Food grilled on a skewer is such a great idea that nearly every cuisine has a name for it— from kebabs to brochettes, shashlik or souvlaki. And people enjoy these little roasted bits of everything from lamb to eggplant in just as wide a variety of combinations.
Harissa, a Tunisian sauce, is one of the most flavorful hot sauces in the world. It is a traditional accompaniment to couscous, but I use it for everything from energizing guacamole to drizzling on a simple bowl of bean stew. It is also a great on roasted veggies. Be careful—a little goes a long way! These roasted vegetables are a great accompaniment to the Middle Eastern Lamb Kebabs.
This simple and impressive dish can be prepared up to a week in advance, frozen, and popped in the oven at party time. I serve it on a plate by itself with a garnish of fresh herbs and a drizzle of pesto, or marooned in a pool of couscous to soak up the glorious juices. You don’t really need any vegetable sides since they’re all in the “bag.” Purchased puff pastry provides the crispy, easy, buttery crust.
Here is my Christmas present for all of you holiday-harried, over-hooplah’d, package wrappers. This strategy for hosting a no-fuss party and creating a score of meals at the same time comes from my radio co-host, Jamie Peha (TableTalk).
When the weather turns cold and winter has taken over the neighborhood, a steaming bowl of homemade soup really hits the spot. It’s the perfect solution for those evenings when you just don’t feel like cooking, but still crave something hot and delicious.
I created this recipe for an Italian friend who was feeeling homesick. She said, “My Mama used to make this wonderful roast, like an American pot roast, but with lots of garlic and, and herbs and wine and…. I’m dying for some!” (Picture her thick Italian accent here, I didn’t have the heart to attempt to duplicate it.) I whipped this up and Marta seemed to feel it came close to her memories of home. It’s so easy to make for a comforting Sunday supper.
This is the best barbecue, poker party, all-beef chili ever. The combination of dried chiles gives it a complex rounded flavor. I serve beans, and the other fun garnishes listed below, on the side for guests to add at their own discretion.
With Thanksgiving only a little over a week away, I wanted to spend some time focusing on my favorite holiday. A couple of days ago, I posted some great resources for ordering an organic (maybe heirloom or heritage?) bird. I highly recommend you make the effort to order one of these more tender and flavorful turkeys. Heritage [...]
This simple pasta dish is reminiscent of great seafood dishes I’ve enjoyed at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. There is a lot of wonderful, wine-infused broth, so serve the Fisherman’s Catch in a soup bowl or pasta plate.
Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be included in one of the intimate farmhouse dinners at Kurtwood Farms on Vashon. Ex-Seattle chef Kurt Timmermeister (and friends) produce regular Sunday night dinners on his 13-acre dairy farm that are the acme of local eating. Every bite of food — with the exception of 4 or 5 [...]
These light, fresh tacos are popular street food from Mexico’s Baja region whose popularity has definitely crossed the border. There are 4 essential components of great fish tacos: salsa, cabbage salad or relish, grilled or fried fish and corn tortillas. They’re all here, plus I’ve given this a fresh, vivid twist by making a citrus salsa (mind you, this still has plenty of kick) and a very classy slaw that could stand alone as a side dish for any event where cole slaw is called for.
