Remember when the world shut down and we spent our days wandering around in a daze, worrying, staring at screens, growing unkempt, cooking all the things, and gaining about 50 pounds? No? Just me? As I look back now, I realize that most of that time actually produces positive memories for me. The pandemic was…
Category: Chef Ben Cooks!
Cooking in the Dark
One time about 20 years ago, Phil came home from dinner at Francos raving about a special, the “Island Bean Soup.” He went on and on with a very detailed description of what he thought was in it. For days, he raved about this magical soup. Finally, I knew I had no option but to…
Breakfast Roulette
You know all about our “special breakfast” on Saturday mornings, right? Ben and I rise before dawn to plan the week’s menu, then wait patiently for Phil to wake up and delight us with some culinary feat. OK, cards on the table, we are rarely patient, and it’s almost always pancakes with bacon. The fire…
Like a Blanket
Ben and I start our Saturday mornings planning what to cook for the week while watching some cooking shows for inspiration. Last Saturday, my desire for a slow-cooked pork shoulder was a pre-existing condition, so when we saw someone making carnitas with homemade tortillas, we knew it was meant to be. Ben was totally on…
Ben’s Big Batch Breakfast – Yabba Dabba Doo!
As Ben’s mom, my day is starkly divided between modern pursuits and cave(wo)man ambitions. I get up early and walk on the treadmill. I eat breakfast and pack my lunch, parsing out sad little portions of protein and vegetable matter to consume throughout the day. I make coffee (yes, Millennials, you too could retire one…
Chicken Kyiv
This week, Ben and I made Christopher Kimball’s Chicken Kyiv, featured in the September – October 2023 issue of his magazine, Milk Street. I was fascinated to learn that this Ukrainian dish (known by different names) actually dates back to the 1800s. When the Soviet Union took over in 1922, some Ukrainian cuisine lost its…
Skipper
Ben has certain expectations when it comes to meals. He must be a part of the week’s menu creation and execution. Dinner must include meat. A weekend must include “special breakfast.” Typically, Ben does not question my culinary leadership, opting not to bite the hand that feeds him, but when Phil skips “special breakfast,” Ben…
Like a Horse and Carriage
Last weekend, we had the honor of attending Alyssa and Kyle’s wedding. Alyssa took care of Ben after school when she was in college and she now teaches in Philadelphia. What a great celebration of some wonderful people! (My photography skill was the only thing lacking, but it was a beautiful wedding!) For the nuptials,…
To Kielbasa Infinity (and beyond!)
This week, we looked to an old summer standby meal: Kielbasa Ciabatta Sandwiches and Chilled Cucumber Avocado Soup. There’s nothing fancy or complicated about the meal, but it can come together in just a few minutes, and it is probably exactly what you need during summer’s last gasp. Double up on the kielbasa, like we…
Teach Your Children
When the pandemic started, we had Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young’s So Far in the Triumph’s CD player. A couple times in the last 3 years, we tried listening to something else, but it never took. While it is true that I listened to it a lot in college, this isn’t that. I don’t know…