I'm going to assume we've all had it up to our masks hearing about Covid cooking. Sourdough starter, banana bread, air-frying, everyone's done it, blogged about it, made a Tik-Tok, and written a New York Times think piece. Whatever you're going to get out of this...
If Milano cookies had babies they would be these impish little bundles. Actually it would have to be a Milano and a bag of hazelnuts and I'm not sure how that would work but love is love, I don't judge. Cookies really don't get any cuter and in addition these are...
You didn't think I ate cake all the time did you? We all know how that ends. It's all about balance, which is a palatable way of saying: sometimes you have to eat healthy things. But healthy does not have to mean penance or deprivation. There are many,...
I had two worries as I made this recipe. First, that the crystallized ginger would be too harsh but it was absolutely perfect, adding a judicious bit of brightness and contrast to all the sweet lusciousness. Second, the shortcake dough was so flaky as I...
Remember when it seemed like people were throwing browned butter in everything? Suddenly it was bringing new life to old favorites like Rice Krispie Treats, Mexican Wedding Cookies, and every butter-based sauce imaginable. And this is not just a theory, I...
Dead simple, four ingredients, shockingly delicious. As the recipe says the panko keeps the turkey from becoming dense and acquiring that yoga-mat texture turkey burgers sometimes have; the mayo keeps it moist throughout; and the cheese works its usual...
I had you at "parmesan dumplings," didn't I? You're not wrong, they are amazing. I felt the urge to make soup even though we are experiencing freakishly warm temperatures in Chicago lately. Like, 55 and sunny. In Chicago. The place they make tedious,...
At first glance there is nothing new about this sauce from Milk Street Kitchen. Heat fat, saute aromatics, add veggies, deglaze, add some other stuff, simmer while the pasta boils. And yet. I don't know if it's the cinnamon, or the way the flavors...
Tomatoes get the lion's share of attention this time of year, and rightly so, but let's not forget how insanely delicious blueberries and peaches are right now. I've been a tad obsessed with blueberries in particular, eating half a pint every morning with...
As delightful as grilling is (and short-lived for those of us who live in colder climes) there might come a point in the season when you feel like you've done it all. You've ventured beyond hamburgers, brats and steaks to beer-can chicken, peaches, beef...
A Sunday afternoon impulse abetted by the presence of leftover baby potatoes on their last legs as well as an abundance of duck fat from the cassoulet soiree. The only ingredient I did not have was parsley and I wish I did because it would have provided...
There's something about Israeli couscous that I'm infatuated with. I don't know if it's the toothsome, pasta-like texture, the neutral palette that makes it the perfect canvas for any ingredient, or the versatility. Perhaps it just reminds me of Israel? ...
I always give Cook's Illustrated credit for teaching me how to cook and it will always be my go-to for classic American dishes like fried chicken, chocolate cupcakes, pancakes, burgers, roast turkey and countless other things I cannot live without. But Milk Street...
My most-requested cake. My Strawberry Letter 22. My best shot at the Nobel Prize in Baking.
Photo by Gentl and Hyers Why humble-brag when you can just straight out brag? I kicked my own ass when I made this dish. You know how they say if you can read a recipe you can cook? I did that. But first, I used my formidable powers of discernment to pick a...
Of course we all know that a boneless, skinless chicken breasts are an excellent source of low-fat, healthy protein, but the thought of eating one is about as enticing as doing your taxes. It's very tricky to cook them all the way through without completely drying...
Even though I have a perfectly fine recipe for sugar cookies, I'm always open to try a new one. Because resisting new things makes you old and gives you frown lines and age spots and turkey neck. True story. This one is from the December 2013 issue of Bon Appetit...
I made this dish a long time ago and then forgot to tell you about it. Forgive me. It has been one of my favorite summer meals for a long time because it's got so much going for it. It's healthy, it's quick, and it's a self-contained complete meal and, let's be...
You know how I get all excited when a recipe turns out to be way more delicious than the ingredients suggest? That happened. It happend when nothing more than 2 lbs of sweet potatoes, a shallot, a little butter, and water for crying out loud, came together. You'd...
If I may quote myself: "never eat doughnuts you didn't make yourself." Such inspiring words to live by and I wouild certainly live by them myself if this damn place weren't two blocks from my office. Oh, and as if that weren't bad enough this finally opened near my...
Please wipe that skeptical look off your face when I tell you that these are not that difficult to make. The dough is much easier to work with than pie dough; it shapes easily and doesn't stick like crazy to the counter. And it doesn't fall helplessly apart when...
I appreciate that Cook's Illustrated has a scientific explanation for why its recipes are superior to others, but most of the time I'm content to take it at face value and not read their lengthy dissertation. I don't dislike science, I just feel like it's doing...
I love when a dish can be both elegant, special, and yet an absolute snap to make. Gnaw-on-the-bone delicious doesn't hurt either. This -- from the April 2008 issue of Bon Appetit -- checked all the boxes. It's laughably simple: lamb with a classic pan...
Or Bocconcini if that's what you discover the kid in the cheese department gave you right before you assemble this. At least it was buffalo. This was meant to be a first course but I doubled it and served as an appetizer. It was a bit of a mess to eat and...
