The last time I tested Thanksgiving dishes, my team came up with a brilliant idea: roast a butterflied whole turkey right over the stuffing. It was easy, delicious, and you ended up with 2 dishes in one. My version mashes up roast chicken, stuffing, and chicken parm into one dish: toss together cherry tomatoes, bread cubes, and Parmesan cheese, then top with chicken thighs and bake. The cherry tomatoes get sweet and pop open, and the juices from the chicken drip down to moisten the stuffing. When the chicken's ready, take it off to rest and bake the stuffing with a layer of mozzarella on top because, well, it's not chicken parm without ooey, gooey cheese. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
Life has suddenly moved back to a hectic pace. Funny how going back to a full-time job will do that to you! I'm going to try my best to still give you delicious recipes to make, but you can always keep up with me at my new gig with The Kitchn. And for those busy, hard-working parents out there, this one-pan roasted chicken dinner is dedicated to you.
The last time I tested Thanksgiving dishes, my team came up with a brilliant idea: roast a butterflied whole turkey right over the stuffing. It was easy, delicious, and you ended up with 2 dishes in one. My version mashes up roast chicken, stuffing, and chicken parm into one dish: toss together cherry tomatoes, bread cubes, and Parmesan cheese, then top with chicken thighs and bake. The cherry tomatoes get sweet and pop open, and the juices from the chicken drip down to moisten the stuffing. When the chicken's ready, take it off to rest and bake the stuffing with a layer of mozzarella on top because, well, it's not chicken parm without ooey, gooey cheese. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
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To celebrate our 5-year wedding anniversary, we had a rare night out after recruiting the grandparents to babysit and got to check out Dirty Habit, the new bar/lounge in the Palomar Hotel. Besides an enticing heated patio, it has an awesome cocktail list and a small plates menu we plan to check out on a future visit. While the barrel-aged old-fashioned I had was great, what really impressed me was the desserts by Frances Ang. The churros were warm and crispy, but the miso caramel dipping sauce they came with stunned me into silence. Instead of the now commonplace salted caramel, miso was whisked in for a salty, umami-rich counterpoint to the sweet creamy sauce.
I kept thinking about the caramel, so with Mother's Day coming up, why not surprise my mom with soft caramel candies flavored with miso? Although this recipe requires a candy thermometer and close monitoring, the process itself is quite easy and you're left with dozens of soft, toasty, sweet chews to give away or hoard for yourself. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.) Whenever we go back to Boston to visit family, I always look forward to lobster, old-school pizza, and ice cream. But there's one more thing: the Curry Chutney Apricot Cheese Spread from Wasik's Cheese Shop in my husband's hometown. This recipe is my attempt to recreate it using ingredients that are easy to find. Mix together softened cream cheese, jarred mango chutney, curry powder, and dried apricots into a sweet-savory-creamy spread to put on crackers or fancy up a turkey sandwich. While it's not quite the same as what Wasik's makes, this spread will staunch my cravings until our next trip. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.)
As much as I enjoy wine, I'm an admitted cocktail girl. I like the seemingly endless combinations of bitters, citrus, tinctures, and boozes. But most of all, I like that you can replicate a fabulous drink if you get the recipe. With wine, I always feel like it's difficult to find that same exact wine you tasted in a restaurant, received as a gift, or bought in a store months or even years ago.
Last week I passed by Cantina, a San Francisco bar specializing in pisco and tequila where I spent many a pre-child Saturday night. I saw the familiar red sign and a part of me wanted to jump off the bus taking me home and sneak in an unplanned cocktail. The next day the memory still haunted me, so I pulled down the pisco to make a chilcano, a pisco and ginger ale drink. But not just an ordinary chilcano- a kicked-up one with spicy hits of fresh ginger and ginger beer instead of ginger ale. This refreshing cocktail is my toast to spring and a way to pretend that I'm back on the leather barstools at Cantina without a care in the world. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.) I've really come to appreciate curries lately - I can cook protein, vegetables, and sauce together, serve it over rice from a rice cooker that I turn on before I leave the house in the morning, and clean only one pan after dinner. Who doesn't love that? As long as I have curry paste and coconut milk, what goes into it is flexible. For me, it's usually determined by what's in season or needs to be used up in the fridge.
This easy, healthy curry recipe has a creamy sauce made of coconut milk and Thai green curry. Note that Thai curry pastes vary greatly in salt and spice level. In my testing, Mae Ploy was dry, salty, and super-spicy (completely blowing out my palate when I used too much the first time around), whereas Thai Kitchen was mild and more paste-like. Whatever paste you have will work, just err on using less in the beginning knowing you can add more later in the cooking after you've had a chance to taste it. Seared tofu, shrimp, and baby bok choy simmer for just a few minutes in the spicy sauce, making this a dish you can cook in the same amount of time it takes to steam the rice you'll serve it over. (Click "Read More" below for the full recipe.) |
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I'm a food editor and professionally trained recipe developer and food stylist. You'll usually find me in the kitchen tinkering with new ideas and recipes to share with others. Archives
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