The key insight to this version of fried rice is to boil the rice in lots of water like pasta, rather than steaming it in a precise amount of water as usual. This is a way to use freshly cooked rice and have each of the rice grains separate vs. the natural tendency to form Read More …
This Central European classic was an accompaniment to a pork roast, the comfort food of Carol’s childhood. It was easy and very good. Note that this was started the day before, rested overnight in the refrigerator to meld the flavors, and then reheated the second day. This version is adapted from a favorite cookbook, The Read More …
I spotted a recipe in the Food Network Magazine which I thought was worth trying since Carol likes barley, which is a low-glycemic and high fiber alternative to rice. It turned out well, including being surprisingly creamy. Since we had whole barley (vs. the quick-cooking pearl barley in the original recipe), that is what I Read More …
My birthday this year was on a Friday, and we are going to have a family birthday party on Sunday to fit everyone’s calendar better. We thought it would be nice to have a small cake for my actual birthday, and looked at the options in America’s Test Kitchen’s The Complete Cooking for Two Cookbook. Read More …
Louisiana barbecued shrimp are very tasty, but they are not at all what their name describes, since they are actually shrimp cooked in a skillet with a spicy and buttery sauce. This version is adapted from a recipe in Food52, which I noticed because it used a moderate amount of butter vs. the extravagant amount Read More …
We just got home from a week in the Caribbean and were looking for an Ash Wednesday dinner which would be easy on our stomachs, which are a little worse for the traveling. This was a successful improvisation using “Char’s Maine Fish Chowder” in Cook’s Country: Best Lost Suppers as a starting point. Many fish Read More …
These brownies were a hit at last night’s choir party. They are essentially a brownie sandwich, consisting of a brownie layer, a caramel-pecan layer, a second brownie layer, and a topping of nuts. This is an adaptation of the recipe which is on the package of Kraft caramels, and which is also very similar to Read More …
Shrimp Etouffee, or smothered shrimp, is a Louisiana classic. This is a rather simple, low spice version, suitable for family dining midweek and is adapted from an Ann Maloney recipe in the Washington Post which was reprinted in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Carol liked it quite a bit. I pumped up the heat in my bowl Read More …
There are many versions of bean and sausage stews (feijoada) in Portugal and Brazil. This is a simple version from Portugal which is suitable for car camping in winter weather. This version was adapted from Ana Patuleia Ortins’ Portuguese Homestyle Cooking. I will discuss below the basic recipe and how I plan to adapt it Read More …
This is a very easy tapa which makes a nice dinner with some good bread and a salad. I have made this many times over the years. This version is adapted from one of my oldest and most used cookbooks, Penelope Casas’ Tapas: The Little Dishes of Spain. 1 lb. Spanish chorizo, in ¼ inch Read More …