Author Archive
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Hash Browns for Dinner
I’m not that crazy about the breakfast-for-dinner thing. (Or brinner, as some call it.) But nonetheless I decided to make hash browns/home fries last night.
I cubed one sweet potato and a few russets, chopped half an onion, and minced some garlic. Then I heated a generous amount of olive oil, sautéed the onion and garlic for a minute or so, then fried the potatoes, adding lots of s&p, oregano and paprika as I went. Cooked them for a good, long while, maybe forty minutes or so. Topped the finished product with two poached eggs and had buttered toast on the side. I have to admit it was a highly satisfying meal.
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Diane Phillips’s Artichoke & Spinach Dip
“This is sooooooo good.” “This is amazing.” “Did you really make this?” If you want to hear people say such things about something you made, then make Diane Phillips’s Artichoke and Spinach Dip.
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French Toast Casserole
Some meals you never forget. Like the breakfast I had six years ago on the morning of my college graduation. It was this amazing baked French toast. A relative of mine made it, and it seemed like one of those spectacular yet un-recreateable dishes.
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Beer Bread with Oats
Elegant, it is not. A cinch to make, warm and buttery, great for dipping in soups or mopping up gravy, it certainly is. I’m talking, of course, about beer bread.Since I first discovered it a couple years ago over at the blog Ezra Pound Cake, I’ve probably made at least one loaf every few weeks. It takes all of 10 minutes to prepare. Then, during its 45-50 in the oven, it makes your kitchen smell like freshly made biscuits.
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Hiroko Shimbo, Author of the Day at Cookstr
Remember that udon recipe we wrote about last month? A bowl of hot noodles so inviting that, before proceeding to devour, you want to stick your face over the bowl so the rising, fragrant steam warms your cheeks and sticks to your eyelashes? That dish was from Hiroko Shimbo, today’s Author of the Day at Cookstr.com.
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Jinx Morgan’s Rum Punch
The weather’s miserable. So we are rebelling…with a tropical cocktail. This recipe for Rum Punch comes from Jinx Morgan and Cookstr.
Today, Jinx is Cookstr’s Chef of the Day. For years now, Jinx and her husband Jeff have owned and run the Sugar Mill Hotel on the Caribbean island of Tortola, and in 1996 we published the Morgans’ The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook: Casual and Elegant Recipes Inspired By the Islands.
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Oatmeal-Raisin Pancakes
Hats off to Lauren Chattman. Why didn’t anyone think of this before?
These pancakes have the texture and taste of homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies: the edges near a cookie-like crisp, and the center is the best bite.
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Rye
The Reuben. It’s one of my favorites at a diner. With fries (or onion rings), a pickle spear, and a root beer (or a real beer).
But I’ve never made this sandwich at home. It can’t be that hard, right? I can think of only five ingredients: rye bread, corned beef or pastrami, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian or Thousand Island dressing.
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Hot Udon Noodles
Writing is always a challenge. And writing about food is no exception. But there are days when writing about food and cooking is especially difficult. Right now, we are all mindful that many people affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan are still without food and water.
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Are Modern Cookbooks Impractical?
In a recent issue of The New Republic, Kelly Alexander has a front-of-book piece called “Overdone.” In it, she argues that modern cookbooks, like David Chang’s Momofuku, are too difficult for the average home cook.
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Poor Man’s Risotto
It’s Tuesday. The week is getting busy, and we’re all looking for something easy to make for dinner. Something that won’t take all night but will still taste good.
My answer is this Jennifer Felicia Abadi recipe for Rice with Mushrooms from her book A Fistful of Lentils.
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Baked Spaghetti Carbonara
I recently had spaghetti carbonara for the first time. It’s full-on decadence, combining the rich creaminess of mac & cheese with crispy pieces of bacon. This dish deserves the cliché “sinfully good.” My advice? Be hungry, take it slowly and savor each bite.