I’ve been writing and talking a lot lately (including on my radio show, TableTalk) about a very fun, practical solution for families hoping to put great meals on the table—even while their bank balances shrivel and their social lives fizzle. It’s called a Cooking Club and folks really seem to like it.
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.
Good bread pudding is just so rainy-day yummy and gratifying; mom and hearth personified. It is also very simple to prepare and economical since it is based on stale bread. This should be served warm topped with rum-raisin ice cream, whipped cream, or warm caramel sauce.
I worked on chocolate bread pudding recipes for years before finally getting what I envisioned—this recipe. It’s crunchy-chewy on top with a molten chocolate texture underneath. Deelish!
As the weather starts to cool off, I find that I’m actually delighted at the idea of socks and sweaters and steaming bowls of long-simmered dishes. I came up with this somewhat simplified version of classic French onion soup to satisfy my new found longing for those unctuous, slow cooked flavors.
Pickling, preserving and canning are such sustainable and rewarding cooking projects. In a few hours, usually spent as a communal effort with friends or family, you’ve turned bags full of extra, about-to-rot tomatoes, zucchini, peaches or cucumbers into a flavorful pickle, relish, jam or sauce to be enjoyed all winter long.
Yams (Garnet are my favorite) aren’t a very summery crop. But they are still in stores and they make the absolutely best accompaniment to an artisanal beef, bison, salmon or lamb burger off the summer grill. Trust me. They bring much more flavor and color to your plate than ho-hum French fries.
Homemade pizza really over-delivers on the effort involved. It’s waaay better than restaurant fare and, depending on the toppings, will cost at most a couple of dollars for a pizza that will be serve 2 or 3.
