By Cusine

White Bean Chicken Chili with Kale

March 11, 2013
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I’ll admit, I’m envious of those of you in warmer climates!  Here in Quebec, it’s still a winter wonderland.  I find that this cold weather just begs for hearty, warming meals; the perfect distraction until winter finally acquiesces to springtime’s welcome thaw! Not only is this a healthier chili than those beefy varieties, but it’s also a […]

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Black Garlic Sauce with Spicy Beef and Tofu Stir-Fry

March 7, 2013
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Recently, I got my hands on some black garlic.  Isn’t it beautiful? I’d seen it listed in Asian recipes before, but never had the pleasure of meeting it face to…er…bulb.  When I first picked it up, I thought something was wrong.  Have you ever had garlic that’s gone bad, and it’s all soft and mushy?  […]

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Pasta Puttanesca and The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook

October 15, 2012

When I recently saw The Dean and DeLuca Cookbook in the window of a local used bookstore, I just had to have it. You see, it’s one of those cookbooks I’ve always loved but never actually owned. Jesse was kind enough to donate some store credit to the cause, and within minutes I finally owned […]

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iNG Restaurant: The Best F-iNG Meal of My Life

March 16, 2012

I’ve always managed to miss Chicago’s Restaurant Week. Somehow I’d never remember it until it was already occurring, and there’d be no reservations left at any of the places I wanted to go to.  I’d recover by making sure to get Chef Week reservations a few weeks later, but still felt I was missing out […]

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Balsamic Pork Chops with Cherry Sherry Sauce

January 31, 2012
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Some people get very excited about all things pork.  I’m not one of them.  Give me a juicy, tender pork chop, though, and I’m one happy girl! I love to marinate them in balsamic vinegar, as the sweet, rich flavor really enhances the meat, but sometimes I like the up the decadence factor another notch.  […]

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Italian Polenta with Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms & Kale

January 16, 2012
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The best way to plan for Chicago weather is to plan for just about anything.  Last week it was 45ºF, which is incredible for this time of year.  On Thursday, the first real snowfall of the season came along, and now, well, it’s just freezing.  I hope to be on another continent by this time […]

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Greek Green Bean Salad (and my Grand Return!)

October 24, 2011
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I’m baaack!  Sorry for the long blogging hiatus; I’ve missed you all so much!  It’s been a rough couple of months: a tough breakup, a long search for a new place to live, moving, problems with the electricity at the new place… well, let’s hope things go smoother from now on!  I have managed to […]

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Ginger-Mirin Shrimp

August 8, 2011
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Here’s another recipe I came up with for my opera-themed party for my sister.  I made these delicious shrimp for the “Madame Butterfly” dish.  Although I butterfly-cut the shrimp, they did not flatten as I expected them too (I’ve read since that sometimes you need to pound them a bit to keep them from curling). […]

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Cherry-Chipotle Beef Ribs

July 17, 2011
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When I came across this gem by Steven Raichlen of Barbeque U fame, I couldn’t get it off my mind.  Cherry + chipotle + beef?  Hell yes! It starts with a intoxicating spice rub, and finishes with a smoky-sweet bbq sauce unlike any other.  The ribs are slow-cooked on the grill, and the tender, über-flavorful meat […]

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Kumquat-Lemongrass Chicken

June 19, 2011
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For the longest time, kumquats were nothing to me but a funny word. Turns out, they’re about as bonkers as their name! Kumquats are a citrus fruit, but they’re itty bitty, bite-sized things.   And unlike most citrus fruit, the peel is sweet and the flesh is tart. You eat them unpeeled, rind and all, […]

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