Glazing Vegetables

Glazing vegetables is an extremely useful technique for punching up an otherwise boring vegetable side dish. I used to avoid recipes that used this technique, because I associated glazed vegetables — specifically, carrots — with a sugary, syrupy sweet dish. If I wanted to eat dessert, I’d have ice cream.
But I was wrong. The traditional [...]

How to Make Rice Pilaf

Did you know that some parts of the world are currently experiencing food crises? A perfect storm of high energy prices, drought (possibly caused by climate change), increasing demand in countries like China and India, and usage of grains for biofuels instead of food is contributing to shortages of key staples like wheat, corn and [...]

Riffing the Recipe: Orzo Pilaf with Spinach

A tremendous feeling of freedom came with the simple realization that I did not have to follow a recipe to the letter. I suppose I had done enough cooking to feel confident enough in my knowledge of the fundamentals to expand outside the boundaries that seemed imposed by the recipe. I suddenly felt comfortable with [...]

Greens Cooked with Bacon (Fresh Every Day)

In the South, it is a New Year’s Day tradition to eat black-eyed peas and collard greens. When I was a kid, I was convinced that this “tradition” was a trick to get me to eat things like black-eyed peas and collard greens. Now, of course, I realize this is one of many New Year’s [...]

Pan-Braised Carrots with Orange (Fresh Every Day)

This simple recipe was my favorite of everything I cooked for Thanksgiving, and it was also a big hit around the table. The recipe came from Fresh Every Day, but it is so easy that it’s more of a cooking technique than an actual recipe. Although I served it for Thanksgiving, it is quick to [...]

Southern-style Cornbread & Sausage Stuffing (Eating Well)

Thanksgiving is upon us. It just snuck up on me this year. I guess I have been preoccupied with other things and haven’t really given a lot of thought to the holidays.
One thing that hasn’t escaped my attention is the rampant consumerism going on all around me. Every year, I get depressed about this, but [...]

Herb-Garlic Roasted Potatoes

This is probably my favorite way to cook potatoes. Like the little black dress, this is a simple classic that goes with everything. This is also a versatile recipe, which you can make on the grill during the summer as well as in the oven during the colder months.

Herb-Garlic Roasted Potatoes
Time to make: 30-45 minutes, [...]

Bean Cakes, a Versatile Classic

Bean cakes — or croquettes, if you want to get all French about it — are a wonderfully versatile dish. They work equally well as a side at breakfast, as an appetizer with a dipping sauce, on a sandwich or in a tortilla. Use any kind of beans you like, and vary the flavorings to [...]

Oven Fries

Oven “fries” are a good trick to have up your sleeve for weeknight dinners. They taste almost as good as real fries (okay, nothing tastes as good as really well done french fries), they’re a lot healthier, and they cook much more quickly than baked potatoes. Figure on ½ potato per person.
The technique is simple:

Preheat [...]

Steamed Vegetables with Sesame Dressing

This Asian-influenced sesame dressing is a light accompaniment for pretty much any vegetable that can be steamed: asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, snow peas or sugar snap peas. (If you substitute another longer cooking vegetable, remember to adjust the steaming time accordingly.) Serve this as a light starter before a heartier soup or stew. Serves [...]