Our weekly roundup of what the two of us have written over on Serious Eats.
Shaved Asparagus, Pea, and Prosciutto Salad
Blake takes advantage of asparagus season by shaving the spring vegetable thinly and tossing it in a salad.
Yucatecan Papaduzul (Enchiladas Stuffed with Hard-Boiled Eggs)
Pumpkin seeds flesh...
Eggs in a basket was the first meal I ever cooked. I was in 5th grade, and it was a Sunday morning at my best friend's house after a sleepover. We woke up hungry, and for some reason his parents weren't home. This confused me--my parents would never do that--but more important than confusion was the fact that I was terribly hungry, and I didn't see how that problem was going to be solved, s...
You can shave truffles over a dish and call it special, but it's not; it's just expensive.
- Rick Bayless
I've been a fan of Rick Bayless since this blog started over four years ago, but it wasn't until he blurted out the above statement during the Top Chef Masters finale last year that I really figured out why. I already knew that I loved so many Mexican dishes because they balanc...
Our weekly roundup of what the two of us have written over on Serious Eats.
Grilled Asparagus Panzanella
Panzanella is usually based on stale bread and great summer tomatoes, but here grilled asparagus is the backbone, to delicious results.
Pasta with Brown Butter, Capers, Walnuts and Spinach
Nutty brown butt...
I heard a lot of complaining this month about Chicago weather, mostly about how cold and rainy it was, and I added my fair share to the chorus. "It's May, already, where's the warm weather?" was a common conversation starter, as weather always is. Apparently, somebody upstairs was listening. This week we have been thrust into what feels like the height of summer: it has climbed repeatedly abov...
I'm not sure if the Silver Fizz was developed in Chicago, or if it was just popular for a time around 1883. But I have to believe that there is a correlation between cocktails and the cities that embrace them. Wine has a tie to the land, and cuisines are based around what's local and fresh. So it's my humble opinion that the Silver Fizz was built to cool the heads and stomachs of men without a...
Our weekly roundup of what the two of us have written over on Serious Eats.
Spicy Italian Sausage with Peppers Sandwich
An Italian sausage and pepper sandwich is usually tired and boring, but this one adds some much needed acid to the party.
Olive Oil–Poached Salmon
Poached salmon is a standard, but swapping...
I've long been drawn to the idea of urban farming. When I lived in Brooklyn, I had two plots in two community gardens , in addition to three massive tomato plants on the back deck. Planting seeds and growing vegetables was an unlikely pleasure. For me it was connected to good eating: I loved to cook and eat the freshest vegetables I could find. Getting to the source is something we often e...
I know that biscuits and gravy together don't make sense. It's meat, thickened with flour and milk, ladled atop a starchy biscuit. There is no balance, no acid, and no spice. Compared to the dynamic Szechuan food I've been making lately, it can seem safe and boring. But that's not how I think of it. Perhaps it's something that needs to be injected to your blood as a child, because I have a fon...
Our weekly roundup of what the two of us have written over on Serious Eats.
Monte Cristo
Essentially it's a ham sandwich that's been cooked like French toast. A mishmash of dinner, breakfast, and chaos, all on the same plate. Oh, and it's delicious.
Lamb Chops with Crème Fraîche Beans
Lamb chops need nothing...
Blake and Nick live in Chicago and have written for The Paupered Chef and other publications since 2006.