Archives 'Old School
New isn’t always improved, so turn to one of these tried and true recipes for faithful food that won’t let you down!
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Young & HungryIf you can't take the heat, get outta the kitchen! |
| 25 February |
Oh la la mi amor, French onion soup. I think it’s no coincidence that Katy used the same exclamation to describe her French Macaroons! The French just know how to make things indulgent in the most dreamy way, no? Even the names themselves are music to your ears: Croque Monsieur, Coq au Vin, say it again s’il vous plait! This soup is also tender and sweet. The onions are caramelized until they melt into each other, their purple colors fading into brown bursts of flavor. It’s topped with a large crouton bathed in a sea of gruyere & parmesan. My loves, you can’t go wrong.
| 20 November |
My roommate makes me these for brunch on the weekends after late nights out and about. They’re easy. You have these things on hand. If you don’t keep them around they freeze well. And last forever. So no excuses. Add these ingredients to your grocery list. They. Will. Save. You.
| 21 October |
Katy’s been whipping up pizza magic left and right; it’s our go to “thing”, if you will. But as she consulted me for ideas (no two of our pies are ever the same) I had to put a DON’T YOU DARE caveat on my newest and most unique experiment – the grill pan pizza. In case you haven’t noticed, I am a big fan of my newest kitchen cabinet member, but its activity has waned since the revelation of my Ode. Now that it is truly getting too cool to waste a second shivering out of doors, why not try it the lazy way like me? You should, would, and can have your pizza and grill it too!
| 12 October |
Creamed spinach….such a classic, who doesn’t love it? Hence, I decided to prepare it for a recent football watching party, and chose yet another wonderful recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten.Deliciousness
Referred to by her as a spinach gratin, this recipe rivals any creamed spinach I’ve had, baked off with a layer of Parmesan and Gruyere on top that browns beautifully to a crispy finish. The addition of nutmeg is a characteristic way to enhance the flavor of many greens, and doesn’t disappoint here. Definitely not a recipe for those counting calories, but a surefire hit for times when you want to indulge, Miss Garten once again produces a hit.
| 6 October |
Not your mom’s blue box, this version of macaroni & cheese, courtesy of Ina Garten, is decidedly all grown up but still provides the cheesy creaminess you crave, if not more. A combo of sharp cheddar and gruyere create a velvety, rich blanket of a cheese sauce while the addition of nutmeg lends a lovely, sweet note…..you won’t know what that flavor is, but you’ll know you want more. I prepared the dish the night before I planned to serve it, and baked it the day of. An absolutely brilliant rendition of a classic, perfect for party time and couch time alike.
LOVE!
| 22 September |
With both fall and a park just around the corner, what better way to take advantage of the waning daylight hours than with a picnic? This recipe, which I modified from an old Bon Appétit recipe is a simple yet unique way to spice up your usual chicken salad. It’s perfect for a picnic because Tahini, unlike mayo, doesn’t immediately spoil when out of the fridge. For those that aren’t familiar with Tahini, it’s sesame seed paste (think sesame peanut butter) and is generally found in hummus. So, if you’ve recently experimented with homemade hummus, this is a perfect way to put all that leftover Tahini to good use. Additionally, since there isn’t any cheese or dairy in this recipe, the yogurt and feta dip is a nice compliment to the sandwiches and can be used to make avocado, sprout, and feta pitas the next day.
Katy and I originally made this recipe for an anniversary party we catered. While it made for a pretty and easily assembled appetizer, the amount of prep work involved in deboning and shredding 20 chickens was an experience I am ok never to repeat. One chicken, however, is a breeze in comparison!
| 8 September |
I am going to be unabashedly unoriginal and cliché and write a post about Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon recipe, recently made even more famous by the movie Julie and Julia whereby the main character recreates the legend’s iconic dish, to both successful and disastrous results.Finished dish, served with rice. Thanks, Julia!
Seeing that dish on the big screen sparked within me a challenge: not only to make it, but to make it well. And so I set out upon a pilgrimage of sorts in whipping up my very first Julia recipe.
| 31 August |
Given my counterpart’s passionate ode to her grill pan, I am hereby deciding to proclaim a love of my own….this time for what has become one of my kitchen essentials: my rice cooker.
Perfect...every time!
The beauty of the rice cooker is that it, quite simply, takes the guesswork out of cooking rice. Rice, that basic staple, is actually a bit tricky to prepare well and the rice cooker results in a perfectly fluffy, perfectly textured rice every time. Plus, if you’re willing to splurge for a more advanced model, it is evolved enough to have settings for white rice, brown rice, and a steam setting (for steaming such foods as vegetables,) making it a genius and versatile kitchen appliance. And all for the bargain price of $40!
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| 26 May |
It has been brought to my attention that my recipes tend to lean towards the appetizer and side dish distinction; guilty as charged, I suppose, given that I am a longtime vegetarian and thus accustomed to eating what many consider garnishes as my main dish. In response to such criticism, I give you an inarguably full-fledged entrée, perfect for a light dinner, and here paired with delicious, healthy roasted asparagus. The salmon recipe comes courtesy of the consummate grilling master, Bobby Flay (and while this recipe is not grilled, I suspect it would be likewise delicious on the grill,) and the asparagus is based off that which my mother makes so frequently during the summer.
Viola!
Regarding the salmon…at the risk of committing heresy, I recommend buying a high-quality, farm-raised salmon for this recipe, as opposed to wild. While the wild variety gets good press for being richer and pinker (which it is) it also has a distinctively fishy flavor which would overpower this particular marinade.
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| 12 May |
Who doesn’t love a good dinner party? I heart them and was in the good habit of throwing them until our last, which became slightly overwhelming when we found 20 hungry guests hanging out in the kitchen while I fumbled with rice cookers that were not working and ginormous pots that I could barely lift. Nonetheless, fun it was. They typically are and luckily, there was more than enough wine to pacify all until dinner was served.
Since that night last summer, the dinner parties have been few and far between, but hopefully, that will soon change. I recently had a few friends over and served the following, finding it to be a nice, simple dish for entertaining.
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