Always on the hunt for unusual vegetables, I scooped up these Chinese long beans (aka yardlong beans, long-podded cowpeas, snake beans or asparagus beans) last weekend at my local farmers’ market. They hold up well to cooking, that is, the beans don’t get soft and mushy, and retain a good amount of al dente-ness, which … Continue Reading

I teamed up with Bayonne Ham and Honest Cooking to prepare a recipe that showcases Jambon de Bayonne. Bayonne is a city in the Basque region of southwest France where the Nive and Adour rivers meet. It’s also the home to Bayonne ham, a cured ham made with high-quality, whole, fresh hams that have been … Continue Reading

My plan was to post these multicolored dumplings around Christmas time. The red and green dough seemed festive and fitting. However, I wanted to give them another test run and ran out of time. Such is life. The inspiration (and technique) for these multicolored dumpling wrappers originated with Red House Spice. Her dumplings are beautiful. … Continue Reading

Cataplana, a symbol of local Portuguese cuisine, is a seafood and/or meat stew originating in the Algarve, the southernmost region of Portugal. The stew is cooked in a hammered copper, clam-shaped pan also known as a cataplana, which is unique to the Algarve region. Historically, the cataplana has played a dual role, one, as a … Continue Reading

When the weather turns cool, I tend to embrace low-and-slow braised comfort food. My trusted and beloved Dutch Oven gets its fair share of use on such occasions. On those lazy days, I love to crawl up with a cookbook or binge watch my favorite tv series, as the meat braises away, warming the house … Continue Reading