After a long weekend of holiday eating, including a very rich and tasty Boeuf Bourguignon (aka Beef Burgundy) along with an assortment of cookies, chocolates, and other sweets, something light, refreshing, and homey sounded like a nice alternative. Notwithstanding, a (Brooklyn Brewery) black chocolate stout bread pudding is on my to-do list. I came across … Continue Reading
I had two kabocha squash staring at me on the kitchen counter for the past couple of weeks (went a little overboard at the farmers’ market yet again). Kabocha, a Japanese varietal, is my favorite type of winter squash. I’ve used them before to make soup, risotto, gnocchi, ravioli, cake, pie, and bread., but, this … Continue Reading
This colorful bowl of soup was inspired by a dish (Gaeng Som or Hot Sour Curry) that I recently enjoyed at a local Thai restaurant. This weekend finds at a local farmers’ market, which featured, among other things, purple and orange cauliflower, fresh young ginger, Napa cabbage, and green beans. This soup strikes just the … Continue Reading
It’s summer and that means it’s prime time for tomatoes. Nothing beats fresh, locally-grown tomatoes, especially heirloom varietals (the uglier the better). Like many of you, I eagerly await for these beauties to arrive; and for good reason, a store bought tomato will never taste as good as a tomato that has ripened on … Continue Reading
The Chicago Blizzard of 2011 featured thunder, lightening, 70 mph winds, and over 20 inches of snow (the third snowiest day in Chicago since 1886). I’m not complaining, because YAHOO, snow day! However, I’m not much of a planner, which means on a typical day I have very little food in the proverbial pantry (actually, … Continue Reading
