When you’re in the mood for a cozy, romantic dinner at home, wouldn’t it be fun to snuggle yourself and your significant other up to a good steak, flavored with brandy and black peppercorns, and accompanied by a red onion and sour cream tart tatin? It feels like a special occasion meal, luxurious and special, but there’s less effort and expense than you would imagine: you grill a steak, pop some puff pastry dough from the freezer section of the […]
I love a quick twist on a classic cocktail: it makes an evening a little more special. I was recently looking at the patch of lemon balm in my garden and thinking that it would be a fresh and fragrant addition to a gin and tonic. Lemon Balm G&T Prep time: 10 minutes
One of the original desserts of early American cooking was hasty pudding, or, as it was sometimes known, Indian pudding. (You may remember that hasty pudding is mentioned in the lyrics of the Revolutionary War song, “Yankee Doodle.”) Made with cornmeal, eggs, milk, and whatever spices a cook had on hand, it was sweetened with molasses or maple syrup. Later versions added ice cream, or candied fruit. This is my updated take on hasty pudding, based on recipes found in […]
Several people have asked for a French toast recipe, and I’m happy to oblige. The basis for the batter recipe came from the Williams-Sonoma catalog, whose recipe collection is both classic and original. They’re not paying me to say that, but not all recipe sources are as reliable as Williams-Sonoma, and I appreciate that. You can certainly make this cheerful orange-and-ginger-flavored French toast in slices, but I prefer making them into “soldiers” for dipping in plain yogurt, flavored with ginger […]
Hurray for Tex-Mex Thursday! If you need your regular fix of Tex-Mex food, here’s an easy recipe that can turn an ordinary meal into a fiesta by adding a happy jolt of jalapeno and sharp cheddar to a baking powder biscuit. This recipe comes from my buddy Matthew Wendel, who cooked for the Bushes at their ranch in Texas and at Camp David. He knows a lot about satisfying, simple home cooking. Here’s what he says about today’s scrumptious recipe: […]
