My New Favorite Spice: Paprika

I used to put garlic powder on just about everything I made, apart from desserts.  Then I discovered paprika.  It’s always been in the spice aisle, and I even bought some a while ago.  I vaguely remember making Hungarian Goulash and adding paprika. I liked the color—a deep orangey-red—and it spice didn’t disappear after I sprinkled it on.  It made whatever I was cooking look and taste better—be it beef stew, vegetables or roast chicken.

The Many Uses of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

My first encounter with crushed red pepper flakes occurred in conjunction with my first slice of pizza.  It happened one fateful evening, probably after a high school football game. I wondered why this new hole-in-the-wall restaurant in my Pennsylvania hometown had such a strange smell.  Only later did I recognize it as the smell of hot Parmesan cheese.

By then I was a regular customer

Question for Mom

Now that uncooked boneless chicken breasts often weigh more than 1 pound each, I’ve been wondering what’s the best way to prepare them.  Do they need to cook longer than smaller breasts? –Evelyn K.

One large chicken breast can feed a family of 4, especially if you cut the meat into stir-fry pieces and supplement with some fresh vegetables.  Spices would help provide flavor because this size breast is pretty bland.  Cooking time would be a few minutes longer because of the greater amount of chicken, but you could get a meal on the table in 30 minutes.

Oh No! Not Chicken Again!

Cookbooks often tell you that one 3½ pound chicken will feed four people. Somehow when I roast a chicken this size, we end up with a week of leftovers. 

How to Pick a Cookbook That Works for You

I have a lot of cookbooks.  Partly it’s because I’ve written a few myself, and partly it’s because I’m always trying new dishes.

Along the way I’ve learned a few things.  I don’t want cookbooks that have beautiful pictures or fancily-named foods with dozens of ingredients, many of which I’ve never heard of.  Also, I avoid books that use a lot of canned foods or specialize in recipes from the 1950s.  It’s surprising how often I come across tuna noodle casserole.

The cookbooks I wrote with my son are basic beginner books. They got a little more complicated as he became a better cook.  Bottom line, though, is this: I don’t write about foods that I would never make.

My Favorite Freezer Food: Shrimp

I could have said croissants, bagels or leftovers, but I picked shrimp because it is so versatile. 

I used to think that shrimp cocktail was the only way to eat shrimp, but I was young and stupid then.  Because I grew up in a small town with limited grocery store options and restaurants, I didn’t think about food too much.  I just ate what was put in front of me. 

When I started cooking for myself, I never considered making shrimp cocktail.  It was a restaurant appetizer and too fancy to serve at home.

Baby Bellas: What Are They and How Do I Cook Them?

I was in such a hurry to complete my grocery shopping the other day that I grabbed the first package of mushrooms I saw, not paying attention to what the label said. Only when I was putting them in the vegetable bin did I notice I’d purchased “Baby Bella Sliced Mushrooms.”

Are Boneless Chicken Thighs Worth the Trouble?

I used to be a fan of boneless chicken thighs. They actually taste like chicken, as opposed to bland, boneless chicken breasts.  And they are cheaper than boneless chicken breasts.

But as the cook and also the fat-remover I discovered that although boneless thighs do indeed lack bones, they do not lack considerable fat.  Cutting it out and discarding it is a major chore.  But not getting rid of the fat means eating it—not something I want to do.

Chewing Through Memory Lane

Chopped  Vegetable and Barley Salad

For most of my adult life, I have maintained a notebook of recipes I like.  Every once in a while, when temporary amnesia sets in, I flip through it for ideas.

Just About Any Topping Goes with Spaghetti—Even Mussels

I love spaghetti so much that I could eat it every night of the week.  When I was younger, Spaghetti with Garlic Sauce was my dish of choice.  Hot pasta mixed with fresh chopped garlic, Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley kept me and my food budget happy.

Bart introduced me to Spaghetti with Clam Sauce (aka Spaghetti Vongole).  I immediately liked it, possibly because it bears a great resemblance to Spaghetti with Garlic Sauce, minus clams and tomatoes.

A New Way to Cook Arborio Rice

Standing at the stove and stirring Arborio rice while everyone else is chatting is one reason a lot of people avoid making Risotto.  Most types of rice can cook by themselves, but I’ve always been told that because Arborio rice has so much starch in it, you’ve got to keep stirring until it has finished cooking.

