— a pandemic pantry post — 8 WAYS TO DELIGHT IN SUMMER & FALL’S FRUITS AND VEGETABLES; YES, EVEN (ESPECIALLY) NOW I have been thinking a lot this year about something Annie Dillard wrote: “How we live our days is how we live our lives.” For reasons you know as well as I do, these, the days of 2020, have… Read More
IN THIS MOST UNEASY OF ALL SUMMERS, WE NEED A WAY TO STAY COOL. I DON’T HAVE A BIG SOLUTION, BUT HERE’S A SMALL ONE: MY COLD CUCUMBER SOUP. BLISSFULLY CHILL, IT’S A GENTLE REBUKE TO AT LEAST PHYSICAL HEAT. IT’S ALSO EASY TO MAKE, INFINITELY VARIABLE, AND A LOVELY PALE LUNAR GREEN. AND, SO GOOD. (Jump to recipe) Fresh,… Read More
To learn the whole story on this revolutionary method of cooking Oven-baked Polenta, go here. If you just want the recipe, you’re in the right place. Ingredients: spray oil, or butter, vegan butter, or olive oil, for greasing pan (plus optional addition later) 4 to 5 1/2 cups water (less water gives you a thicker finished polenta, more a thinner;… Read More
— a pandemic pantry post — “BEANS,” SAID A NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER, IN A RECENT TWEET, “ARE HAVING A MOMENT. “ SHE THEN ADDED, “… FOR HORRIBLE REASONS.” THOSE REASONS, OF COURSE, ARE THE CORONAVIRUS, WHICH HAS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF US THINKING ABOUT HOW TO STOCK PANDEMIC-PROOF PANTRIES…AND WHAT TO DO WITH THE INGREDIENTS WE’VE STOCKED. I BRING… Read More
Spicy-hot, featuring dimensional multiple layers of flavor, this creamy coconut milk-enriched potage will almost certainly join your family’s list of regularly repeated favorites (unless your family numbers a majority of straight salt-and-pepper only, meat-and-potatoes eater with no tolerance for envelope-pushing). Even with reduced-fat coconut milk, its richness comes through clearly, mitigating and blending the spices and peppers. I’ll admit that… Read More
Because I am vegetarian, these black-eyes, untraditionally, don’t have ham or bacon in them. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t recall fondly the smoky savor and fatty richness that these ingredients add to such beans; so, I just set out to find a non-animal way to get there. What makes these smoky? A mixture of chipotle peppers and toasted… Read More
RECIPE ONLY Moist, tender, sweet (honey-sweetened, with a little molasses, no sugar), and rich, spiced but not overly so, this is best traditional-styled carrot cake I have ever tasted. I never order carrot cake no matter how good the bakery or restaurant, because I know it won’t be as delish as this one. Thank you, Evelyn Cross… who gave me… Read More
Here’s the recipe for my vegan version of this luscious Irish soup, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. And here’s the full story — in which you’ll learn a lot about its ingredients, and a smattering of Irish history. RECIPE NOTE: This is very adaptable. You may use all leeks or all onions instead of a combination of the two; the… Read More
This page is just the recipe for this luscious Irish soup, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Here’s the full story behind it. Recipe Note: this is very adaptable. You may use all leeks or all onions instead of a combination of the two; the potatoes may be peeled or unpeeled; and you may use a more readily available beer or ale…. Read More
Recipe only: click here for the full story of this lush, indulgent cake. Guinness Stout Chocolate Layer Cake Ingredients Drizzling Syrup: 1/3 cup Guinness Stout (measured after foam has subsided) 1/3 cup dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, non-dutched 1 teaspoon vanilla Cake: 2/3 cup Guinness Stout (measured after foam has subsided) 2/3 cup dried currants 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons, unsweetened cocoa powder, non-dutched… Read More
WHO MAKES AND EATS A SOUP, THE SAME SOUP, DAILY, FOR LUNCH, HUNDREDS OF TIMES? REID BRANSON, OF SEATTLE, THAT’S WHO. THIS IS QUITE A STORY… AND MY PAN PAL AND FELLOW BEAN AFICIONADO, WASHINGTON POST FOOD EDITOR JOE YONAN FOUND IT AS IRRESISTIBLE AS I DID (EXPECT A POST FROM ME ABOUT HIS NEW BOOK, COOL BEANS, IN THE… Read More
AN OCCASIONAL KITCHEN WISDOM POST Every so often a recipe (such as my Dragonwagon-Dewitz Pickled Eggs) will call for a “non-reactive” pot, saucepan, or other cooking vessel. Has this happened to you, and are you WTF-ing? I suspect so, if you found your way to this page. So here we go. REACTIVE VS NON-REACTIVE What’s a non-reactive pot? First, understand… Read More
