We originally made this soup with a poblano, and it was awesome. We made it again with a jalapeno and it was also delicious, just a little spicier. Use any chile pepper you’d like, just be sure to add it a little at a time if you’re not sure how hot it is. Serve with

One night last week, after I’d had a long and annoying day, Tony excitedly announced that we were making butternut squash soup for dinner. All I could manage was a scowl. I was in a bratty mood—tired, hungry, and wanting pizza to magically appear next to me on the couch (and have no calories in

This is a story about a big mistake turning into something phenomenal. No, I didn’t invent penicillin. But, depending on how you feel about dessert, this might come close. This weekend, we had the co-pastors from our church—an awesome husband and wife duo—over for dinner. We’d been planning this get-together for a month, so last

Serves 4 to 6 I used Red Anjou pears (because they’re beautiful), and Opalescent apples because they are very firm. Be sure to use good, firm baking apples like Granny Smith, Winesap, Braeburn, or even Gala. For the filling: 3 large pears, washed and sliced 1 large apple, washed and sliced 1/4 cup dried currants

At 7:20 pm on October 23, 2009, I sat on my bed all dressed up and waiting. Anthony had called two hours before and haltingly asked if I would like to have dinner with him. I tried to play it cool, offering an upbeat but measured, “Sure.” But I was so excited I felt like

Makes 18 pupusas, which serves 6 as a main course. We filled our pupusas with beans and cheese because it’s cheap and easy. Traditional pupusas can also be filled with pulled pork and other delicious things. Experiment if you’d like; it’s pretty hard to go wrong. For the Filling: 1 can (15- to 16-ounces) pinto

Serves 4 8 medium beets (or 5-6 large), greens removed and reserved for another use, beets thoroughly washed 1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced very thin Extra-virgin olive oil 1 lemon, halved Goat cheese, for crumbling Fresh Italian parsley, chopped Salt and pepper Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat the oven to

You know that place nearing the end of vacation where you start vowing to eat nothing but salad and drink ice water for the next two weeks? I am SO there. We’ve have had an amazing week in California, but I am pretty sure if I tried to put my jeans on right now (yup,

I have never been one of those people who wanted to figure out how to make baked goods “healthier.” The whole idea of replacing butter or oil with applesauce, or subbing out white flour with whole wheat, buckwheat, or rye makes me cringe. I can just imagine my beautiful, rich, tender, lighter-than-air muffins turning into

Makes 12 muffins. These are, by far, the healthiest muffins I’ve ever made—and they’re pretty tasty! Be sure to drain and squeeze as much liquid out of the squash as possible. This recipe was adapted from Simply Recipes. ¾ cup sugar 1 extra-large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract Heavy pinch salt 2 cups zucchini and/or

Serves 3 to 4 This is the recipe I used when I need my fix. When I want to serve it to company I might add a few pieces of orange peel and an allspice berry. 4 cups apple cider 1 cinnamon stick ½ star anise pod Pinch of ground ginger Dash of freshly ground

Though I love sharp pencils, new notebooks, and fresh starts, September is a difficult month for the cook in me. Sure, the summer has been flush with produce, but I have grown tired of eggplant, zucchini, corn, and (gasp) even peaches. My tastebuds are starting to yearn for rich, deeply flavored dishes, but the weather

A year ago, I was almost purely a special occasion cook. I knew how to choose a good recipe out of the thousands on the Internet (or just flip to a page in one of Mom’s books). And I knew how to follow the recipe to get good results. Always aiming for the perfect, impressive,

Serves 8 to 10 as a first course However you sauce these gnocchi, keep it simple so their flavor can shine. I sautéed the gnocchi in a sage browned butter after they came out of the boiling water. This quick sauté leaves the gnocchi slightly crisp and pleasantly brown on the outside and tender on