What to Cook

While I am a big fan of recipes that take a few minutes of hands on time, and then get tossed into the oven to bake or roast, or into a pot to braise, sometimes we all just need to get dinner on the table, and NOW. The fact that a pork shoulder roast requires almost no attention from me once it’s in the oven, or that a chili can bubble away largely unattended on the stove is all well and good—when you have the time. But when the clock is ticking and your people are hungry, minutes count. Here …

If forced to name my favorite part of the chicken, it would have to be the thigh.  I’ll happily eat a fried drumstick, a spicy sticky chicken wing, a tender breast with or with or without the skin.  But thighs?  Winner, winner…well, I won’t say it.  Juicy, tender, moist, flavorful, hard to overcook; it’s hands down the best part of the bird.  And you can cook them in so many different ways.  Sautéed chicken thighs, braised chicken thighs, roasted chicken thighs, baked chicken thighs, broiled chicken thighs, grilled chicken thighs, stir fried chicken thighs, chicken thigh kebabs, crock pot or slow …

I am no longer engaging in any kind of debate about ramps.  I love them, these wild scallions, which grow in some parts of the country for a short period in the early spring, and are always the subject of so much contention.  They are uncultivate-able harbingers of spring, and people long for them all year long….and then other people hate them, because anything that is prized and fetishized inevitably becomes the object of scorn by those who are “over them”. Seriously, enough. They are delicious and versatile and fun to cook with. Everyone, get over yourselves. OR conversely, if …

I’m writing this newsletter in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where our family is enjoying a long-awaited, splurgey ski vacation with some friends. I’m typing this with one leg propped up on a chair and an ice pack on my knee, since a certain Mom 100 overdid it on the first day and managed to slightly tear her meniscus (and if you don’t know what a meniscus is, you’re lucky, and you shouldn’t even bother to look it up). I am looking out the window at some seriously snow-covered hills, and alternately thinking of Stevie Nicks (if you get this reference and …

As we approach spring, the excitement mounts. Longer days, warmer weather, and an abundance of amazing produce that is nothing short of inspiring. Farmers’ markets are exploding with all kinds of produce, and it’s impossible not to gather up as much as one can carry and cart it all home. But then what? Put all of these beautiful fruits and vegetables to work! Here are some suggestions for ways to use all of the gorgeous produce of the spring season.   Apricots Try them instead of plums in this crisp. Apricots go beautifully with many cheeses, so add them to a bountiful …

Ground beef is a dinner mainstay for many of us.  So many things to do with it, it cooks up very quickly, and whatever you make with it is usually comforting and homey and satisfying and family friendly.  But as with any dinner staple, we can get rut-like about how we make it.  So what else can you make with ground beef?  Here are 10 ways for putting that protein to work in delicious ways. Many of these recipes call for browning the beef within the recipe itself, but if you have leftover already cooked ground beef you can skip the …