I love split pea and ham soup. It’s possible that was inherited from my dad. And it’s his birthday today, so this is in his honor. But for good split pea soup you have to plan way ahead and cook it for days. And it’s really heavy. This is a great alternative for spring. It… Continue reading Fresh Pea Soup with or without Ham
Category: Improvisation Friendly
Stout Float with Chocolate Pretzels
Instead of root beer, I decided to make it an adult’s only party by adding beer. I like a stout for this, but I have seen it done with porters, lambics, cider and even a vanilla lager. Guinness is a classic St. Pat’s choice. The malty richness of the beer lends itself to dessert flavors… Continue reading Stout Float with Chocolate Pretzels
Pasta Carbonara with Peas and Pepper
I had a pet theory about pasta carbonara. To me, it seemed like the quintessential late winter, early spring dish. Before being able to buy whatever ingredients whenever we wanted, eating with the seasons was the only option. In the late winter and early spring, the only meat still hanging around was doing it quite… Continue reading Pasta Carbonara with Peas and Pepper
Smart Gal Salad: Tri-Color Peppers, Hearts of Palm, Cilantro
This recipe is quick, easy and satisfying assemblage cooking at its best. The fresh veggies take a couple of minutes to chop and the hearts of palm are canned. This salad can be assembled in 5 minutes. For real. While I make this salad most often in the summer for barbeques and picnics, it occurred… Continue reading Smart Gal Salad: Tri-Color Peppers, Hearts of Palm, Cilantro
Dying for Summer Apple or Pear and Cherry Almond Crisp
When you grow up in sour cherry country, you develop a very expensive problem, and this Dying for Summer Apple or Pear and Cherry Almond Crisp is a great solution. Your problem? You need sour cherries. Too bad they’re really difficult to get outside of cherry country. And outside of cherry season. And definitely really… Continue reading Dying for Summer Apple or Pear and Cherry Almond Crisp
Chicken, Veggie and Quinoa Bowl
My dear friend Molly recently asked for this recipe. She likes to eat at Protein Bar in Chicago for quick, healthy lunches; her favorite is their Healthy Parm and she wanted advice on how to make it at home. While I’ve never been myself, next time I’m in Chicago, I hope to stop in and… Continue reading Chicken, Veggie and Quinoa Bowl
Roasted Veggie Caponata
Caponata is a Sicilian dish that’s old enough and it’s history murky enough that I can call this dish Caponata too. Most recipes and histories of the dish agree on eggplants and capers being included in the relish. And that’s where I started. Lots of eggplants. Then I balanced it out with lots of other… Continue reading Roasted Veggie Caponata
Chopped Beets, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese Salad
I roasted a lot of beets in January. And I still have some hanging around. This was intentional. One strategy that makes home cooking more relaxing in the long run is to prepare several recipes that require an overlapping labor intensive ingredient. So rather than roasting beets every week, I roasted a large quantity of… Continue reading Chopped Beets, Candied Pecans and Goat Cheese Salad
Artichoke and Preserved Lemon Soup
I love artichokes. A lot. But I do not make them often because Marc despises them. We’re talking mortal enemies. He can sense from two days out if I steamed an artichoke while he was away for the weekend, so clearly, I only serve this Artichoke and Preserved Lemon Soup when he’s not around. The… Continue reading Artichoke and Preserved Lemon Soup
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
I realize that a recipe for pulled pork is a kitchen version of an oxymoron. But I tried to write mine down in a way that will give you the confidence to pull off the sort of clean-out-the-fridge improvisation that makes the best pulled pork. While bbq sauce varies region to region, all over the… Continue reading Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
For me, a Super Bowl means football. Football means the Packers. Packers mean Wisconsin. Wisconsin means sour cherries. This is quite the causal chain, huh? If you followed me this far, you’ll probably agree that the obvious dessert for a Super Bowl Party is Door County Cherry Oatmeal Cookies. I can’t really claim credit for… Continue reading Cherry Oatmeal Cookies
Golden Beet and Fresh Chèvre Bruschetta
Guess what I asked of my sister for a Christmas present? If you said “golden beets,” I’m shocked but you’re right. They can be hard to get here in Philly, for no apparent reason. I prefer them to red beets; they taste more earthy to me and a little less sweet. Since she brought me… Continue reading Golden Beet and Fresh Chèvre Bruschetta