Quick Clam Chowder Makes about 2 quarts 3 to 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1 large Spanish onion, diced medium, (about 2 cups) 1/4 cup flour 4 cans (6.5 ounces) minced clams, clams and juice separated 2 bottles (8 ounces each) clam juice (preferably Doxsee brand) 3 medium boiling potatoes 1 large bay

I woke up—somewhat reluctantly—at 5:45 this morning. The smell of freshly brewed coffee (thank God for the automated coffeemaker!) wafting through the air and the first rays of sunshine finding their way through the bedroom curtains quickly soothed my wrong-side-of-the-bed attitude. After days and days of hazy low-hanging clouds and a constant chilly drizzle, this

This recipe is adapted from Mom’s book Perfect Recipes for Losing Weight and Eating Great.  Since Tony hates vegetable oil, I used olive instead. If you have bananas or berries hanging around, add those to the batter, too! Makes about 16 4-inch pancakes 1 cup all purpose flour 1/3 cup each: cornmeal, whole wheat flour,

Tony and I are on a much-needed vacation this week. Poor grad students that we are, we couldn’t afford much, so we’re at Mom and Dad’s Pennsylvania house for the week doing what we love: cooking, eating, and drinking. We’re also doing a little homework, taking long walks, and reading for pleasure. But mostly, we’re

Makes 10 naan breads This recipe is adapted from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid. They make their naan on baking tiles using a pizza peel to move them on and off. This is great if you have them, but you can also just use baking sheets. If you can let it rise 8 hours, definitely

Because Mom had a flexible schedule, she would always be around when we got home from school to take us apple picking or out for ice cream. We would hang with her in the kitchen while she made dinner and we’d all go shopping on weekends. Dad, on the other hand, had to work a

Credit for these delicious dumplings goes to our friends Anna and Matt. Well, actually, to Anna’s mom who heroically made these for many weeknight suppers when Anna was growing up. I’m told there’s really no recipe, so feel free to add or subtract anything on the ingredient list. Try adding different herbs, spices, or vegetables.

As a grad student, I’m not exactly rolling in the dough (unless you count bread dough). So, I eat pasta…a lot. But there are only so many times I can eat tomato sauce, no matter how fancy I make it. In this week’s USA Weekend column, I share my technique for making pasta with vegetables

Serves 4 12 ounces linguine, or other long pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil, more for drizzling 1 large onion, diced 2 medium carrots, diced 3 garlic cloves, minced ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste ¾ teaspoon dried thyme 1 ½ cups dry white wine 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

On Monday night, I found myself eating dates, sniffing frankincense, and talking about sex with a group of women old enough to be my grandmothers. How did this happen you might ask? I attended a Bible study! Bible studies have never really been my “thing.” But, I kept hearing about this amazing interfaith group of

Serves 8 to 10. I made this recipe for a group of vegetarians, but feel free to add sausage or pancetta (just reduce the amount of olive oil a bit) and replace the veggie broth with chicken broth. 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 medium celery stalks, diced 3 large carrots, sliced

At almost exactly this time last year, I wrote a post called “Potluck-less” about my fear of, disdain for, and frustration with potluck suppers. I bemoaned the wiggly Jello salads, the endless casseroles, and the overly-full-yet-unsatisfied feeling left in my tummy by such a weird collage of foods consumed in one sitting. But recently, Maggy

Makes a 2 generous cups 1 1/4 pounds premium roasted nuts 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet large enough for them

Doughnuts have something of a hallowed place in our family history. Mom and Dad would never let us eat something so decadent on a regular basis, but it was our tradition to stop for warm drinks and a few doughnut holes before every long car trip. Maggy and I would always gobble ours in 30