Portugal’s Turn

It’s been written chicken is one of the few ingredients common to most (nearly all, actually) of the world’s cuisines. Naturally, as it’s readily available, and its consumption doesn’t threaten most peoples’ consciences. Well, aside from vegetarians’, of course. Wonderfully versatile that way. It’s hardly surprising, then, just about all the world’s kitchens produce versions…

Aloha, Sunshine!

As though visitors to Maui needed any reminder they were in paradise, chefs in the classic Hotel Hana-Maui developed a special bread chock-full of local macadamia nuts and bursting with juicy, vibrant pineapple. Back before Hawaii even was a state, the hotel accommodated celebrities from Golden-Era Hollywood, as well as other lucky tourists looking for…

Here’s a New One

With her cookbooks, articles and, of course, her PBS series, chef Pati Jinich is one of Mexican cuisine’s ablest proponents, sharing her enthusiasm with new neighbors in the U.S. In spring 2020 her show Pati’s Mexican Table highlighted cooking in the northern state of Sonora, just over the border from the US southwest. One of…

Enter the Dragon

No, wait…that’s the Bruce Lee movie. OK, how about “Chasing the Dragon?” Huh-uh. That won’t do either, as the phrase turns out to be old-style slang for smoking opium: In fact, the author’s mother bought the book when she left for college, in the hopes it would inspire her and her roommates to be innovative…

Breathe Promise

Ah, springtime! Gilbert and Sullivan certainly shared the appreciation, thus The Mikado inspired not only the author’s pen name, but it includes also the following lyrics: The flowers that bloom in the spring, Tra-la, Breathe promise of merry sunshine – As we merrily dance and we sing Tra-la, We welcome the hope that they bring,…

Dessert Pile-Up

Don’t worry, nobody was hurt. Far from it, in fact. Those involved in the pile-up are much more likely to experience contentment, wonder, rhapsody and even ecstasy. Funny thing when brownies, cookies and ice cream rush head-on – amazing things happen. That’s just what AllRecipes anticipated when it featured its recipe for Brookies (Brownie Cookies)…

Roasted, More than Hot

Naturally, it’s easy to mistake initial appearances. After all, this week’s dinner features chicken layered in a vibrant Moroccan-inspired harissa sauce alongside various vegetables, including red peppers, bejeweling bulgur. Red peppers, side-by-side, the plate awash in crimson. Red means “hot,” too, doesn’t it? Today, not so much. See, the peppers enhancing the grains are fire-roasted…

Times Were Good

Well, you know how it goes. Happiness brings out the best in food, and good food enhances the joy in any situation. Thus, when Persia’s refined cuisine was served amidst sunny splendor, it was sublime. A country fully engaged with the world, celebrating dining from the larger sphere. Here, astride the trade routes, one glories…

Thyme Well Spent

See what just happened there? Thyme=Time. Clever, huh? However insipid, the sleight does make a larger point, namely, that when good cooking is given care and attention, it rewards the cook tenfold. Both in a delicious meal, and in dinner guests’ delight. In this endeavor, little is more satisfying than is risotto. A contentment Bon…

Deal with It, Crisp-Heads

Hey, life’s tough. Today’s entry won’t make things any easier, either, for those who prefer their cookies to be crunchy. On the other hand, for those who dream of losing themselves in a biscuit’s deep complexities, everything’s coming up Milhouse this week. Of course, when AllRecipes featured Chewy Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies in its October/November…