A rich and hearty gravy made with Guinness Irish Stout and mushrooms. Perfect with potatoes, bangers, or add a little milk or cream and make a luxuriously silky malty beer for breakfast biscuits and gravy.
Savory
quick and easy garlic ginger asparagus
A simple side, delicious with coconut curry seafood chowder or with any asian inspired main course. This asparagus came from Mexico because by February buying local kale and collards has become repetitive, boring, blah. I’m ready for spring, for asparagus, strawberries, tulips. For a few days it seemed spring was just around the corner, short […]
Coconut Curry Seafood Chowder with rockfish and manilla clams
A bright coconut curry seafood stew with the added comforts of a hearty new england clam chowder. I plan our meals around what’s on sale at the supermarket this week, read the fliers and plot things out. This week- rockfish, asparagus (I try to buy local but right around now I reach maximum tolerance for […]
Buffalo Biscuit Sliders with buttermilk blue cheese dressing
Just in case you are feeling snack food deprived and/or all this Super Bowl hype has left you with an unquenchable craving for all things Buffalo then these are the sliders that you’re looking for. They are saucy but, surprisingly, not sloppy and easily adaptable to personal preference: less blue cheese, more hot sauce, whole […]
Weeknight Chili w/ground turkey, orca beans, and green chile
Warm up with a bowl of chili, earthy yet clean, rich but not heavy. Just the right spice and delicious with cornbread. Welcome to the shortest/longest month where winter lingers and spring teases (at least here in the pacific northwest). Before I baked February was almost unbearable but now I take comfort in slow […]
Cast Iron Savory Baked Oats- the bacon edition
Cast Iron Savory Baked Oats- the bacon edition If the original was the healthy weekday edition this is the decadent weekend edition: creamy, bacon laden, and topped with a generous layer of sharp cheddar cheese. I retained all my favorite aspects of the first savory cast iron oatmeal- one pan! a bright pop of pickled […]
Savory Cast Iron Oatmeal with pickled egg, avocado and kale
Savory Cast Iron Oatmeal with pickled egg, avocado and kale I had this idea to make a super bowl smoothie bowl: beautifully arranged berries (raspberry, blueberries) battling it out against an artful splash of rich green kale. I’ve never made a smoothie bowl, I’ve made a smoothie, I’ve topped plain yogurt with things, but these […]
Dill Pickle Burger Buns
Deliciously dilly yet soft and tender these dill pickle burger buns add a layer of flavor to any burger or sandwich. The only thing I might change next time is to add more pickles. Who knew? Pickle humor is a thing. While there are far too many puns involving “dill” there are also an array of […]
Mister & Missus C: Biscuit Croque Monsieur & Madame
Mister & Missus C: Biscuit Croque Monsieur & Madame Happy days are here again. This brief glorious week where there are still leftovers and not yet new years resolutions. It seems there must be a point at which you can no longer call a variation on something by the original name, especially when that something […]
Tangy Creamy Mac and Cheese for two- with labneh and amber ale
For those of us who prefer family holidays spent solo (or duo) snuggled up watching the storms roll in at the beach, I bring you this not made for kids, scaled down serving size, tangy, beery, deliciously creamy, mac (or penne as the case may be) and cheese. Made with sharp cheddar cheese, labneh (see […]
a peck of pickled peppers: sweet hot cherry bombs
These easy to make and easy to scale pickled sweet hot cherry bomb peppers are my go to put on everything condiment. Hot and just a little sweet they add a burst of color and flavor to pizza, pasta, salads, or a a charcuterie platter. You can make a single batch- just one jar!- as […]
Sesame Turmeric Bread with charnushka seeds and onion
Imagine a fall day when the leaves have suddenly turned and the sky is blue and the ground is a blanket of gold dappled with orange and red. Imagine bread both familiar and exotic, a soft loaf with the nutty hint of sesame, the golden glow of turmeric, a little spice, a little comfort. […]
Creamy Blue Cheese Grits
Do you want a commentary about grits or blue cheese? How much I love savory grits? How in NYC I would describe grits as southern polenta and when I worked in Arizona I told people polenta was Italian grits? Nah?! I thought not. Accompaniments coming soon.
