I’ve probably eaten my weight in spareribs over the years but wasn’t sure I could ever make them successfully at home — until I made them in my slow cooker. You’ll need to finish them in the oven but only for about 15 minutes. The hot oven helps the sauce caramelize and cling to the… Continue reading Slow Cooker Spare Ribs
Category: Easy (5 Steps or Less)
Strawberry Sauce
I came up with this one a couple years ago, when I wanted to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but was all out of jam. I had recently learned how to make simple syrup (boil a 1:1 ratio of water and sugar until sugar dissolves) and figured, cooking down some fruit into the… Continue reading Strawberry Sauce
Roasted Carrots
When I was a kid, the only carrots I consumed were tasteless orange lumps floating in soup or stew, or worse, canned carrots mixed with peas — also devoid of taste and texture. As a result, I didn’t care much for carrots at all. But nutritionists are always urging us to eat plenty of colorful… Continue reading Roasted Carrots
Limeade
Though typically regarded as a summertime drink, limeade has become a year-round staple in my house. For the past six years, not a week has gone by when we haven’t had a full pitcher of the stuff in our refrigerator. It’s a nostalgia thing. For me, it brings back childhood memories of rolling lemons for… Continue reading Limeade
Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
My mother and grandmother taught me and my four siblings how to cast a fishing rod when we were very young. While my niece and some of my siblings 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… Continue reading Pan-Seared Salmon with Creamy Dill Sauce
Recaíto (Puerto Rican Sofrito)
This green, herbaceous cooking base is one of the most essential ingredients in Puerto Rican cuisine. It is basically sofrito without the tomato sauce and so is an excellent substitute for any recipe calling for sofrito. They are so similar that some Puerto Ricans use the words as synonyms (see Sofrito Eggs). Recaíto contains culantro… Continue reading Recaíto (Puerto Rican Sofrito)
Corn and Black Bean Salad with Garlic-Lime Dressing
Most salads are at their best when freshly made, but this one tastes just as good the second day — maybe even a little better — once all the flavors have melded together. I could eat this once a week, especially during a heat wave. It tastes good, looks good, and is probably good for… Continue reading Corn and Black Bean Salad with Garlic-Lime Dressing
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
For years, asparagus was one of those veggies I only ate in restaurants. It just seemed too exotic to make at home, probably because I was raised mostly on the usual boring variety of canned vegetables: peas, corn, and string beans. As my cooking skills improved and I bade goodbye to canned vegetables forever, I… Continue reading Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
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 Hard-Boiled Eggs
Lemon Bars
Master this recipe and you’ve got two for one — lemon curd (the topping) and shortbread (the base). The lemon curd here is sort of a quick-and-dirty version, so you don’t have to boil it first. Just stir together and bake. I’m a die-hard chocoholic for most of the year, but I actually prefer lemon… Continue reading Lemon Bars
