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Food Traditions and the New Year

Dec 30, 2021
3 min

Food Traditions and the New Year

I’m taking some much-needed time off this week, but I can’t let New Year’s Eve come and go without talking about my favorite food-related New Year’s traditions. So please enjoy (or enjoy again) this post I put together last year. And, of course, Happy New Year!!! It's nearly New Year's Eve, the day we say goodbye to one year and look ahead to the next. I know I'm not alone in being ready to put this particular year in the rear view mirror, but it is the looking ahead part tha

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Food Traditions and the New Year

Dec 30, 2020
3 min

Food Traditions and the New Year

It's nearly New Year's Eve, the day we say goodbye to one year and look ahead to the next. I know I'm not alone in being ready to put this particular year in the rear view mirror, but it is the looking ahead part that I want to focus on here. Every culture has its own traditions when it comes to celebrating the start of a new year, and, not surprisingly, many of those traditions involve food. Though there are countless from which to choose, here are the New Year's food tradit

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Quick Lemon Broccoli Pasta with Five-Chile Harissa

Dec 23, 2020
2 min

Quick Lemon Broccoli Pasta with Five-Chile Harissa

Like anyone else, I am always on the lookout for quick and easy meal ideas that can be thrown together with minimal prep and even less cleanup. Enter this pasta dish, which makes a pretty regular appearance on our Meatless Monday menu. Feel free to swap out the fresh broccoli for brussels sprouts, and if you don't have kale, try spinach, chard, or some other hearty greens. And if the broccoli and kale happen to be frozen, don't worry. No judgment here, and no one but you will

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An Ode to Soup

Dec 8, 2020
2 min

An Ode to Soup

I love soup. There. I've said it. I love that every culture has its own soups and that you can always find a soup to satisfy whatever kind of craving you're having. You want noodles? Try ramen or wonton or chicken noodle. You want meaty? Try an Irish stew or Italian Wedding or chili. You want creamy? Go for a rich clam chowder or loaded potato soup. You want spicy? Choose your own spice level with some pho or posole. You went a little crazy with the tomatoes at the summer far

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Herbed Butternut Squash Soup

Dec 8, 2020
2 min

Herbed Butternut Squash Soup

One of my favorite things to do as a chef is to take a classic, tried-and-true recipe and put my own twist on it. It's my way of paying homage to tradition while at the same time creating something new. Enter the following, which I adapted from a Cook's Illustrated recipe I've loved for years. It capitalizes on the infallible technique developed by the Cook's Illustrated test kitchen team but puts an herby twist on it with my Herbes de Provence blend, which contains a whoppin

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Clam and Argentinian Chorizo Chowder

Dec 7, 2020
2 min

Clam and Argentinian Chorizo Chowder

Back in the "before time," before hugs and indoor dining were life-threatening activities, I used to run a couple of restaurants. My restaurants wouldn't be categorized as fine dining by any means, but we served what I can confidently say was REALLY. GOOD. FOOD. Period. One of the things we did especially well was soup, and one of the best soups we served was our Clam Chowder, which we served every Friday and often sold out before lunch was even over. While I won't be sharing

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Harissa and White Bean Stew

Dec 7, 2020
2 min

Harissa and White Bean Stew

Although I love all my spice blends, if I had to choose a favorite, it might be my Five-Chile Harissa Spice Blend. Every time I use it I am surprised by its complexity, and I have yet to make a dish with it and think to myself, "Man, I wish I hadn't added the harissa." The recipe that follows, which I adapted from one I found in Food & Wine Magazine, is a regular in our soup rotation at home. I usually double the recipe and then freeze portions for nights when I just don't fe

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Andouille Mac & Cheese

Nov 27, 2020
2 min

Andouille Mac & Cheese

Mac & Cheese. Were there ever two words in the English language more perfect together? I think not. Whether you prefer yours made from a box mix and eaten straight out of the pot while standing over the stove or studded with fancy cheese and surprising mix-ins, there is a Mac & Cheese for everyone. The recipe that follows is a perfect make-ahead "fancy" Mac & Cheese, one that will satisfy even the most discerning of dinner guests. With a kick from both the andouille sausage a

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Ras el Hanout Pumpkin Turkey Chili

Nov 24, 2020
2 min

Ras el Hanout Pumpkin Turkey Chili

It's Thanksgiving month, which means we are all getting ready to eat more than our fair share of comfort food, especially this year, when comfort has seemed so hard to come by. But it's also likely that our Thanksgiving dinner tables will have far fewer family members around them this year due to restrictions on travel and gatherings. So if you're still planning on roasting a whole turkey, chances are you'll have FAR more leftover turkey this year than in years past. I love a

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Let's Get Spicy: Spicy Turmeric Blend

Nov 9, 2020
3 min

Let's Get Spicy: Spicy Turmeric Blend

Welcome back to the Let's Get Spicy series! Through this series, I will introduce you to each of my small batch, hand-crafted spice blends, giving you a little bit of the history behind each blend, a story or two of how I first discovered them or what inspired them, some non-recipe-recipes for when you don't have the time or interest to get too involved in cooking, and some full-blown recipes for when you really want to dig in. Next up, my Spicy Turmeric Blend! Unlike some of

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Let's Get Spicy: Italian Countryside Spice Blend

Oct 30, 2020
4 min

Let's Get Spicy: Italian Countryside Spice Blend

Take a trip to the Italian countryside without even leaving your kitchen.

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Extra 'Shroomy Mushroom Risotto

Oct 28, 2020
2 min

Extra 'Shroomy Mushroom Risotto

The mushroom-lover's Mushroom Risotto recipe.

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Za'atar-Spiced Roast Chicken

Oct 28, 2020
3 min

Za'atar-Spiced Roast Chicken

Transport yourself to another land without leaving the comfort of your own kitchen, using just a chicken and some Za'atar Spice Blend.

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Let's Get Spicy: Ras el Hanout

Oct 26, 2020
2 min

Let's Get Spicy: Ras el Hanout

Ras el Hanout will take your cooking to the next level.

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Let's Get Spicy: Five-Chile Harissa Spice Blend

Oct 22, 2020
4 min

Let's Get Spicy: Five-Chile Harissa Spice Blend

This Five-Chile Harissa Spice Blend is about to rock your world.

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Let's Get Spicy Series: Intro

Oct 22, 2020
2 min

Let's Get Spicy Series: Intro

An introduction to my "Let's Get Spicy" series, which will introduce each of my small batch, hand-crafted spice blends.

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Harissa-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers

Oct 13, 2020
2 min

Harissa-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers

Another perfect camping recipe - Harissa-Marinated Grilled Chicken Skewers

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Baked Feta with Kale and Crispy Chickpeas

Oct 2, 2020
2 min

Baked Feta with Kale and Crispy Chickpeas

Look forward to Meatless Monday with this Baked Feta with Kale and Crispy Chickpeas

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Rack of Lamb with Crisp Roasted Potatoes and Creamed Kale

Sep 29, 2020
5 min

Rack of Lamb with Crisp Roasted Potatoes and Creamed Kale

A luxurious meal made easy by planning ahead and making use of your new favorite cooking method - sous vide.

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Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones

Sep 22, 2020
2 min

Pumpkin-Cranberry Scones

Forget lattes and pies, pumpkin scones are my new favorite way to pumpkin and a great way to utilize some A Bite of Good Autumn Spice Blend.

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