New recipe, March 22, 2026

Chicken Schnitzel with Cucumber Salad from NYT Cooking. This is a nice springy dish that doesn't include asparagus. There is something comforting about a crispy schnitzel! We give this a 4.

New recipe, March 21, 2026

Pork Asparagus and Snap Pea Stir Fry from NYT Cooking. This is a nice Chinese style dish—it has a little chili garlic sauce but is not hot. We enjoyed it, and give it a 3.

New recipe, March 20, 2026

Papadzules (Eggs and Asparagus in Tortillas with Pepita Sauce) from NYT Cooking. This is essentially, an enchilada, enrobed in a sauce made with raw pumpkin seeds, cilantro and jalapeños, filled with jammy eggs and asparagus. It is very pleasant and not something you encounter every day. We give it a 4.

New recipe, March 19, 2026

White Bean Caprese Salad from NYT Cooking. A nice variation on the classic, which is a classic for a reason. We give this a 4.

New recipe, March 18, 2026

The Prince of Wales from Food and Wine. This drink is a pleasant surprise.Rye, maraschino liqueur, sparkling wine, a (modest) cube of pineapple. It is subtle, with layers of flavor and is really quite nice and kind of unexpected. We give this a 4.

New recipes, March 17 (St Patrick’s Day!) 2026

Traditional Irish Soda Bread from NYT Cooking, and Guinness Irish Meatball Stew from Food and Wine. The bread is very simple--flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk—and is delicious as they suggested, slathered in salted butter. The stew has rich flavors from the vegetables, Guinness, Worcestershire sauce and a roux, as well as lamb meatballs. We liked them both and they both get a 4.

New recipe, March 16, 2026

Vegetable Tofu Curry from NYT Cooking. This is a pleasant dish, but it is rather simple and would have benefitted from more curry and more allium. It gets a 3.

New recipe, March 15, 2026

Shrimp and Avocado Salad with Peanut Dressing from NYT Cooking. The avocado gives a lovely creaminess to the salad. The dressing is fantastic and makes this salad a 5!

New recipes, March 14, 2026

We hosted friends for dinner, and I neglected to free many photos. Ah well. We started with a non-alcholic cocktail from Zero, a book from Alinea Group dedicated to non-alcoholic drinks. Our beverage, which gets a total, is on the cover of the book—the Celery Serrano. The Serrano ice cube slowly melts and spices up the drink. This gets a 5!

The food is all Ottolenghi. We started with Hummus no Way of Southern France (Chickpea and Fennel Purée) from Comfort, then moved on to Curried Lentil Tomato and Coconut Soup from Bon Appetít. Our main course was Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Fig and Pistachio Salsa (pictured) from Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Extra Good Things. The dessert was a repeat, Bitter Frozen Berries with White Chocolate Cream from
Plenty More. The food is all extraordinary, and every recipe gets a 5!

New recipe, March 13, 2026

We attended the Wonderball to celebrate the extraordinary Denver dance company Wonderbound, so the new recipe is The Bicycle Thief from Food and Wine. This drink has a bright brightness from the grapefruit juice, lemon juice and Campari. We give it a 4.

New recipe, March 12, 2026

Slow Cooked Fish with Citrus and Herbs from NYT Cooking. Leeks, saffron, garlic, citrus and dill on halibut. Yum!! This gets a 4.

New recipe, March 11, 2026

Citrus Beet and Avocado Salad from NYT Cooking. Exactly what it says, plus lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. And it is fabulous! We give this a 5.

New recipe, March 10, 2026

Sheet Pan Charred Meat Pitas from NYT Cooking. Turns out pitas with a central pocket are harder to find that they should be, so we could not put the meat on top of a half pita. The meat is nicely spiced, and it is the toppings that really make this shine. We enjoyed these and give them a 4.

New recipe, March 9, 2026

Roasted Cabbage Salad with Spicy Lime Dressing from NYT Cooking. The title makes this sound simpler than it is. Cabbage, scallions, serranos, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, carrots, tempeh, peanuts, and herbs. This is a great combination of flavors. We give it a 5.

