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Inspired by Gobi (Cauliflower) Manchurian Dry, a popular Indo-Chinese appetizer we sampled at a Bengali restaurant, this lighter version skips the breading and deep frying, but not the flavor. Recipe... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Savory, crunchy and often spicy, pickled kimchi is the Korean national dish. It’s also the delicious heart of this weeknight-quick pancake. Recipe below. Kimchi is a living thing—beautiful,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Based on a lively side dish we had on a recent trip, this quick vegetarian pasta dish makes the most of in-season-now asparagus and gets a bright flavor boost from balsamic vinegar. Recipe below. We... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Ripe mango and bananas, chopped walnuts and vanilla create a flavorful, not-too-sweet dessert bread. Substituting canola oil for butter lightens it up. Recipe below. That’s right. The guy who... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Black Pepper Beef is a weeknight-quick classic Chinese stir fry. Onion, fresh ginger, red bell pepper, celery, garlic and lots of black pepper offer plenty of flavor. Recipe below. One simple... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Leeks, potatoes and frozen green peas quickly cook into a creamy, hearty soup that tastes like spring. See Kitchen Notes for a vegetarian version. Recipe below. Spring in Chicago is being its usual... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Crisp, lacy tuile cookies are pure, sweet simplicity—maple syrup (or sugar), butter, flour and salt. Here, they’re flavored with orange zest (or rosemary). Recipes below. Mid-March found us in... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Herbed biscuits stand in for pie crust in this deconstructed chicken pot pie. Herbes de Provence, garlic and wine give the American classic a French accent. Recipe below. I recently had lunch at... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
We go to the International Home + Housewares Show every year in search of new tools, technologies and ideas for the kitchen. And every year, we’re equally impressed by the color and fun. Like... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
No new recipe this week. I wanted to concentrate on our coverage of this year’s International Home + Housewares Show. But I also wanted to remind you that Passover begins Monday evening, March... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Pork and beef meatloaf is flavored with basil, scallions, garlic and Chinese five-spice powder, topped with pickled carrots and daikon, then served with baguette slices for this American take on... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Sustainably farmed tilapia is simply steamed with wine and lemon juice on a bed of sautéed leeks and garlic for this weeknight-quick seafood recipe. Eating seafood keeps getting trickier. For years... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Leftover pot roast (or whatever meat you may have on hand) combines with potatoes (and not a lot else) to make a hash that shows why meat and potatoes rock. Recipe below. Some foods are just made for... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Mango filling adds a lively twist to this traditional Purim cookie. Recipe below. An interesting thing about Mad Men to me is that the producers chose to depict Sterling Cooper as a status quo,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Elements of two classic comfort foods combine in meaty, satisfying Braised Veal Shanks with White Beans. Recipe below. Don’t get me wrong. I love osso buco. I’ve even made the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
A cumin/coriander spice rub adds big flavor without heat to pan-seared pork chops; this lively, vinegary, fiery (or not) giardiniera aioli is great with pork, fish, chicken, tofu… Recipes... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Mussels steamed in a broth of wine, butter, fennel, shallots, garlic, tomatoes and star anise are an easy, delicious, sustainable dinner. Recipe below. A funny thing happened on the way to this... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Brussels sprouts are sautéed with garlic, then tossed with walnuts, bacon and a mustard-maple glaze and topped with Pecorino Romano. Recipe below. To all of you who think you hate Brussels sprouts,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Tuesday Night Dinner celebrates immigration and Chicago’s collective food history with “Off the Boat, Into the Kitchen.” And the documentary In Organic We Trust is now available on iTunes and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Lots of big flavors—cumin, garlic, celery, red bell pepper, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper and smoked ham hock—blend into a satisfying soup with a Southwestern kick. Recipe below. This is being a strange... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Looking to add some quick cool to your kitchen? Okay, so maybe you’re not ready to pop for recycled glass countertops or subway tile backsplashes. But the new Savora line of reimagined kitchen... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Korean-style beef short ribs become tender and flavorful when oven braised with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, fresh pear, carrots, scallions and daikon. Recipe below. One of the best things about... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Sautéed tofu and a curry sauce made with onion, ginger, garlic, chiles, tomato and plenty of spices (but no curry powder) create a spicy, authentically Indian vegetarian main course or side dish.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
