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Penne a la Vodka
photo by Jessica Leibowitz Penne à la Vodka, Classic and Lite My daughter Ruthie is a big fan of penne á la vodka. I love it, too, but I wanted to figure out a way to make it less fattening than usual. That’s why there are two versions of penne…
Deep Hot Chocolate
The most extraordinarily delicious hot chocolate I have ever consumed was served at a teahouse called Angelina’s near the Louvre in Paris. Dubbed chocolat africain, it was so rich you could nearly stand a spoon in it. I am not quite sure how they make it, but I suspect from…
Seared Beef in Autumn Broth with Wasabi Cream
Makes 4 Servings Hands-on time: 15 minutes Total preparation time: 33 minutes This dish began as a variation on a French recipe called boeuf a la ficelle (literally “beef on a string), which requires the cook to tie a string around some filet mignon and lower it into a pot…
Dinner with the President
On March 24 I’ll be interviewing Alex Prud’homme, nephew of Julia Child, at the National Arts Club here in NY City about his new book. It is a riveting read, covering the dining habits of 26 presidents, and a deep dive into American history from a different perspective, starting with…
Pumpkin Flan with Ginger Whipped Cream
One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants was La Taza de Oro, a great little Puerto Rican spot on Eighth Avenue in Chelsea. The menu always featured five or six entrees, accompanied by your choice of yellow or white rice and several different kinds of beans. (When Ruthie was three and…
Green Chicken Posole
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz Makes 4 to 6 servings Hands-on time: 25 minutes Total preparation time: 30 minutes Posole is a hearty soup from the Jalisco region of Mexico that is traditionally made with pork and hominy. Hominy is dried corn kernels from which the hulls and germs have been…
Quick Sautéed Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Balsamic Vinegar
Photo by Jessica Leibowitz When I first started doing “Cooking Live” in 1996, Sue Fenniger and Mary Sue Milliken were co-hosting the Food Network’s “Two Hot Tamales.” I had been a fan of these talented chefs ever since I ate at one of their restaurants in the late eighties,…
Sautéed Duck Breasts with Apricot Szechuan Peppercorn Sauce
photo by Jessica Liebowitz It’s much quicker to sauté duck breasts than to roast a whole duck, which is how you can manage to have duck for dinner on a weeknight. Whether or not you eat the skin, be sure to cook the breasts with the skin on. They’ll turn…
Beer Steamed Cheeseburgers
Det Burgers My first official cooking job was in the mid 70’s at a bar in Ann Arbor Michigan (where I went to college) called the Del Rio. The most famous item on the menu, invented by a bored cook one slow day, was a burger called the “Det Burger,”…
Rice Puppies
Rice Puppies 1 cup long grain white rice 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper 1 can (10.5 ounce) French onion soup 1 tablespoon butter 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup dry bread crumbs oil for frying, preferably rice bran oil…