New recipe, March 8, 2026

Coconut Kitchri with Jammy Eggs from NYT Cooking. This is a fabulous stew made with coconut nut milk, lentils and rice, and stunning Indian flavors. Worth repeating over and vote! This gets a 5.

New recipe, March 7, 2026

The Little Italy from Food and Wine. A Manhattan variant, with rye, sweet vermouth and Cynar. We like this a lot, it gets a 4.

New recipe, March 6, 2026

The Marny, from Food and Wine. If you, like us, like Grand Marnier and find it quite sweet, this is your cocktail. 2 parts gin, one part Grand Marnier, a perfect balance. We give this a 5.

New recipe, March 5, 2026

Fin Gin Mule from Food and Wine. Dry Gin, lime juice and Ginger beer, with mint sprigs. A fun variation on the Moscow Mule. We loose this a lot, and give it a 4.

New recipe, March 4, 2026

Bourbon Renewal from Food and Wine. Bitumen, crème de cassis, lemon juice and simple syrup. A variation on a bourbon sour, and pleasant. We give this a 3.

New recipe, March 3, 2026

Arsenic and Old Lace from Food and Wine. Gin, dry vermouth, crème de violette and absinthe. This is a fun drink, and one where the dry vermouth works well. We give this a 4.

New recipe, March 2, 2026

The Bensonhurst from Food and Wine. A variation on the Manhattan, but suing dry vermouth, and a combination of Cynar and Maraschino liqueur. We prefer sweet vermouth in this type of drink, the dry leaves it feeling a little out of balance for us. We give this a 3.

New recipe, March 1, 2026

The Trinidad Sour from Food and Wine. This has Rye, lemon juice, Orgeat, and an outrageous amount of Angostura Bitters. It is interesting, but we found the Angostura to be a bit overwhelming. We give this a 3.

New recipe, February 28, 2026

As we are spending a week skiing in Telluride (and sampling local restaurants for dinner), our new recipes are going to be cocktails. This is test French Blonde from Food and Wine. A nice combination of gin, Lillet Blanc, St Germain and grapefruit juice. This is a pleasant and slightly unexpected combination fo flavors. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 27, 2026

Today's new recipe is a breakfast dish, Strawberry Lassi from NYT Cooking. The cardamom in here is subtle. It is a very strawberry and pleasant drink. We give this a 3.

New recipe, February 26, 2026

Sautéed Baby Bok Choy from NYT Cooking. This is a very simple recipe, but it packs a lot of flavor. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 25, 2026

Ground Beef Bulgogi Sloppy Joes from Food and Wine. We love the flavors of Korean food, and this is a fun adaptation. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 24, 2026

One Pot White Wine Pasta from NYT Cooking. This is an interesting recipe. You melt some butter and anchovies, then add a bottle of white wine and 2 cups of water with a pinch of salt. Add 12 ounces of pasta, and cook until the liquid is absorbed into the pasta (with a little sauciness). We haven't cooked pasta this way before but it is very flavorful with brightness and lots of umami. It was very enjoyable (and Kiva, our pasta loving cockatoo, devoured it). We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 23, 2026

Roasted Tomato and Onion Frittata from NYT Cooking. The flavors are really enjoyable, as the roasting the vegetables increases their sweetness and umami. I think I didn't roast them long enough, as the texture of the frittata was a bit mushy. That said, the flavors are very nice, and it still gets a 4.

New recipe, February 22, 2026

Yogurty Butter Beans with Pistachio Dukkah from NYT Cooking. This is an enthusiastic 5! Not a surprise for a recipe by Ottolenghi. It is a delicious mix with layers of complementary flavors and contrasting textures. Just delicious!

New recipe, February 21, 2026

Fall Salad with Apples Cheddar and Crispy Sage From NYT Cooking. This is a really delicious salad—the oil in the dressing was infused with the sage, and the lemon juice defired the shallots. The cheddar and the apples played well with everything, and we loved this. It gets a 5.

New recipe, February 20, 2026

Fiery Vindaloo Chili from NYT Cooking. This is a hybrid between the complex spiciness of an Indian vindaloo and a Beef chili and wow! Stunning dish. We give it a 5!