I’m happy to report

The Rolling Pin: a Kitchen Accessory Useful for Making Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan

I take my rolling pin for granted.  It used to belong to my grandmother, and I have carried it with me to New York, London and now Los Angeles.  I use it for making pie crusts on occasion, but there’s nothing more satisfying than using it to bash chicken breasts. 

Several of my recipes require flattened boneless chicken breasts.  You can’t buy them flattened, so you have to flatten them yourself.  Although I’m not a baseball player, I’ve noticed that the bat striking the ball sounds rather like the rolling pin striking the chicken.

Something Easy Everyone Likes

My most stressful times in the kitchen are when I’m trying to make a dinner that everyone at the table will eat.  Toasted bagels might make them all happy, but they're more brunch-y to me.

Pasta is the closest I’ve come to pleasing everybody, although I often need to provide several sauce choices.  I’m perfectly happy with Pesto Sauce, Garlic Sauce or Marinara Sauce.  I’m not too crazy about Alfredo Sauce—too rich for my taste.  But basically I’ll eat anything else.

How Much Meat Is Too Much?

Eating meat can be a sensitive conversation topic.  Here in California many people pride themselves on following special diets.  If you’re having a dinner party, it’s important to survey everyone to find out what they can/can’t eat.  Often they say they don’t eat meat. This may be one reason so few people I know actually cook.

I persist in inviting people over because I like cooking, but

Blender Lentil Soup

I first discovered lentils years ago when I bought a can of Progresso Lentil Soup, probably by mistake. This was back in my ignorant days, before I was a real cook.  I liked the soup and continued to buy it until I moved to London, where it was not sold.   

That’s when it occurred to me that maybe I could make it myself.  After all, I just needed dry lentils, onions, tomatoes, carrots, some spices and broth.  Eventually I came up with a concoction Bart and I liked.

Question for Mom

How many people will a 1-pound (16 oz.) package of spaghetti noodles feed?  -- Brad B.

The package says 8, but that is unrealistic if you’re making spaghetti as a main dish.  I would say 5-6 at the most, unless you’re feeding young children.   Cooked spaghetti keeps for a few days, so I’d rather have too many noodles than too few, especially because I like spaghetti leftovers. 

                                                  See all Questions for Mom

Spaghetti Lefterini—My New Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

You probably make your own version of this pasta dish, which is not so subtly named after its main ingredient: leftovers.  My husband came up with ‘Lefterini’ after I told him I was thinking of combining some leftover Spaghetti and Clam Sauce with slices of a spicy chicken sausage I had in the freezer.

Why not?  The Spanish rice dish Paella combines clams, mussels and shrimp with sausages and chicken.

Leftover Lamb

I came to roasting a leg of lamb quite late in my cooking life.  Mainly I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to carve it properly. Unlike a prime rib of beef, which has one big bone, a leg of lamb has 2 major bones that present themselves at odd angles.  Most recipes make a big deal out of how to carve this cut without making a fool of yourself.

Since a leg of lamb is expensive, it was highly unlikely that I would ever buy one just for Bart and me.  There would be way too much meat for the two of us.  What would I do with the leftovers?

When I Learned to Love Spaghetti and Meatballs

Growing up in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania meant different foods served at dinner, depending on where your parents came from.  My little town, about 15 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh, included many nationalities, drawn to the coal mining and steel working opportunities.

Thus was I introduced to Syrian sandwiches, made on bread much thicker and fresher than today’s packaged and often tasteless pita bread.  Or I might have been served that Polish classic, sauerkraut and kielbasa (sausage), or sticks of Greek souvlakia (aka shish kebab).  Or if I were eating at my grandmother’s house, I could count on boiled chicken.

I loved them all, but my favorite food from that time was Spaghetti and Meatballs.

No More Turkey, Please!

Ahi Tuna Slices

Thanksgiving is in my rear-view mirror, but leftover turkey lingers.  I didn’t mind it for lunch the day after Thanksgiving, and I was equally happy to eat more leftovers on Saturday night. 

That was then.  This morning I woke up and checked out space in my freezer.  Yup!  Just enough room for those lonely turkey legs that no one wanted to eat.  In a few weeks they will look a lot more delicious.

Now what?