trip asked if I liked Indian food. What’s not to like? My seat mate must have […]
In with the roux . . .
It’s Mardi Gras time, and you can still make a raging-good gumbo. Everybody needs a Louisiana mentor when giving gumbo a go. My New Orleans angel in a dirtied apron told me to pitch my first roux out in the back yard. It was that bad. This was precious counsel, and I refused to give […]
Watching your back with a look at 2012
How did life present itself to you in 2012? Watch your back . . . and recount memorable meals shared with friends and family. The Cookery marks five years at WordPress this weekend, and though I found myself limited in posting time (graduate studies finally completed), I was lucky to read favorites around the Web […]
Dish up leftover turkey with dumplings
Some hosts find themselves saddled with leftovers after Thanksgiving. Not here. Bird . . . gone. Mashed potatoes . . . never enough. Ginger-laced sweet potatoes . . . begging for more. My challenge is that I’m usually left without leftovers. If you’re lucky enough to come away with leftover turkey, toss it into this […]