New recipe, February 19, 2026

Herby Sweet Potato Soup with Peanuts from NYT Cooking. This is an Ottolenghi recipe, and has a fabulous date of flavors that come together to make a spectacular whole. We give this a 5!

New recipes, February 18, 2026

Pressure Cooker Curry Chicken from NYT Cooking, and Jeera Rice from Urban Farmer. Served with Maggie Jaffrey's Cucumber Raita (not in the picture) from Master Class. This was an excellent combination. They really all fit together, and get a 4 as a whole

New recipe, February 17, 2026

Cottage Cheese Egg Bites from NYT Cooking. These can be made ahead, and provided a nice eggy breakfast bite. We really enjoyed these and give them a 5.

New recipe, February 16, 2026

Everything Bagel Cottage Cheese Dip from NYT Cooking. We had this for breakfast on toast, which was delightful. Everything Bagel seasoning seems like it can dress anything up, and the arugula, capers and scallions added a nice touch. This gets a 4.

New recipe, February 15, 2026

Poulet Au Vinaigre (Chicken in Vinegar Sauce) from Food and Wine. The recipe is from Paul Bocuse. It is very simple, with a space of white vinegar, fresh tomatoes, parsley and butter, but that does not keep it from being elegant and delicious. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 14, 2026

We celebrated Valentines Day after a dinner out with this Penny's Chocolate Mousse from NYT Cooking. The mousse is smooth, creamy and rich and is just delicious. There is a toasted hazelnut brittle on top that honestly just didn't do it for us. We preferred this without it. The mousse gets a 5, though!

New recipe, February 13, 2026

Strawberry Basil Cottage Cheese Bowls from NYT Cooking. The vinegar and basil are a nice accent to the strawberries, and the cottage cheese provides a creamy background for the berries. Easy and a bit elegant. This gets a 4.

New recipe, February 12, 2026

Chocolate Chia Pudding from NYT Cooking. This is very simple to put together and makes a really enjoyable breakfast. It gets a 5.

New recipe, February 11, 2026

Stracciatella alla Romana (Roman Egg Drop Soup) from Food and Wine. The broth has nice flavors from the addition of garlic and parmesan rinds, but overall we found this a bit on the bland side. We give it a 3.

New recipe, February 10, 2026

Satan's Whiskers from Food and Wine. The combination of gin and vermouth with three different flavors of orange is very nice. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 9, 2026

Cucumber Mint Agua Fresca from Food and Wine. The mint simple syrup is quite good and combines well with the cucumber and lime. It is very refreshing and not too sweet. We give it a 4.

New recipe, February 8, 2026

Chickpea and Herb Fatteh from NYT Cooking. This dish has lots of components, so it has quite a few steps, so it takes a little time, but isn't difficult. The salad packs together chickpeas and tons of herbs. It is dressed with a tahini sauce and a chile oil, so each bite is different, and mixes all those flavors differently. A very pleasant dish—we give it a 4.

New recipe, February 7, 2026

Brothy Thai Curry with Silken Tofu and Herbs from NYT Cooking. This has wonderful Thai flavors, and gets a 5.

New recipe,. February 6, 2026

Slow Cooker Tajin Chicken and Peppers from NYT Cooking. I love the simplicity of a slow cooker dish. The combination of chiles, Tajin and bell pepper with a few spices really exceeded our expectations and we enjoyed this a great deal. We give it a 4.

New recipe, February 5, 2026

Creamy Miso Carbonara Beans from Food and Wine. This is exactly what it says, and is very tasty. The lemon is a key ingredient as it notes through the richness a bit. We give this a 4.

New recipe, February 4, 2026

Pomelo Salad from Ottolenghi's Plenty More. This guy is a genius with flavors, and this recipe ties a whole host of ingredients together around the pomelo, which is like a grapefruit but unique. We give this an enthusiastic 5?

New recipe, February 3, 2026

French Onion Mini Meatloaves from Food and Wine. This might sound a little gimmicky, but the caramelized onions and melted gruyere really take the humble meatloaf up a notch. We really looked forward to the leftovers. This gets a 5!