It took quite awhile for me to learn to cook pork chops that didn’t taste like well-seasoned shoe leather. I was so afraid of serving undercooked pork, I overdid it and wound up with tough, dry meat. At a restaurant one night, I had a blue cheese-encrusted pork chop that tasted like heaven and I… Continue reading Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops
Category: Recipes for Two (or Just You)
Pan Fried Codfish
One of my favorite childhood memories is getting up at dawn and going to the renowned Fulton Fish Market with my mother to buy fish, fresh off the boats. We lived nearby so we would walk down the quiet, empty cobblestone streets near the market until we reached the bustle of fishmongers and shoppers. Mom… Continue reading Pan Fried Codfish
Ramekin Cupcakes
After sampling co-author Hayley’s yummy deep dish chocolate chip cookie in a ramekin, I was inspired to make a mini-dessert of my own. These days, I’m more of a cake person than a cookie monster, so I came up with this: a basic cake recipe scaled down to fill two ramekins. This little treasure is perfect… Continue reading Ramekin Cupcakes
Hot Chocolate
I’m not sure why packets of hot chocolate mix contain so many ingredients, when a rich and creamy hot chocolate can be easily made at home with just three. Leave that Alpine lady up in the slopes and warm up against winter’s chill using my no-measure method. [Don’t worry, I’ve included precise measurements as well,… Continue reading Hot Chocolate
Pork and Cabbage Stir-Fry
I’m crazy for just about any kind of Asian food: Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese — I will call for takeout in a New York minute. Sometimes, though, I like to take a crack at making my own versions. Bottled stir-fry sauces are now available in many supermarkets but I enjoy experimenting in my own kitchen, seasoning… Continue reading Pork and Cabbage Stir-Fry
Sweet Potato Crumble
When is a vegetable not a vegetable? When it’s dessert! My family has a long history with sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. In fact, I’ve never known a Thanksgiving at home without both sweet potato pie and “candied sweets”: thinly sliced sweet potatoes baked with cinnamon and brown sugar, swimming in butter. I learned the basic… Continue reading Sweet Potato Crumble
Tuna Salad Sandwiches
This is the unsung hero of my cookbook. Since the recipe consists entirely of pantry staples, it’s one I never really have to shop for and therefore often overlook. But I’m always delighted when I come across a long-forgotten can of tuna in the back of my cupboard because I know immediately that I can… Continue reading Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Baked Apples
Please resist the urge to use an apple corer to prepare this dish. Too much of the apple is discarded that way, and trust me, you’ll want to keep as much as you can. Warm, sweet, and spiced – this comfort food is the epitome of a fall treat. On chilly autumn days, I enjoy… Continue reading Baked Apples
Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
My mother and grandmother taught me and my siblings how to cast a fishing rod when we were very young. While some family members still enjoy the pastime, I haven’t fished in decades. But I still enjoy slouching in a beach chair with a big straw hat on a lazy summer afternoon, drinking in the… Continue reading Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
Steamed Hard-Boiled Eggs
For years, I’ve been using a pretty surefire method for hard-boiling eggs in such a way that the shells don’t stick: the cold start method – submerge eggs in water, bring to a boil, let steam 10 minutes, then shock in ice water before removing shells. But I’ve just tried an even better method: the… Continue reading Steamed Hard-Boiled Eggs
