Posts

There are plenty of variations of bouillabaisse, and even in Marseille you’ll find strong debates over the proper way to make it. The most important thing is that you should use several varieties of fish, and the fish should be very fresh. In Provence you would use a variety of Mediterranean fish, but here in the states where we can’t get those fish fresh, we have to make substitutions. The distinctive flavors of a bouillabaisse broth include saffron, which also gives it its orange color, orange zest, and fennel....

We use nuts frozen from last year’s harvest. Nuts will get rancid, so definitely check for that before using. Freeze any nuts left over. The recipe is from a recipe in Bon Appétit magazine with a few minor changes. The Bon Appétit recipe calls for the drizzling of melted white chocolate on top of the tart for decorative effect. If you want to do this, just melt a ounce of white chocolate over a double boiler and use a fork to drizzle swirls on top of the tart....

I grew up in the South, the homeland of the cheese straw, but no one in my family made their own. I’d sometimes nibble on one at a friend’s house or, more commonly, a potluck, but I never tried to make them myself. Until now. What Are Cheese Straws? Cheese straws are squarely between a cheese cracker and a savory shortbread in a fun, straw-like shape. You’ll most commonly see cheese straws with a ribbed shape, but they’re sometimes made by twisting the dough....

What Is Cherry Clafoutis? It’s a custard of sorts, a firm custard, one with enough structure to support a lot of fruit. The basic ingredients are sugar, eggs, flour, and fruit. Easy! For this cherry clafoutis, we’ve also included some vanilla extract, almond extract, and blanched almonds. Right out of the oven this clafoutis looks a little like a battlefield of cherries. Which is why I think one sprinkles powdered sugar over it before serving....

With so much to do, it’s nice to have a few recipes in my back pocket that can be prepared ahead of time, cooked in one pot, and on the table in about 30 minutes. Chinese 5-Spice Skillet Chicken fits the bill! Orange, fennel, and Chinese 5-spice blend come together in this dish for a flavorful one-skillet chicken dinner. I make it a complete meal by adding fresh green beans and strips of sweet bell pepper....

The thing with cheesecake, however, is that it can take forever to make! There’s a lot of chilling time for a classic cheesecake. (I always let mine refrigerate for at least 12 hours!) Cheesecake in Half the Time! That’s where these bars come in. They cut that time significantly so you can make them in the morning and they are ready to serve by the afternoon. You can also eat them without a fork—bonus!...

As delicious as the dish sounded, though, I was looking for a dish that was slightly more lactose-intolerant-friendly and then I thought back to one of my favorite Thai soups, tom kha gai. Tom kha gai is a coconut-milk-based chicken soup scented with galangal (or ginger), lemongrass, chilies, fish sauce, makrut lime leaves, lime juice, and cilantro. The combination of sweet, salty, and sour flavors balanced in a creamy broth felt ideal for pairing with a mild, firm fish....

One of the easiest things to do with egg salad is to add some curry powder. Hard boiled eggs and curry? They were made for each other. Now if you really want to take the salad up a notch further, try this trick. Add some mango chutney. The sweet and sour from the chutney along with the spiciness from the curry, and our little egg salad is ready for a Bollywood premier....

Not only are these meals school night friendly, but they’re freezer-friendly as well. They give you a safe place to land on those days when you’ve forgotten to thaw something, turn the slow cooker on or just can’t adult anymore. Rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles are sides that will go with one or more of this week’s recipes. Make a few batches of one or two of them, store them in the fridge, and you’ll have a complete meal put together in less time....

My parents have three apple trees on which we grow 15 varieties of apples. So, we are always looking for quick and easy apple recipes. My mother started baking apple slices this way for an everyday dessert a few years ago, and it is what we have almost every night during apple season. How to Make Baked Apple Slices in the Microwave It’s so easy! All you have to do is toss some slices of peeled and cored apples with cinnamon and sugar and put them in the microwave for a few minutes....

Or I should use the plural and say “salsas?” Who doesn’t love having a variety of salsas to choose from, whether dining at a taco truck or full-on restaurant? Often there’s tomatillo salsa verde, red chili salsa, and my favorite, a fresh tomato salsa otherwise known as pico de gallo or salsa fresca. Best Tomatoes for Pico de Gallo Fresh tomato salsa is ideally made with firm, fleshy tomatoes. You can of course make the salsa with any kind of tomato, but the firm ones like Romas or hothouse tomatoes will hold up the best....

This is a terrific dessert for wintry get-togethers, when cranberries are in season. The recipe serves eight, which makes it ideal for holidays and dinner parties. You can also do mini, single-serve pavlovas, which is a fun option for a buffet (see instructions below). How to Make Pavlova This seasonal spin on pavlova isn’t a big departure from the original, a dessert inspired by the diaphanous costumes of world-class ballerina Anna Pavlova....

For all of my salad enthusiasm, however, the version I make the most often is also the simplest—just a bowl full of soft butter lettuce and a handful of bright, flavorful herbs with a quick vinaigrette. The whole thing can be ready in under 10 minutes and is a super quick and easy summer side dish. No frills, no colorful vegetables, no fuss—perfect for a lazy summer day. And the best part is that it’s absolutely delicious....

I turn to this Grilled Summer Vegetable Nachos recipe when I need a creative way to tackle the squash from my backyard garden (who doesn’t end up with too much summer squash?) or to utilize an extra bundle of chard and zucchini in my CSA box. A mix of summery vegetables, lightly charred on the grill, makes a flavorful topping for these crowd-pleasing nachos. The Best Tortilla Chips for Nachos To make really good nachos, you’ll need to get thick, sturdy tortilla chips....

My mother has a fig tree that my father and I are not allowed to trim, or even touch, so the tree just gets bigger every year. Shallow trays filled with figs line every available counter and table space in the house. We can’t give them away fast enough. Dad gets grumpy (“Would you please find something to do with all these figs!”). I make fig jam which uses up maybe six of them....

It’s something I love to have in my fridge to jazz up my water during the week or to mix up a light and refreshing cocktail on Friday! How Does Hibiscus Taste? Hibiscus is a dried flower with a vibrant pinkish color and a tart, floral flavor. The sugar in the simple syrup helps sweeten the drink and balance the sharp taste of the flower. When I let my five-year old try my (non-alcoholic) spritz, he told me it tasted kind of like tea....

They have a wonderful flavor, almost smoky, even without bacon or ham. Earlier this past summer, we put them in a salad with feta and spinach. So, so good! Black-Eyed Peas: The Star of Hoppin’ John The dish that black-eyed peas are most famous for is Hoppin’ John. No idea where the name came from. And depending on where you are from, you might not even call it that. It’s simply black-eyed peas and rice....