Over the past year, I have noticed myself cooking more and more meat. I don’t know why, I just seem to have moved into a “meat at the center of the plate” mindset. And I don’t like it. Not that I aspire to be a vegetarian; I’m too interested in trying anything and everything to…
Quick Eats: Salami Sandwich with Olive Tapenade
A simple sandwich, but so good I had to share. Actually, I had intended to make ham-and-cheese sandwiches, but the woman at the deli counter was so slow I gave up in frustration. Arne, casting about for a way to salvage the situation, picked up a package of sliced hard salami. “You love salami sandwiches!”…
Quick Eats: Dumpling Soup
I threw this together for lunch today, as I have a million times, and was several bites in before it occurred to me to share it with you! Dumpling soup has been my go-to quick lunch for a long time. I usually make it Asian-style, but it lends itself well to an Italian treatment as…
Butterscotch Pears with Breakfast Couscous
Another beautiful breakfast dish, on a very similar theme to yesterday’s post: fruit cooked in butter and brown sugar, finished with cream, and served over sweetened, milky grain (or close enough to it – couscous is actually a pasta, but is often treated like a grain).To be honest, I’ve never really liked pears. Their flavor…
Oatmeal Goes Luxe: Vanilla Oatmeal Pudding with Fostered Bananas
It seems like I’ve gotten into a rut with breakfast. I have a few go-to standards – scrambled eggs, sometimes with yummy stuff mixed in, bacon, and toast. Pancakes and sausage. Oatmeal with an array of simple toppings and mix-ins. All delicious – especially since I finally found the perfect buttermilk pancakes, which I’ll tell…
Brussels Sprouts with Beurre Noisette
Here is a complex-sounding, really delicious side dish that comes together in less than 10 minutes (once you get the water boiling). “Beurre Noisette” is French for “brown butter,” and it provides a delicate nuttiness that really makes the Brussels sprouts pop. Halve about 10 small Brussels sprouts per person (they needn’t be tiny, but…
Saffron Carbonara
I have made many variations on pasta Carbonara – pasta with eggs, bacon, and cheese – but this one knocked my socks off. I really didn’t expect it to be magnificent, but it is. Savory and smoky, with a nutty salt tang from the cheese and a gorgeous golden hue, this spaghetti is the epitome…