Breathe Promise

Ah, springtime! Gilbert and Sullivan certainly shared the appreciation, thus The Mikado inspired not only the author’s pen name, but it includes also the following lyrics: The flowers that bloom in the spring, Tra-la, Breathe promise of merry sunshine – As we merrily dance and we sing Tra-la, We welcome the hope that they bring,…

Thyme Well Spent

See what just happened there? Thyme=Time. Clever, huh? However insipid, the sleight does make a larger point, namely, that when good cooking is given care and attention, it rewards the cook tenfold. Both in a delicious meal, and in dinner guests’ delight. In this endeavor, little is more satisfying than is risotto. A contentment Bon…

The First Word

When a recipe launches its title with “savory,” a warm, comfortable, velvety meal is sure to await those gathered around the dinner table. Then, when the rest of the title unfurls an equally captivating description, how can the evening resist immortality? Why would it when Savory Bread Pudding with Mushrooms & Leeks is finishing up…

What a Country!

Home to hundreds of millions, it has attracted immigrants from the world over. The republic spans the continent, and a mighty river bisects it. Within its borders one finds teeming cities and vast wildernesses. This description applies not just to what is, perhaps, the expected subject, but also to Brazil, its vast friend down the…

The Sun’s Turn

For those in the northern hemisphere at least, summer got underway recently. The clouds have retreated for a couple months now, and brilliant sunshine is becoming more common. Not only that, but citrus still is excellent, and it recalls the vibrant good cheer summer brings. Unlike winter, when such thoughts largely are memories, right now…

You’re Invited

There’s room in the car; we’ll stop by soon to collect you. The more, the merrier, right? Not that tonight isn’t going to be ecstatically fun already, what, with everybody being in such a good mood. Optimistic and happy to greet the new year. Perfect setting for a party, really. Plus, there’s sure to be…

My Pie, That’s Why

Doesn’t everybody love baby spinach, pineapple and mushrooms on their pizza?  Seriously?  Why not?  Weirdos. The beauty of Cast Iron Pan Pizzas, though, as dreamt in the January & February 2020 Cook’s Illustrated, is that each pizza is customizable for each person at the table.  In the great deep-dish/thin-crust debate, these pan pizzas definitely side…

How Did This Happen?

Today’s creation requires little elaboration, as it’s a savory herbed pancake covered in a delicious mixture of mushrooms sautéed with leeks, then topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano and lemon zest.  Sound good?  It is, clearly so, yet things become murky when it comes to the name, Dutch Baby.  Wait…what? All right, here are details.  A…

Hail, Caesar!

Not Caesar Augustus, but Caesar Cardini, the restauranteur who invented this salad at his establishment in Acapulco, Mexico in the 1920s.  By legend, Cardini ran out of ingredients for a conventional salad at a particularly busy moment and, instead of giving in, he persisted and improvised with whatever the kitchen had on hand. This included…

Now, That’s Italian

Or so it would seem, with polenta forming a creamy base and Parmigiano Reggiano topping it all with a salty tanginess.  With just a few ingredients and requiring less non-stop attention than cooking a proper polenta usually demands, Oven Polenta with Roasted Mushrooms and Thyme became a keeper when Bon Appetit featured it in the…