Easygoing Apple & Pear Bundt Cake is just nice to have around the house

Not too sweet and loaded with fresh fruit, Easygoing Apple & Pear Bundt Cake is a nice, simple treat to have around the house. Recipe below.

Easygoing Apple & Pear Bundt Cake

THE HOLIDAYS ARE ABOUT THE BIG, FABULOUS, FAMILIAR THINGS, in vast quantities, and that is just as true for food. Entire birds! Gravy by the vat! Carb-forward sides—five different ones! Pie! More pie! And there’s so much of all of it, and it is just so heavy, and it just keeps coming. Continue reading “Easygoing Apple & Pear Bundt Cake is just nice to have around the house” →

Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare

Juniper berries and genever (or regular gin) give simple pan-roasted chicken a sharp, clean flavor.

Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries

NOW WELL INTO FALL, WE’RE LEANING INTO HEARTY COOKING. Soups and stews and roasts are sounding good. Pots of chili. Meat or chicken braised in wine or beer or something stronger. Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries checks all those boxes, but the juniper berries and gin give it a sharp, clean flavor. Continue reading “Belgian Chicken with Juniper Berries offers a lighter take on cold weather fare” →

Savory, a little sweet, all sublime: Chicken with Olives and Apricots

Weeknight-quick braised chicken thighs with green olives and dried apricots is show offy enough for weekend dinners. Recipe below.

Chicken with Olives and Apricots

HAVING COME LATE TO EATING OLIVES, I feel like I’m always playing catch up, discovering something new. The newest-to-me find is Castelvetrano olives, from southwestern Sicily. These prized green olives are mild, buttery and not overly salty, with a nice meaty texture. In a word, sublime. Continue reading “Savory, a little sweet, all sublime: Chicken with Olives and Apricots” →

Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew

Beef stew meat, Portuguese chouriço, bell peppers, paprika and potatoes drive the comforting flavor of this hearty stew.

Portuguese-style Beef Stew

IT SNOWED HALLOWEEN MORNING. The water in the back porch birdbath froze. Okay, so the snow didn’t stick around, and plugging in the birdbath—it’s heated—got it ready for the birds’ drinking and bathing needs again. But still, snow in October. That got us thinking about warm, hearty, meaty stews. Continue reading “Two continents, one deliciously warming dish: Portuguese-style Beef Stew” →

’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Whoopie pies go seasonal, with pumpkin cookies and two different cream cheese fillings—lemon and maple nutmeg.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

PUMPKIN FLAVOR IS EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW. Some car care places are even playfully advertising that “Pumpkin Spice Oil Changes Are Back!” My personal favorite pumpkin-flavored seasonal thing is, well, pumpkin pie. In fact, it’s what I choose instead of birthday cake. But Marion’s pumpkin whoopie pies are a delightful close second. Continue reading “’Tis the season for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies” →

Your delicious little secret: Weeknight Pasta with Cottage Cheese and Chives

This simple vegetarian pasta dish is creamy and flavorful, really good for you and—bonus—quick and easy to make. Recipe below.

Weeknight Pasta with Cottage Cheese and Chives

TO BE HONEST, THIS RECIPE IS SOMETHING I INVENTED A LONG TIME AGO, I don’t even remember how or why, and I always kind of kept it secret. To be completely honest, for a very long time it was kind of my weeknight-easy secret shame. I mean, pasta with cottage cheese. Continue reading “Your delicious little secret: Weeknight Pasta with Cottage Cheese and Chives” →

Enjoying a fall harvest find: Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Italian Plums

Available briefly in the fall, Italian plums are the star of this simple, sweet cake. Recipe below.

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Italian Plums

I LOVE FALL. I love breaking out the turtlenecks and the sweaters, and watching the leaves turn, and even the bittersweet moment when I put away my beloved sandals and shift to my beloved boots. I love how the cat’s fur gets thicker, and the rosebushes in the garden surprise us with a few last, gorgeous, huge flowers, and Terry gleans what remains of the basil for a couple last batches of pesto. It is all so melodic. And part of the melody of this time of year for me is that brief moment when we can get Italian plums. Continue reading “Enjoying a fall harvest find: Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Italian Plums” →

Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies

Earl Grey tea and culinary lavender give butter-rich shortbread cookies an elegantly subtle floral/lemony lightness. Recipe below.

Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies

AFTER A WEEK ON THE ROAD, WE WERE BACK HOME. In our house, in our familiar kitchen. Doing our familiar things. And suddenly, we were in the mood to bake—something simple and cozy. These shortbread cookies were exactly that. Continue reading “Buttery rich, elegantly light: Earl Grey Lavender Shortbread Cookies” →

Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes

Blueberry Peach Galette

GALETTES ARE PIES’ LESS FUSSY COUSINS, with the filling simply piled in the middle of an unbaked, rolled out crust and the edges of said crust folded up and crimped around it. Imperfections aren’t just allowed—they’re part of the rustic beauty. Continue reading “Beautifully rustic, beautifully easy: three galette recipes” →