This was supposed to be one of those posts that reflects on the year gone by and perhaps looks optimistically ahead to what the new year may hold. If I had written it before our family holiday dinner... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
An Alsatian take on classic coq au vin, Coq au Riesling combines chicken, lardons, shallots, mushrooms and dry Riesling wine in a braise that’s even better the second night. Recipe below. We... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
An Alsatian take on classic coq au vin, Coq au Riesling combines chicken, lardons, shallots, mushrooms and dry Riesling wine in a braise that’s even better the next day. Recipe below. We... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Eggs baked with cream, tarragon and a compote of tomatoes, spinach and garlic are a simple vegetarian dish that feels luxurious and is infinitely tweakable. Recipe below. Columbus, Ohio is a city... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Vosges Haut-Chocolat offers sophisticated spooky treats. And a couple of places to provide help to Hurricane Sandy victims—including pets and farm animals. First, the sweet stuff. Halloween and... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Ground pork and pork liver are cooked with mushrooms, shallots, garlic, fennel, thyme and wine, then finished with cream in this traditional Italian pasta sauce. Recipe and substitution ideas below.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Three last-minute gift ideas that help others in need with every gift you give. The idea behind FEED is simple: fight hunger and malnutrition around the world by providing free lunches at school.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce bring smoke and a little heat to this quick, sweet/savory side dish. Sliced scallions add brightness. Recipe below. I know what you’re thinking. Sweet... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Japanese matcha green tea and bittersweet chocolate make these buttery shortbread cookies deliciously decadent, with coffee or tea. Recipe below. It’s the time of year again when people are streaming... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
This hearty pasta dinner layers flavors of Italian sausage, onion, fennel bulb, crushed red pepper, tomato and Parmesan deliciously. Adapted from Lidia’s Favorite Recipes. And we’re... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Adapted from a recipe in Todd-Michael St. Pierre’s Taste of Tremé, this dish combines seafood, peppers and Creole seasonings on a bed of creamy grits—comfort food with a kick, quintessentially... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Japanese miso paste adds a satisfying umami note to chunky pieces of pork and carrots braised with garlic, fresh ginger and onion. Recipe below. What’s the traditional sixth anniversary gift?... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
October is Fair Trade Month, reminding us that buying Fair Trade Certified foods improves the quality of life for farmers and their communities—and the quality of the imported foods we eat. We were... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Ginger, garlic and chili paste flavor pork stir-fried with chestnuts and kale and served over gently fried soba noodles. Recipe below. We’ve often talked about our love for Chinese food, which for us... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
New York City startup SideTour is all about trying something new and seeing the world through the eyes of others. And now it’s come to Chicago. People are naturally curious creatures. Naturally... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Toasting uncooked pasta with olive oil in a skillet before adding liquid gives it a pleasingly nutty taste in this globe-trotting, Spanish-inspired dish with shrimp, red bell pepper and edamame.... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Vosges Haut-Chocolat introduces three new flavors for fall. And Wine Enthusiast Magazine releases its Top 100 Best Buys for 2012. Dessert with a capital D is only a sometime thing here at Blue... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Served daily in the United States Senate Dining Room since the early 1900s, Senate Bean Soup is a soul satisfying, stubbornly old school dish. Recipe below. Special Collector’s Issue is a term... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Made With Love: The Meals on Wheels Family Cookbook features recipes by celebrities and celebrity chefs (and me) and raises money to fight hunger among seniors. And we’re giving away a copy... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
Two dessert recipes that can be used together or on their own: A pleasingly dense olive oil pound cake flavored with maple syrup and cardamom and Italian prune plums poached in red wine. Recipes... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
This month, more than 6,500 restaurants across America are supporting the No Kid Hungry campaign. Getting involved is easy. And delicious. On any given day, 16.2 million kids in this country may not... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
