Two Irish cookbooks, one hearty weeknight meal: Pork and Potato Cakes

Leftover mashed potatoes combine with ground pork, grated apple, chopped onion and fresh sage for a quick, economical, thoroughly satisfying dinner. Recipe below.

Pork and Potato Cakes

AS ST. PATRICK’S DAY APPROACHES, revving up America’s love of all things Irish, two cookbooks celebrate Ireland’s culinary heritage in very different ways. The first is Irish Pantry: Traditional Breads, Preserves, and Goodies to Feed the Ones You Love, published last November by Running Press. Chef/restaurateur Noel McMeel and writer Lynn Marie Hulsman have teamed up to deliver foods steeped in Irish tradition. Continue reading “Two Irish cookbooks, one hearty weeknight meal: Pork and Potato Cakes”

Dinner fit for winter’s apparently endless tale: Mustard-glazed Pork Loin Roast

A pork loin roast is coated with a glaze of Dijon mustard, rosemary, shallot and garlic, allowed to marinate for several hours, then roasted until just cooked through. Recipe below.

mustard-glazed pork loin roast

We are so over winter. Two weeks ago, I reported here that we were already a foot over our annual average of three feet of snow. We have now had more than five feet of snow, and we’re not done.

caution

The only good thing I can say about the weather is that it encourages firing up the oven and roasting savory cuts of meat. The warmth fills the entire apartment, as do wonderful, meaty fragrances. Chickens, beef pot roasts and, when I’m feeling flush, legs of lamb all spring to mind when I’m ready to roast. Somehow, though, as much as I cook with pork, I seldom think of it as a roast. This weekend, I decided it was time to fix that. Continue reading “Dinner fit for winter’s apparently endless tale: Mustard-glazed Pork Loin Roast”

Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts, Sausage and Olives, with a side of New York City

Pantry and freezer staples—jarred marinated artichoke hearts, green olives, Italian sausage, tomato paste and pasta—create a weeknight-quick, rustic Italian meal. Recipe below.

artichoke sausage pasta

New York is a feast every time we’re there. On arrival, it puts our senses on high alert and keeps them there, in a good way, until we leave. There is always something to see, hear, do… always.

Our recent four-day visit was no exception. As always, we arrived with an overly ambitious list of things to do. As always, some went undone, often replaced by new things we learned about on the fly. And as always, the longest part of the list was devoted to art. Continue reading “Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts, Sausage and Olives, with a side of New York City”

Six warm dishes to beat winter’s chill

As winter rages on, this mix of stews, soups and hearty oven-made dishes from the Blue Kitchen archives will keep you warm.

lancashire-hotpot

After years of slacking off, winter is officially back. Across the country, places that normally don’t see snow are getting it. And places that do normally get it are really getting it. Here in Chicago, even before the latest snowstorm that started last night, we’d had more than four feet of snow already this season. Usually, we get about three feet for the entire season. And the cold can be best summarized this way. Yesterday morning as I was heading out, I saw that the temperature was 12ºF and thought, “Oh, not bad!”

With winter playing hardball, it’s time to fight back in the kitchen. Fire up the oven for a long braise or a roast. Cook up a hearty stew or soup on the stovetop, the kind of meals my grandmother called “stick-to-your-ribs” food. Here are six dishes that fit the bill nicely. Continue reading “Six warm dishes to beat winter’s chill”