Modern Comfort Food —

Cajun-Style Shrimp

Think Louisiana cuisine and what terms immediately come to mind? Cajun. Creole. Jambalaya. Gumbo. Etouffee. Shrimp remoulade. Chicory coffee. Oyster po’ boys. Andouille sausage. Barbeque shrimp. If you say “say what?” to that last item you’re not alone. Although I’ve eaten New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp many times over the years, [...]

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Top Ten Recipes of 2010

I started this food blog a bit over a year ago with the notion of challenging myself to a new activity quite different from my 30-year career as a consultant to urban poverty alleviation programs in the developing world. Cooking and the creativity associated with recipe development have always been [...]

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Key Lime Pie Magic Cookie Bars

OK, there are two unusual things about this post. First, this is a recipe for Christmas cookies, which I’ve only baked once in the past 20 years. Don’t get me wrong. I love the holiday season and am fully engaged when it comes to making Christmas dinner, decorating the tree, [...]

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Pear, Blue Cheese, Walnut and Bacon Salad

Fall and winter always seem to bring on a craving for slow cooked comfort foods, including soups, stews, casseroles, and other similar hearty fare. But even in the chilly months, the fresh taste and crunch of a simple, seasonal salad is a welcome change of pace. This recipe, which provides [...]

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Chicken Parmesan Pot Pie with Mushrooms

I recently read an article that identified the top comfort foods in America based on the results of a poll. A few of the dishes that made the grade startled me. Gelatin? Tuna casserole? But it didn’t surprise me in the least that chicken pot pie was ranked well up [...]

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Broccoli with Shiitake Mushrooms and Shallots

My decision about which green vegetables to serve with holiday dinners revolves around what, if anything, is ready for harvest in my home garden. Normally, my fall garden is not quite up to full speed by Thanksgiving day, so I serve my own lightened up, from-scratch version of traditional green [...]

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Shrimp Pasta with Creamy Chipotle Sauce

On a busy evening when dinner in a hurry is needed, very few dishes fit the bill as well as pasta. It cooks up in a flash, is both satisfying and child-friendly, and is an excellent way to stretch ingredients already at hand in the fridge, freezer, or garden. And [...]

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Cranberry Apple Chutney

The arrival of fresh cranberries at my local market always puts me in a festive mood and signals that the holiday season is just around the corner. Every year I begin stalking these deliciously tart berries in mid-October and have even been known to make unnecessary trips to the market [...]

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White Bean Soup with Collards and Chorizo

Fall, my favorite time of year, has finally arrived at my mid-Florida home. Here the season involves none of the drama of more northern climes — leaves turning to brilliant red and gold, the arrival of freezing weather, and mountains of leaves to rake. Instead, our fall is a more [...]

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Parmesan Cheese Straws with Rosemary

For a native of the American South, I discovered cheese straws remarkably late in life. I was all of 18 years old when they were introduced to me, and it was love at first bite. In the decades since then, the many wonderful attributes of cheese straws have made them [...]

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