Food | Gourmandistan

One-pot chicken and rice (which rhymes with “ice”)

January 30, 2014 by Steve

We have mentioned our distaste for winter before, but this winter is something special—and alas, we haven’t quite reached February. Cold, snow and ice have us searching for comfort food, and this Patricia Yeo recipe helps take the chill away. We’ve made this dish for years, in the oven and in our rice cooker, using chicken, Chinese sausage and (depending on how slim our supplies may be) various other ingredients. We’ve substituted onion for shallot, left out mushrooms, added garlic […]

Categories: Chicken, China, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Rice

Cold weather can’t stop Salty Caramel Ice Cream with Roasted Pears.

January 25, 2014 by Steve

Perhaps Michelle began thinking of ice cream because Gourmandistan is currently locked in a frozen wasteland, our only connection to the outside world being our rattling, rusty 20-year-old SUV. (And after our last round of snow and sub-freezing temperatures, we may not even have that.) Also, Michelle is usually looking for something sweet. She was browsing through Madeleine Kamman’s In Madeleine’s Kitchen and saw a recipe for “Crème Glacée à la Savoyarde {A Savoie-Inspired Caramel and Pear Ice Cream},” an […]

Categories: Cooking, Dairy, Food, France, Fruit Desserts, Ice cream, Old cookbooks, Pears, Recipes, Vegetarian

Oxtail Ragout with Olives (and additional cooking time)

January 17, 2014 by Michelle

Gourmandistan is a big supporter of grass-fed beef, so much we sometimes wave at the cows grazing the fields of nearby Foxhollow Farm, knowing we’ll likely see some of them on our dinner plates one day. All that ruminating and roaming keeps “our” cows in shape—something we’ve learned to adjust for in cooking dishes like this delicious Oxtail Ragout with Olives. We debone the tails before serving, as it both makes the dish easier to enjoy and spares Michelle the […]

Categories: Beef, Cooking, Food, Meats, Old cookbooks, Recipes, Restaurants, Soups & Stews

Bourbon Praline Pound Cake does good with good gifts.

January 6, 2014 by Steve

Home-grown heirloom pecans and good bourbon whiskey are not things to be wasted. We thought this rich-but-light, bourbony-but-not-overly-so pound cake was an excellent way to use both. Every year we receive a bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon from our neighbor, a sign of appreciation for allowing him, his horse and his fox hunting friends free access through our land. Because Steve enjoys bourbon whiskey but is not much of a drinker, and Michelle despises the stuff, the bottles tend to […]

Categories: Cake, Cooking, Desserts & Sweets, Food, Nuts, Old cookbooks, Recipes, Vegetarian

Braise Boulud for pot roast with watermelon radish and miso.

December 30, 2013 by Steve

We have a refrigerator full of root vegetables from our farmer friend, Pavel. Since we vaguely recall agreeing to continue our farm share through the winter, we’ll most likely have even more daikon, black and/or watermelon radishes. With a pot roast recipe like this, we’re actually happy about it. We’ve detailed several times our sometimes desperate search to whittle down our winter veg. Nonetheless, we’re still looking for new ways to do it—especially for watermelon radishes. Like our beloved Hakurei turnips, these […]

Categories: Beef, Cooking, Food, Meats, Radishes, Recipes

Do Santa right with Dried Cherry Oatmeal Cookies.

December 21, 2013 by Steve

Spoiler alert: Gourmandistan doesn’t actually believe Santa exists. This year, we’ve not even pretended to be into Christmas. There’s not a single holiday decoration out in our house. And, there has been very, very little holiday baking. But if the jolly old elf with his judgmental list was real, this oatmeal cookie would guarantee some extra presents. Based on a 1980s Lee Bailey recipe, these cookies delightfully straddle the line between chewy and crispy, and come out of the oven […]

Categories: Cherries, Christmas, Cookies, Cooking, Food, Old cookbooks, Recipes, Vegetarian

Lamb pilaf parlays leftovers into more leftovers.

December 13, 2013 by Michelle

We knew our final leg of local lamb was going to be like the rest of the animal—stringy and lean. We ended up liking it better as leftovers, then even more leftovers. For the first round we cooked it slowly and wine-fully, following a traditional French braising method. The resulting meat was pleasant-tasting and tender, but we couldn’t finish it. We discussed hashing the remainder, or perhaps making Scotch broth, but we felt the urge for something different. Perusing one […]

Categories: Cooking, Food, Grains, Lamb, Meats, Recipes, Rice

Antique Worcestershire sauce makes our current brisket favorite.

December 5, 2013 by Steve

We found a century plus-old recipe for Worcestershire sauce while we were in England that seemed surprisingly easy to make. So of course, once we returned home Steve had to make some. Like just about every other adequately-equipped American cooking household, we have a bottle of Lea & Perrins located in our cupboard, ready to be added to soups, sprinkled on steaks or, in a Turner family tradition, dropped onto baked potato skins. (It’s delicious.) The Worcestershire sauce recipe, copied […]

Categories: Beef, Cooking, Cucumber, England, Food, Old cookbooks, Pickles, Recipes, Sandwiches

Duck fat fried eggs: clean fridge, clean plate

November 24, 2013 by Steve

A bit of duck fat, shallots, bread and some eggs don’t take up much space, but they are a delicious way to clean. With Thanksgiving and the onslaught of holiday cooking coming up, Michelle has been scouring our fridge and freezers, looking for the stuff Steve squirrels away in the back, as well as the leftovers he refuses to give up on. (Steve will someday find a use for those pork necks, he swears.) While searching for Thanksgiving and “Black […]

Categories: Breakfast, Cooking, Eggs, Food, Recipes