What’s Cooking?
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Couscous Salad
English food writer Elizabeth David described this time of year as "the mayonnaise season," and while I don’t use much mayonnaise in my kitchen, it’s an apt name for the time of year when cool foods are called for. Not many hot dishes beyond corn on the cob draw much interest after we’ve been grilling
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Baby Artichokes
We found baby artichokes at Schnucks this week. I’d never cooked them before but, having a vague memory of recipes that involved them, bought a pound, which came to about 8 or 10. I chose ones whose tips were tightly closed, the way I do with regular ‘chokes, and came home to investigate. Instructions on
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Funeral Food
I was raised in a small town south of St. Louis, and some of the habits from those days have never left me. It’s difficult for me to telephone anyone after 9 p.m., a handmade quilt is still a first-tier wedding present—and, boy, isn’t that something that’s gone from appreciated to laughed at to almost
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About Shad Roe
It’s March, and that means it’s shad roe season. Most Midwesterners will react to that news with something like "Huh?" And even among local foodies, we’re sure that large numbers of them haven’t tasted it. It’s only rarely found in local restaurants, and then as a March special, the way the late Herbie Balaban did.
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Fabulous Bread
For the past couple of months I’ve been raving about a no-knead bread recipe that produces an astounding loaf. This is Serious Bread, slightly sour, chewy, with a great crust. And it’s embarrassingly easy. The dough is a very forgiving one, and it’s a godsend for those of us who physically can’t knead bread and
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Brussels Sprouts
Winter vegetables have always been a challenge to me, not counting potatoes, of course. Just opening a can of something always seems like a cop-out, but after laboring over a main course and salad, most nights the veges came in a slow third as I tried to think of something interesting. But I’ve discovered something
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Gingerbread Pancakes
And a good 2007 to all. We began the year with some thick-sliced bacon, cooked slowly until it was very crisp, and gingerbread pancakes. I began my search for a good recipe for them several years ago, when we were in Springfield, Mo., while Joe was doing something on behalf of the Missouri Arts Council.
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Vietnamese Turkey Salad
It’s leftover time again, and I found yet another use for turkey. We never buy small ones; there’s too much to gain from the investment of a little time and effort in stripping the carcass after the big meal is over. This Vietnamese-ish noodle salad is a fine change from the wintry heaviness of a
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Tweaking The Pumpkin Pie
Thanksgiving is a big deal in the Pollack family, and it was that way long before I arrived in it. My dear late mother-in-law followed her family’s tradition; as Russian emigres, I’m sure they were particularly thankful that America had been so good to them. It’s often described as a very American holiday. It’s not