It’s the tail end of the grapefruit season, but I’m still swooning over them and slipping them into just about every meal. These big juicy citrus fruits have helped me endure the unrelenting grip of this brutal winter with their bright, sunny goodness.
I made the most delicious grapefruit tart for Philip’s birthday last month. I reduced some freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and used it in place of lemon juice in a classic French lemon tart recipe. It was glorious. A nutty, buttery, sweet tart shell was filled with a creamy, silky grapefruit filling. It delivered a big citrus experience that underscored the signature grapefruit zing and slightly bitter finish. I used a careful hand with sugar so it was not overly sweet. It was refreshing, bright and pleasantly different.
This Moroccan chicken and green bean stew is the ultimate crowd pleaser. I know because I’ve been making variations of it for years. It’s great party food—it can be made in large quantities and reheated, yet it’s simple enough for a weeknight meal. I don’t believe I’ve ever served this dish without someone asking for the recipe. So, here it is. Time to share the love.
My life these days revolves around snow—all seven feet, eleven inches we have here…and counting. When I’m not shoveling, I’m at the grocery store stocking up for the next storm. This winter has been a real challenge for so many Bostonians, especially those who commute. (Sympathies to those of you who have to travel more than a block.) Lucky for us it’s not an issue. Most of the time Philip’s commute is up to his third floor office and mine is a straight shot into the kitchen. Even so, I could sure use a tropical vacation right about now!
Thanks to an awesome week of feature posts about yours truly on The Kitchn, I have lots of new foodie pals (aka subscribers). Greetings and welcome to My Front Burner. I hope you find lots of inspiration, pick up a few cooking tips, and, of course, eat some delicious food made by you in your own home kitchen.
For all my loyal friends and followers, if you want to see where the magic happens, click here. If you want to find out what my top ten tools of the trade are, click here. I bet you’re just dying of curiosity to see how often I clean out my refrigerator and pantry —if so, click here. Or perhaps you would like to know what I’m cooking this weekend, click here. I know that’s a lot of clicking…it was a busy week!
For those of you who know me, you might be a bit shocked to hear I’m getting a bit hyped up for the Super Bowl game coming up this weekend. Well, it’s true. These days, if I want some “quality time” with my 15-year-old, it’s in front of a TV watching sports. So, #deflategate and all, I’m all in. Lets go, Pats! I even have a football-inspired recipe to share with you. More on that in a bit.
Dedicated to your New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy? Well, there’s no shortage of wholesome recipes brimming with greens and grains lighting up the Internet right now to help show you the way. Just type in “kale and quinoa” into Google and about three and a half million entries pop up.
Geeze, I hope these Quinoa & Kale Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms don’t fall to the bottom of that list. I might just have to say a prayer to the search engine gods. (If only Google could taste-test them all and rank them accordingly. Now, wouldn’t that be swell?)
I have one last holiday treat to share before it’s time to ban all sugar and fat from my diet for the new year. Frico, or cheese crisps, are one of the simplest savory (and ridiculously addictive) appetizers you can make at home and perfect cocktail fare.
It always feels like Chanukah sneaks up on me and I’m totally unprepared. Maybe it’s that moving start-date thing or not enough time has passed since I’ve put away my Thanksgiving dishes. (Actually, that’s a lie. My gravy boat is on the dining room table as I write this.) Or maybe it’s just that this time of year is crazy in every direction. Anyway, like almost everything else in my life at the moment, this rugelach recipe is coming in under the wire.
This year, instead of making the traditional apricot jam, raisin and walnut rugelach, I’ve decided to mix it up a bit. (more…)
Asian chicken lettuce wraps are a favorite of mine. The sweet and savory meat filling with jolts of ginger, garlic and chili against the cool, crisp lettuce is a refreshing, splendid combination. They’re traditionally served as an appetizer but they make a fairly regular appearance at our dinner table served with steamed white rice or fried rice and some steamed broccoli.
Many years ago I worked in an office. It didn't go well. Food was meant to be my life's work, not something to let languish on the back burner. Today, I'm putting 20 years of recipe development and professional cooking out front and center. These truly tested, tried and true recipes are here to inspire and ignite your home cooking.
