A food blog from Chicago about keeping it simple in the kitchen
Hearty Red Chard From green kale to red kale, from collard greens to beet greens, there is a tremendous assortment of hearty leafy greens in the late season that are perfect for cooking with the flavors of your main dish. All of these greens sauté quickly and are easy to reheat […]
When you think of the classic pairings in the world of food – Fish and Chips, Pork Chops and Applesauce, Gin and Tonic – one that doesn’t get as much press is Steak and Eggs. This is one of those great diner meals that, like a stack of flapjacks, any […]
Wheatberries (or wheat berries) are a nutritional powerhouse because of their balance of protein, fiber and carbohydrates. They also have a great chewy texture, a mild nuttiness and can take on flavors of their surroundings really well. The gotcha to all of this is that they will take more time to […]
Black Beans with Brown Rice and Achiote Beans and Rice is a classic Latin American comfort food dish to accompany nearly any meat or fish. It’s even a great snack on its own. Much like Chilaquiles, there are thousands of ways to make beans and rice whether you’re in the […]
In American cuisine, is there any better side dish than a crispy, crunchy potato? But what if the potatoes are purple? And they’re oven roasted purple potatoes? For many, the crispy potato, from french fries to hash browns, is a staple along side a meat and a vegetable. Since oil-laden […]
Fall and Winter typically call for large pots of chili and soups. Large pots of chili and soups call for a great cornbread. Chipotle Cheddar Cornbread The challenge with most of the cornbread mixes is that tend to produce a dry finished product. After you’ve spent all this hard work […]
Homemade Garlicky Pickles – In 1 week Quick Garlicky Pickles As a shareholder in Angelic Organics, a great Chicago-area CSA, there are weeks where I just have too much of a particular item that I just won’t get to. Since I love pickles, and loathe throwing anything out, finding a […]
When we were in Mendoza in 2009, we had a pretty amazing lunch at Bodega Melipal that included a very tasty Malbec Carrot Soup. This is my attempt to recreate it, leveraging some of the techniques from Francis Mallman’s Butternut Squash Soup recipe in Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way. There are intentionally […]
Brussels sprouts, what a misunderstood vegetable that’s finally getting the recognition it deserves. I really didn’t give them much attention until they started showing up in our CSA, complete with their stalks. For freshness, it’s hard to beat any vegetable that comes to you nearly in its in-the-ground state. Because […]
Turn humble Skirt Steak into amazing, juicy Carne Asada Very similar to how I make beef jerky, this recipe uses a beer-based marinade as a tenderizer. If you make the marinade hours in advance, you’ll give the garlic plenty of time to impart its goodness. One thing I intentionally leave […]