tomato paste

Muhammara

1 comment
Thumbnail image for Muhammara

Often found as part of a meze, this popular dish originated in Aleppo, Syria, which is known for its wondrous red chili peppers. Like most dishes that have been around since before the reign of cookbooks and measuring cups, Muhammara is made in about as many ways as there are cooks who make it. Most [...]

continue →

Sloppy Joe

2 comments
Thumbnail image for Sloppy Joe

My first encounter with the Sloppy Joe was at my elementary school lunch counter where giant cans of sloppy joe mix were dumped into beat-up chafing dishes before being unceremoniously ladled into a crumpled hamburger bun. It may not sound like much of a lunch, but with other options like leathery turkey smothered in mucus-like [...]

continue →

Chicken Parmesan

12 comments
Thumbnail image for Chicken Parmesan

I have a love-hate relationship with Chicken Parm. It sounds great in theory: I love chicken, I love Parmesan, I love tomato sauce and I love spaghetti. So I should love Chicken Parmesan too, right? But for all its promise, in most restaurants, it’s an utter abomination that ruins the ingredients that go into the [...]

continue →

Best Lasagne

24 comments
Thumbnail image for Best Lasagne

Growing up, in a Japanese-American household, we had an interesting mix of foods that graced our dinner table. It’s only after I left home that I came to recognize them as comfort foods. Mac and Cheese didn’t make the list, but Japanese Curry and Spaghetti with Meat Sauce were some regulars. Lasagne is another classic [...]

continue →

Best Meatloaf

33 comments
Thumbnail image for Best Meatloaf

It’s not your grandma’s meatloaf, it’s better… there, I said it! I know, some of you are thinking “them’s fightin’ words” and hitting unsubscribe right now. But in all seriousness, I don’t go labeling recipes as being “best” willy-nilly. As a mater of fact, out of nearly 600 recipes, there have so far only been [...]

continue →

Coq au Vin

18 comments
Thumbnail image for Coq au Vin

Cooking inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes a stroll through a verdant farmers market on a warm spring day sets the gears of creativity in motion. Other times, it’s a six pound bag of Costco chicken, a half-full bottle of Côtes du Rhône, and some odds-and-ends lurking in the dark recesses of my [...]

continue →

Spaghetti and Meatballs

27 comments
Thumbnail image for Spaghetti and Meatballs

With the mercury falling faster than the stock market, I decided to bridge the gap between summer salad and winter braise using the last batch of tomatoes ripened under the waning summer sun to make spaghetti and meatballs. As usual when I’m making an old favorite, I went searching through my archives to see how [...]

continue →