Hummus and Pita
It's not difficult to understand the crazy popularity of hummus. Easy to make (with ingredients found almost anywhere), vaguely healthy, cheap, and versatile. But like many popular things, it has strayed very far from authenticity. People have added all kinds of...
Off Topic: Fetuccine with Prosciutto and Cream Sauce
I defy you to find a bad sauce in Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. Go ahead, try, I'll wait right here. And most of the ones I've tried are shockingly simple and quick. This one will make you particularly happy. Mind you, I didn't say it will make you...
Around My French Table: Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup
One of the reasons I was intrigued by this book is that Dorie promises to bring us contemporary recipes from France -- what real French people are cooking today. Not surprisingly, Vietnamese food is common and she says that this soup is ubiquitous. This soup is good...
Around My French Table: Beatrix’s Red Kuri Soup
The 80-degree temps seem to be over and I no longer feel foolish making things like hearty soups. I hate being seasonally out of sync so this is quite a relief. Dorie says that this is a beloved soup in France. Traditionally made with a Red Kuri squash which is also...
Off Topic: Root Vegetable Cobbler
I don't know what I was thinking but I scheduled several warm, substantial dinners during a week when the temps were consistently above 80 degrees (I guess I was thinking "It's October"). Nevertheless, we're heading into warm, substantial food season and next...
Off Topic: An Easy and Versatile Left-Over Solution
One of my favorite cookbooks for weeknight meals is Best 30-Minute Recipes from America's Test Kitchen. In the chapter entitled "Starting with Leftovers" I discovered the brilliance of the Tostada. To give you the short-cut, spray some corn tortillas with Pam,...
Around My French Table: Gerard’s Mustard Tart
I admit that the thought of a "mustard tart" did not make me drool. I like mustard but in very small doses. It seems to be a big flavor bully and makes everything you put it in taste like mustard. But I am participating in "French Fridays with Dorie, " in which we...