A food blog from Chicago about keeping it simple in the kitchen
The well known options around Asian cuisine in America are dominated by Chinese, Japanese and Thai restaurants. One unfortunate side effect is that the amazing food from Korea gets crowded out. My favorite Korean recipe is easily the workhorse dish of the country – the Pad Thai of Korea, if […]
When I was working in Santa Monica, fish tacos were a staple at lunchtime. The great thing is that there’s no shortage of places in Southern California, like Sharkee’s, to get some great tacos. While each place has their own preferred fish, these baja tilapia fish tacos are the closest […]
Long ago, the restaurant Big Bowl had a signature dish called Crispy Lemon Chicken. I’m pretty sure I ordered it about every time that we went there. Similarly, my wife always ordered the Feel Good Chicken Wonton Soup. While it’s no longer on the menu, here’s an at-home version that […]
Tofu can be a great substitute for meat in vegetarian diets – but it’s not typically because of its flavor and texture. Straight out of the tub it isn’t going to fool anyone into thinking it’s a piece of sautéed meat. However, if you make crispy tofu and pump up […]
If there’s a staple recipe in the Food Blog world, it’s Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. This is a variation on that staple using the workhorse of cooking apples, the Granny Smith. The result is a slightly sweet butternut squash and apple soup. Astute readers will notice that “roasted” is lacking […]
For those of us that live in unpleasant Winter climates, this time of year does not involve a lot of grilling. However, that lack of grilling does not have to mean an end to making your own roasted red peppers. If you have a gas range, you can actually roast […]
By far, the most popular, and most requested recipe in my family for me to make at get-togethers is guacamole. Especially around the holidays, this is the dish I’m always asked to make in large quantities. So while there are at least a million basic guacamole recipes already on the […]
Sides such Twice Baked Potatoes, much like creamed spinach, are a steakhouse classic. And for potato lovers, it’s no wonder as it combines creamy mashed potatoes with crispy potato skins. Toss on some cheddar cheese, bacon and chives, and this is a solid side dish to a big meaty steak. […]
Sometimes a salad isn’t always a salad. To the British, salad means anything with mayo stirred in. To many Americans, salad means using iceberg lettuce, cheddar cheese and ranch dressing. Here we’re not too far off. Instead of lettuce, we’ll use steamed green beans. Rather than cheddar cheese, we’ll use […]
One of the first real sauces that I learned how to make was a red wine reduction…and I was instantly hooked. It’s a very simple sauce in appearance, but it’s quite complex in flavor and accompanies the flavors of cooked meats really well. To some, this may also sound like […]