Blue Cheese Green Chile Scones
I never make the same biscuit twice. The liquid varies depending on what’s in the fridge, sometimes yogurt (the European variety, thinner than it’s American or Greek cousins) or buttermilk, if all I have is plain milk I vary the acids added. I doubled up for these Blue Cheese Green Chile Scones because I wanted […]
Savory Pumpkin Phyllo Tartlets
Pumpkin without the sugar and spice. Savory snacks for short days and long nights. Roast your own squash and heat up the kitchen (plus, bonus! pepitas!) I love it when a plan (doesn’t) come together. I lie. I had a vision of what I was going to make with the tiny pumpkins I’ve been growing in […]
Green Chile Tomatillo Corn Chowder
Green Chile Tomatillo Corn Chowder It’s that time of year, when the sun sits lower in the sky and the golden haze of morning lasts well past my first cup of coffee. The nights are cool but the days are still sunny and warm. Out in the garden or in the stands at the farmers’ […]
Savory French Toast Muffins
You know those sunny bright pictures of families or friends crowded together in a kitchen filled with heaps of vegetables and baskets laden with fresh-baked bread and someone is at the sink and three people are by the stove harmoniously stirring or prepping, laughing, tasting, as the golden sun streams through the window, and […]
pea shoot and avocado breakfast sandwich
Pea Shoot and Avocado Breakfast Sandwich A study in contrasts: crispy egg, creamy avocado; rich buttery yolk, bright burst of lime; spring fresh pea shoots, and the earthy bite of garlic- all sandwiched together between two slices of perfectly grilled bread. That’s breakfast, that’s a sandwich, that’s eggzactly what I crave. Extra bonus points for […]
Romaine Lettuce Salsa Verde
Salsa verde using fresh romaine lettuce is so simple and, well, obvious that I can’t believe I didn’t try this years ago. It’s in the arsenal of non recipe recipes now. Bright and tangy I ate this easy salsa verde on a few corn tortillas with melted sharp cheddar cheese but I can see it […]
Cauliflower Fried “Rice”
Cauliflower Fried “Rice” A quick, delicious, gluten and grain-free stir fry using diced cauliflower instead of rice. Add egg and call it paleo. Add tofu and call it vegan. Add an extra swirl of siracha and call it spicy. Just don’t call it Sue. As someone allergic to cashews I have a healthy fear of […]
Buffalo Dipping Sauce
Like so many recipes originated in restaurants the secret ingredient here is butter- that’s all classic buffalo wing sauce is, Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and melted butter. The premade sauce uses oil and butter flavor. We can do better than that. I’m not trying to get fancy or buck tradition but served any other way […]
blue cheese macaroni bites with buffalo dipping sauce
Bite sized bits of tangy blue cheese and pasta served with a subtly spicy classic Buffalo dipping sauce. These addictive little bites will be what I bring to the potluck this year. I hear there is a football game this weekend. Football and snacks are intrinsically connected- this could be a scathing commentary on the […]
Fried Chicken & Pickled Green Tomato Relish Quesadillas
Fried Chicken & Pickled Green Tomato Relish Quesadillas I don’t know if I would have survived my twenties without quesadillas. They were the first food I made for myself on a regular basis and the first meal I remember making with a friend. I’ve forgotten so much but all these years later I still remember […]
Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic and New Year’s Resolutions
Free up the oven for holiday meals or any time you want a quick and savory autumn vegetable side dish. Fresh Brussels sprouts cooked in a cast iron skillet are greens that actually stay green with a crisp nutty flavor complimented with a healthy bite of garlic. Pan Fried Brussel Sprouts with crispy garlic and […]
Green Cherry Tomato Refrigerator Pickles
Bright autumn leaves, the sun low in the sky, the desire to hoard foodstuffs for winter, a sudden craving for soup, not writing that novel but feeling guilty about it every single day. It must be November. Green Cherry Tomato Refrigerator Pickles Another summer over and it’s time to pickle the last of […]
harissa with fresh roasted peppers and preserved lemon
Bright and briny with a subtle heat and just a little sweet this homemade harissa has what I want for a catch-all hot sauce and condiment for everything from eggs and sandwiches to party dip or pasta. I spend my free fall time storing up for winter- pickling green tomatoes, plotting for thanksgiving, making hot […]
Wally’s Sesame Crackers- vegan and gluten free
These crackers don’t mess around. Like the man who came up with the recipe they are not a mindless snack, they require some chewing. Chock full of flavor and fiber and adaptable up to a point, a batch takes some time (mostly unattended) but these addictive snacks are worth it. Wally, my Dad, would make […]
Avocado and Egg Elevated: Avocado toast with broiled tomatoes and date vinegar
Avocado and Egg Elevated: Avocado toast with broiled tomatoes and date vinegar Homemade black pepper focaccia and some of the last garden fresh cherry tomatoes lightly brushed with Chardonnay Moroccan Grapeseed Oil and broiled to slightly charred and juicy perfection, served with lush avocado, a crispy egg, and a generous drizzle of Date Balsam Creme […]
The Turkey Tetrazzini Grilled Cheese Sandwich
If you know me this post might seem wildly inappropriate. Because, you see, my father died today. When I was a little girl in lieu of bedtime stories I would often ask for songs; it was an eclectic mix of show tunes, college drinking songs, and folk songs. Dad was a walking songbook, a […]
Relleno Soufflés with poblano peppers and cheese
Think of this as a sort of Chile Relleno Casserole for two- with fresh roasted poblano peppers and a generous portion of grated cheese all nestled in an easy egg souffle batter. (updated september 2019) I love green chiles! The poblano kind, the hatch variety, even the jalapeño sort. If you are looking for some […]
Fresh Tomato Salsa (Pico de Gallo)
Fresh Tomato Salsa or Pico de Gallo A few months ago I realized that even when vine ripened tomatoes were over two dollars a pound it was still cheaper to make my own fresh salsa rather than buy it pre-made. Now that the tomatoes in my garden are coming I don’t even have to do […]
Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup
Garden Harvest Chilled Cucumber Soup Basil, Cucumber, Sweet and Spicy Red Peppers combine to make a delightfully cool and refreshing summer soup. It’s taken a month of extreme hot to get me to warm up to chilled soups. After a weekend filled with showers (never thought I’d hear Portlanders gleefully exclaiming “RAIN” on any weekend […]
individual goat cheese stove top cast iron pizzas
Individual goat cheese stove top cast iron pizzas—because there is always a choice that doesn’t involve ovens or takeout. I don’t know what restaurants in your part of the world charge but around here a crappy takeout pizza will cost you about six dollars and a good one starts at thirteen or more. If you […]
Harissa Chicken Lettuce Wraps with spicy cucumber salad
Harissa Chicken Lettuce Wraps with spicy cucumber salad Lettuce wraps are one of those meals that when I remember to make them make me wonder why I’m not eating these things all the time. There is something inherently satisfying about protein wrapped in lettuce, satisfaction in the taste and texture department with a bit of […]
Green Bean Frittata or: How I learned to ditch the binge and love the bomb
Green Bean Frittata or: How I learned to ditch the binge and love the bomb I saw a headline the other day that said, “Study shows binge watching may be linked to depression and loneliness” No shit. I don’t need a study to know that I didn’t hide in a dark room and watch all […]
