Scallops with Bacon-Red Pepper Coulis
We’ve always been a bacon-forward household but I find myself using it in places that even I wouldn’t have expected just a few years ago. That succulent, umami quality is basically irresistible to Willa and Phoebe, so it can really help them to at least try new things when it’s a part of the meal. Even bacon-like will do the job: from guanciale to pancetta, I’m about to have an autumnal run of blog posts that involve some fatty cured pork products.
Fried Trout with Cornichon Tartar Sauce
Something about the end of summer makes me think of frying foods a little more often. Maybe I need a fix for the fried clams and french fries we eat during those trips to the beach (sadly, very under-represented these past few months). Maybe it’s some sort of reflexive reaction to the impending fall and winter, when eating lighter than beef or pork still requires a little something extra to stick to your ribs.
Grilled Swordfish with White Beans, Morcilla, Corn, and Onions
It’s been a stretch since my last post, due to typical August things: a vacation, family visits, and as much outside time as possible. We’ve also been preparing ourselves mentally and emotionally for Willa & Phoebe’s first day of pre-K in a real live public school. We’re feeling a lot of the feels around here as we hit this big milestone, so before we get too lost in our fall schedule I wanted to share a favorite dinner from our week at the beach.
Porcini Mushroom-Asparagus Risotto
We’re past peak asparagus season here in NY but we’re still eating it at our table. Asparagus is one of those vegetables that has a much longer season than it is usually given credit for: that springtime asparagus hype is always more about it being one of the first green things to pop out of the ground after a long, hard winter. But they remain delicious into August, and sliced thinly as they are in this recipe it’s easy enough to trick a certain set of twins in this household that they are just a kind of green bean, the only vegetable they reliably eat any given night.
Jane Grey Battle’s Shrimp and “Spaghetti”
I haven’t been entirely forthcoming with you, and I’ve been saving this post for very special reason. There is actually a kind-of-a-big-deal chef in our extended family and we just finished up a family reunion where we got to see her.
Spaghetti with Zucchini
I spied this recipe for Spaghetti alla Nerano on Food52 a couple of weeks ago and was immediately intrigued. Once or twice a week we try to get the girls to try a new food. We’re also not above a little assistance to make that happen, and pretty much any dish that involves pasta gets us halfway home. Since like most parents we’re generally obsessed with getting them to eat green veggies, our goal for this meal was simple: eat the zucchini.
New York State Salt Potatoes
This is a companion post to Grilled Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops with Mint-Parsley Salsa Verde.
Grilled Lemon-Garlic Pork Chops with Mint-Parsley Salsa Verde
Summertime! The sprinklers in the parks are back on, Willa and Phoebe’s knees are all skinned and scabbed, and it’s time for rosé and BBQs. Unlike many renters in Brooklyn who are forced to drag their grills to Prospect Park to light one up, we’re extremely lucky to have backyard access. Granted it’s down two flights of stairs and a trek through a dungeon-like basement. And the yard itself is nothing to take pictures of, filled with weeds and mosquitos. But none of that really matters once the taste of grilled meat hits your tongue.
The Hemingway Daiquiri
I started this blog just over a month ago, so I thought it was time for a celebratory drink! After all, some square meals are not complete without an opening cocktail.