Cuisine Eric

We came home recently from a wedding down south, inspired by the food we ate. At home, the fridge was basically empty, but the freezer and pantry were not! And we came home to a bumper crop of cherry tomatoes waiting for us on the vine. I whipped up this classic southern dish with what was on hand, and oh boy - was it ever good. 1/2 red onion, diced 1 carrot, peeled and diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 link Andouille sausage (1/4 lb), diced 1-1/4 cup long grain rice (I used Jasmine) 2 cups chicken broth 1 tsp favorite Cajun seasoning mix 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup frozen petite peas, defrosted 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut in half at the waist 2 Tbsp butter plus 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped 1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a dash of olive oil in a wide, shallow skillet (use one that has a tight fitting lid). ...

I make homemade bone broth regularly from bones of whole chickens I roast, stored in the freezer until soup day - about four chickens. But even store-bought broth will produce a fine result with all the other love and fresh ingredients you put into this soup! It's the perfect homeopathic relief from the sniffles. 2 carrots, peeled and diced 4 stalks celery, diced 1 large onion, peeled and diced 1 shallot, peeled and diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, pulled 1/2 lb kielbasa, diced 4 cooked boneless chicken thighs (I used leftovers from yesterday’s grilling), cubed 1 cup cooked ham, cubed 2 quarts chicken bone broth (ideally homemade) 2 cups fresh kale leaves, diced 1/4 cup pearled barley 2 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced (I leave skins on) 1 cup frozen petite peas Sauté the carrots, celery, onion, shallots and kielbasa in a few tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot. Add a dash of salt (about 1/2 tsp) and coo...

When recently visiting our brother and sister in law's our brother in law asked if I'd be willing to attempt recreating his grandmother's beloved Polish Prune Bread recipe, of which he had a photo in her own handwriting. I was a bit concerned about doing justice to such a family treasure. But I gave it a go. We went to the local market, got all the ingredients and we had a great time.  It was delicious. I know it turned out wonderfully when his sister came over and raved that it was just like Granny made! I just didn't like associating dear Granny with an old prune, so I called it sun-dried plum bread instead! 1-1/2 cup milk 1 cup sugar   Zest of 1 lemon 1/2 cups butter, melted 1-1/2 tsp salt 1 pkg (2-1/4 tsp) active dry yeast   1 Tbsp sugar 1/4 cups flour 1/4 cup water 100-110F 2 eggs 1 egg yoke, white reserved 6-7 cups all purpose flour 1 lb pitted prunes 3 Tbsp sugar 1 lemon (that was used for zest) sliced and pitted Reserved egg white plus 1 Tbsp milk for egg wash I...

If you grow your own basil as I do, you know you need to regularly trim the plant to keep it bushy and  vibrant. That means you need to cook with basil a lot - too bad! Here's a great way to dispatch some of that fragrant basil. 4 bone-in chicken thighs 2 bone-in chicken breasts 1 pint hot and sweet pickled red cherry peppers, halved Pistachio Pesto 1/3 cup shelled, roasted pistachios 3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved 1 cup, packed, fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/2 tsp Kosher salt Pat chicken pieces dry on their skin side. Salt generously. Preheat oven to 375F. In a small food processor, prepare the pistachio pesto.   Pulse together the pistachios and the garlic until you have a coarse meal. Add the basil and pulse until the basil is incorporated. Add the oil, red pepper flakes and the salt and blend until well mixed. Heat a cast iron or other oven-going skillet. Add a good dash of olive oil and heat just until smoking. ...

I love cooking for our soul mate Nancy, who enjoys being cooked for! She raved when she and my brother came over for a summer BBQ recently and said about this recipe "This is a keeper!". So I'm keeping it; right here. 3 chicken breasts, pounded to about 1/2-inch thickness Marinade 1/4 cup olive oil Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced 3 cloves garlic, finely minced 12 fresh basil leaves, julienned 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar 1 tsp kosher salt Freshly ground back pepper, to taste Fresh basil leaves to garnish Whisk together the marinade ingredients and submerge the chicken in it. Allow to marinate a good hour in the refrigerator, turning often. Heat grill to high. Grill breasts on high turning every 2-3 minutes. About halfway into cooking, I pour on the remaining marinade - this assures it gets cooked through, and generates a good bit of flame-up to brown the edges of the chicken nicely - so use caution with the flames! Cook only until t...