morsels & sauces

Let me apologize by saying that you will have to turn on your oven for this recipe. So start early in the morning. Or really late at night. Because, people, it has been hot out there. But once you do, once you fire up that oven and roast these tomatoes, once you layer them atop a thick lashing of homemade yogurt cheese mixed with fresh herbs... I promise, this is worth any hot kitchen. Especially if you roast  a lot of tomatoes so that you can make this simple, light meal for dinner, and then have it again for breakfast, and if you plan it just right, for lunch again, too. As you may know, I am a fan of David Lebovitz . He's a great chef, of course, but on top of that, he's a great writer. He's been blogging for years , l ong before it was trendy to be a food blogger, and his book The Sweet Life in Paris  is the go-to gift for any foodie who is actually traveling to Paris or just wants to do so via arm chair. So it's no surprise that I am cracking open his ...

Life has been complicated as of late.  From switching jobs again to moving homes, from having our new home burglarized (man, oh man!) to a quick visit back to Illinois, my personal world has been somewhat hectic. (The burglary was scary, but everyone's okay, including the cats. And we're still in the annoyance of figuring out insurance. No one was home and the damage was, all things considered, minimal.)  I could say something pat that this is an uncomplicated dish in response to a complicated world, but I think this dish is a little more nuanced than that as were the experiences of the past three months. But one still needs good food even when trying to figure out insurance itemizations. From Tara Brady's  Seven Spoons , these baked eggs  have some complicated spice mixtures. It is similar to   shakshuka , and I can get behind anything that pairs eggs, tomatoes, and spices.  When I was young, I used to make scrambled eggs with every s...

It's no secret that I love Christmas (warning, if you go to that link you will receive a shocking display of how my photography has improved in four years).  I love the music, the tree, the candles, the cards. I even love the hustle and bustle.  While I do miss my family during the holidays, I don't miss the snow or the cramped flight or the hours in the car (often with snow) as we drive from Chicago or St. Louis to my small hometown in central Illinois. I admit, I have forgotten how to drive in snow. But I really do miss Christmas morning at my mom's. My mom would often make cinnamon rolls while we lounged in the living room among wrapping paper detritus and too many presents. It was a matter of time before I would be curled beneath the Christmas tree, usually with my cat (who was the most glorious cat that every existed ®  --Juj ube ), looking up at the lights and then falling asleep. Her cinnamon rolls were classic--Pillsbury, of course. From time t...

Um. I was not expecting this. Not at all. Creamed greens (in the U.S. generally creamed spinach) are those old standbys that no one really admits to making all that much anymore. And it's a shame, for creamed greens are not only good but the can be good for you (if you watch just how much cream you put in them).  From Food and Wine's Creamed Kale  to The Food Network's Creamed Broccoli , lots of people are jumping on the creamed vegetable bandwagon again these days, and I am no exception. However, most of these are very heavy on the cream. Not with this recipe from  Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, the founders of  Food52 .   Instead, this is a bitter mouthful rounded out with only a susuration of cream. As it should be. As you probably already know given my last couple of posts , I have taken up Hesser and Stubbs challenge to spend my Sunday cooking and then sitting back for the rest of the week....

Oh, sweet lord. I have already spoken here about this little week-long project I have taken on with  Food52 .  You see,  Amanda Hesser and Merrill Stubbs, Food52's founders,  have put out a cookbook with the premise that you spend Sunday cooking and then the rest of the week eating. So that's what we did.  From Stuck Pot Rice with Creamed Kale and a Fried Egg to Lamb Shoulder Chops with Stuck Pot Rice, our dinners this week have been fabulous. See pics above and below. As one of the Sunday recipes, this Stuck Pot Rice debuts as a side dish to Lamb Blade Chops but then doubles back for at least three days of lunches with the Creamed Kale and a fried egg.  Then, if you still have leftover rice, might I recommend it in a quick stir fry? Or thrown into a pot of soup? (Clearly, I have been thinking of ways to use up turkey from Thanksgiving as well.) So, stuck pot rice. Let's get d...

There is not much at all  to this soup. In fact, even my photographs are a little stupidly simple. But I have always been a fan of potato and leek soup. And I like stupidly simple from time to time. Usually on a weeknight. Oil. Leeks. Potatoes. Liquid. Salt. Dairy. Parsley. Do you really even need a recipe?  Given that this is a food blog, I am going to provide you one. But, seriously, change every amount to fit your palate, your taste, your proclivities on a random Tuesday night. Throw this recipe to the wind. Sure, use it as a guide if you want, but you should play and dabble and change this one for yourself. But let me tell you a little secret about this recipe. Even though I don't fully believe in it, I have a soft spot for the recipe and for its cookbook. But I am about to donate this cookbook to the l ittle free library  in my neighborhood.  I loved this cookbook in the 90s, and I have waxed nostalgic about it...