As I write this local Chicago weather professionals are going bonkers over a predicted record-setting temperature tomorrow. National weather folks are saying there will be wind chill factors in FLORIDA. And what most experts will tell you is that the best...
Oh yeah, I have a blog! Sorry about that. Moving on... I'm not convinced that grilling romaine lettuce "adds a smoky char to a Caesar salad" but I love Caesar salad and any excuse to try a new one is fine by me. This one was pretty great and I don't know about you...
I'm sure there were kids in the Midwest in the 1960s who ate all kinds of great seafood. Maybe they went "fishing" with their parents (look it up, it's a real thing!) and ate what they caught. Or perhaps they were urban sophisticates who experienced fine dining...
What did Cook's Illustrated want? "A juicy cutlet that kept its crunch." When did they want it? "Twenty years ago would have been nice but now works." As with many popular dishes there are many bad ways to make chicken parmesan and many points where you can go...
Oh just go make it, you know you want to. It's from the February 2013 Bon Appetit and right here on Epicurious. What are you waiting...
What is it with the Spanish food lately? Must be the weather. Because it's officially cold outside. Here in Chicago we've had some freakishly mild weather and a disconcerting lack of snow. Until this past week when we got those character-building below-zero wind...
This was so good despite the fact that I temporarily lost my mind and mistakenly used chicken breast halves instead of cutlets. What's the difference? Well, a lot of cooking time, for one. Basically, a cutlet is a breast half cut in half, horizontally, making two...
Readers, I have to disabuse of something right now: living at my house is not like an endless and much less disturbing visit to the Wonka factory. Yes, wonderful things are made regularly BUT, more often than not, they are carried out the door to work or a party or...
(Photo by Cook's Country/America's Test Kitchen) At this time I'm going to have ask Michelle Obama to leave this page and, maybe, go look at amazing pictures of herself. 'Cause she's not going to like this. At all. Because this post is about a dish so sinful...
As promised, these potatoes deliver both the fluffy interior of a baked potato and the crispy exterior of a french fry (without the deep frying). They are absolutely heavenly and will you will forget any weirdness you felt when crushing potatoes between two sheet...
Be warned: this is a project. It probably took me three hours start to finish but it was so worth it. If you've ever wanted to eat pie for dinner but just could not come up with a way to justify it, I think I can help you. Make it out of vegetables. You're...
As I've mentioned before, chicken breasts need a lot of help. I would almost always rather have a leg, a thigh or even a wing over a breast any day because, of course, they're fattier and that equals better. But if you insist on white meat I think you need to do...
If you've never made yeasted waffles before you really need to get on it. It's not a dish for the spontaneous as it requires an overnight rest in the fridge but, other than that, there's nothing standing in your way to experiencing breakfast (or in the case,...
This was a perfectly delicious tomato sauce but if I had to pick one to call "the only tomato sauce" I'll ever need it will not be this one. That honor goes to Marcella Hazan's brilliant sauce which is simply a 28-oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes, an onion cut in...
This salad, from the August 2007 issue of Bon Appetit, has been one of my favorites for a long time. As you can guess, it is a great accompaniment to a Mexican main dish. Use it as a bed for leftover fajita chicken, or shrimp or pork and it becomes a main dish on...
Children, in the 1970s when I was growing up things were different. As I'm sure you've heard, we had 3 t.v. stations, drank Tab, and rode around in gigantic cars with unused seat belts. But did you know that they sold cigarettes in vending machines, and that you...
This has been a favorite of ours for a long time. The brilliant thing about the recipe is that it understands that chicken breasts are about as exciting as a Steven Raichlen marathon and one needs a pretty creative trick to overcome that. And the trick is this:...
I need to buy a ricer. Because I hate my food mill and I am going to want to make gnocchi more often. This is from the September/October issue of Cook's Illustrated. I did not use one of the yummy-sounding sauces because I've always wanted to try Marcella...
Although this dish takes a little time to throw together, most of that is the meat simmering so it's pretty easy. I made it even easier (and slightly more healthy) by baking the tortillas vs. frying them. I used a pork shoulder instead of a butt because...
I've been making this slaw for a long time and it's time I shared it with you because it's addictive stuff. It's cool and crunch and nutty and slightly onion-y but also has a hint of sweetness. It's a perfect summer slaw but you can make it any time. The...
You know how turkey burgers can sometimes be sad, dry little hockey pucks of compromise? Often eaten under the mistaken assumption that turkey is always better for you than ground beef? Well let me introduce you to possibly the best turkey burger you've ever...
From the June 2011 issue of Cook's Country magazine comes a wonderful addition to your summer cooking/grilling bag of tricks. This is a quick and absolutely delicious steak taco with carefully edited garnishes (proving again that you do not have to drown every...
This has been one of our favorite grilling recipes for a long time and it's always one of the first things I make when the weather gets warm. Although Cook's Illustrated categorizes it as an appetizer (as do most Thai restaurants) I didn't see why it couldn't be...
What's not to like about a quick pasta dish with tomatoes, bacon and onion? And cheese? I've always loved the Cook's Illustrated version of this but this one, featured in the May 2011 issue of Bon Appetit is really delicious too. This one, I think, is more...
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