Tag Archives: Cooking

Lebanese-Style Chicken and Rice

Every culture has a version of chicken-and-rice; this is my favorite, and it’s one that I grew up with…its flavors and aroma never fail to take me back. It’s easy to make, super-flavorful, and very fragrant…the sweet smell of cinnamon and allspice will permeate your house. I’ve posted on a variation of this recipe before…toContinue reading “Lebanese-Style Chicken and Rice”

Zucchini On Steroids

Yup…I’m still trying to eat my way through the giant zucchini…look at the size of that thing, it’s as wide as my refrigerator (though I do have an apartment sized refrigerator…still, it’s gotta be 18″ long at least half that in diameter). Anyhow, here’s a pic of the zucchini, pepper, and tomato omelet I hadContinue reading “Zucchini On Steroids”

20 Minute Tomato Sauce

This is without doubt the easiest and most flavorful tomato sauce to make. It’s easy (did I mention that already), it only takes a few minutes, and it’s versatile. Mostly, I use this on pasta, but it goes great with fish or chicken as well (as a braising sauce or as a condiment). There areContinue reading “20 Minute Tomato Sauce”

Stove-Top Frittata

Yes, I’m still attempting to eat my way through the giant zucchini that two measly plants are producing this year (this post could easily be one in a series titled: things that can be made out of zucchini). Anyhow, I made a stove-top frittata out of it…it was delicious and simple to make (I’m notContinue reading “Stove-Top Frittata”

Ratatouille and Pasta (sans aubergine)

My gardens are not doing that well this year…partly because of the crazy wet summer we’ve had, but also because of my lack of weeding and trimming (not to mention what the rabbits and slugs have pilfered)…it really is out of control. At any rate, I am finally starting to get a few things, andContinue reading “Ratatouille and Pasta (sans aubergine)”

Invasion Of The Giant Zucchini (Courgette)

I hadn’t been in my backyard for about a week or so, and was overwhelmed at the sheer number of large zucchini growing…it’s amazing how many vegetables two zucchini plants will produce…they are literally taking over the teeny garden (and they were so cute and small when I pushed the seedlings into the ground lastContinue reading “Invasion Of The Giant Zucchini (Courgette)”

Beans, Greens, and Other Good Things

Well, despite the somewhat chilly summer (and untamed weeds) the garden is producing fairly well. The first photo is what I picked today in the front yard (tomatoes are still green, though). An is often the case I made a one-pot meal…with vegetables this fresh it would be more difficult not to make it delicious.Continue reading “Beans, Greens, and Other Good Things”

Pasta with Chicken and Other Good Stuff

This is what I had for dinner tonight. It is as simple as it looks, and the flavors are delicious. It’s a basic stewing concept…ingredients can easily be interchanged to create an entirely new recipe. Anyhow this is how I made it: I heated olive oil and added a diced pepper, half an onion, andContinue reading “Pasta with Chicken and Other Good Stuff”

An Omelette and a Glass of Wine

Tonight for dinner I was able to pick my first bit of food from the garden (exciting)…mostly herbs, and a few scant leaves of spinach, but food none-the-less. I chopped everything rather coarsely, then sauteed it all in olive oil with garlic…making a sort of cross between sofrito and fines herbs. Then I added theContinue reading “An Omelette and a Glass of Wine”

Ragoût de Morues et de Pois Chiche

As is often the case, when I opened my refrigerator the other day I was surprised by the somewhat odd combination of ingredients…some days I feel as if cooking in my teeny home kitchen is like an exit exam at a culinary school: being handed a basket full of ingredients and having to make somethingContinue reading “Ragoût de Morues et de Pois Chiche”

My New Yogurt Maker (and its 3 pages of warnings)

I have been interested in naturally fermented foods for about ten years…since the first time my sourdough starter seemingly and magically came to life; I was so inspired I built a small brick oven in the backyard of a previous home. Since then I’ve moved on to sauerkraut (and kim chi), pickled vegetables, and yogurt.Continue reading “My New Yogurt Maker (and its 3 pages of warnings)”

Fish, Green Beans, and Pasta: Variation On Two Themes

One of the benefits of being a professional cook is having the ability to make something out of almost anything that is at hand. You’ve probably seen those “basket tests” that are shown on silly cooking shows (where a chef is handed a basket of odd and sometimes obscure ingredients and is expected to aContinue reading “Fish, Green Beans, and Pasta: Variation On Two Themes”

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#10)

A pint of steaming gumbo (dinner!). Here’s a simple and flavorful recipe:Shrimp, Sausage and, Okra Gumbo1/2 cup vegetable oil3/4 cup all-purpose flour1 medium onion, diced1 small green pepper, diced3 stalks celery, diced3 cloves garlic, minced8 ounces smoked sausage, split lengthwise and sliced12 okra pods, sliced 1/2 inch thick1-1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon thyme1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper6Continue reading “Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#10)”

Anticipation

Well…it’s that time of the year again. Time to start thinking about the vegetable garden. One of the best ways (I think) to live simply in the city, and be in touch with nature, is to grow vegetables. It is so easy…and an on going experiment for me. Because I have such a small cityContinue reading “Anticipation”

Basmati Rice wiith Tilapia and Asparagus

It probably comes to no surprise to readers of this blog that I like to keep things simple when I cook…I’ve learned, by trial-and-error mostly, and through years of experience, that too many flavors often (unnecessarily) complicate a dish. This is also true with technique, I think…the simpler the better in my book. Even theContinue reading “Basmati Rice wiith Tilapia and Asparagus”

Whole Wheat Focaccia

I made this simple focaccia today to take to take to my sister’s house as part of out Easter dinner. It’s made with a basic bread dough, but I substituted 1/3 of the flour with course whole wheat flour. I also added a little honey to the dough. This focaccia is another example of howContinue reading “Whole Wheat Focaccia”

Put It In A Pot And Boil It

Soup to me is the ultimate one-pot meal…simplicity at its best. It’s a method that has been used to cook foods for eons…since we humans first figured out how to cook food in a leak-proof/fire-proof vessel over a live fire (some of the earliest vessels were dried hollowed-out gourds, and even dried animal’s stomachs). InContinue reading “Put It In A Pot And Boil It”