I have three words for you: ultimate comfort food. Cover anything in cheese, and I’m generally a really happy mouse. The more cheese, the better. Eight cheeses? Now that’s my idea of heaven on earth. Now, this is not haute cuisine (though if you tried, I suppose you could call this a sort of White [...]
Cheese & dairy, how to make a roux, macaroni and cheese, noodles
Rice has got to be one of my favorite foods. Fried rice. Buttered rice. Jambalaya. Rice crackers and krispies. You name it, I most likely have a closely-guarded stash of it in my cupboards. I especially love rice pudding. I can eat bowls of it at a time, which is why I don’t make it [...]
dessert, how to make a double boiler, pudding, rice, rice pudding
This is a rich and hearty sauce that you can make in just about the amount of time it takes to boil a pound of orecchiette. Honest. Italian for “little ears,” orecchiette are those nickel-sized round noodles that look like tiny hats or flying saucers. Just because it’s a quick sauce doesn’t mean it’s short [...]
ground beef, ground pork, how to make a ragout, how to make pasta sauce, meat sauce, pasta sauce, ragout, spices, tomato
This dinner is really easy to make—but looks and tastes like you spent hours slaving in the kitchen. The contrasting flavors and textures of a few good, fresh ingredients make this meal something special. Earilier today, my folks dropped in on their way up to Maine to celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary. They arrived with [...]
Warning: This isn’t diet food. This chicken is comfort food times ten. I was feeling a little under the weather when I got home from the office, and wanted something soothing, warm, salty, and rich. I don’t eat like this all the time. Honest. So, you know that thing your grandmother used to do with [...]
chicken, cream, Pasta & starch, stew
Omelettes have always been one of my favorite weekend foods. You can get up late, fill one with whatever you have on hand, and it will keep you going for most of the day. When I moved to Boston, my favorite omelettes came from Deli Haus, a diner in Kenmore Square which sadly isn’t there [...]
eggs, omelette, potatoesThis is one of those recipes that’s better the next day. And even better the one after. It’s a good base pasta salad recipe, so you can add anything else that you want to it (little bits of crispy bacon, other veggies, different kinds of cheese), but I think it’s perfect as is. Old Fashioned [...]
mom, Pasta & starch, saladDuckie was my grandmother, and this is her rice pudding recipe. I use whole milk to make it, because that’s the way she did it. Duckie’s Rice Pudding 1 quart whole milk 3/4 cup sugar 1/2 cup uncooked white rice 1/2 tsp. salt golden raisins (very, very optional) 1 whole egg 1 additional egg yolk [...]
dessert, Duckie, pudding, riceDuckie was my grandmother. To this day, I’m not quite sure what’s French about this recipe, but that’s always what she called it. This is a great thing to bring to picnics. It also lasts a while in the fridge, and gets better the next day. Follow the recipe exactly. There’s a ridiculously small amount [...]
casserole, Duckie, Starch