Ward Street Bistro

Quick and easy berry fruit crisp

Today, I'm doing a turn as a guest blogger at one of my favorite cooking sites: Kathy Maister's startcooking.com. For my guest post, I pulled out one of my all-time favorite recipes: this quick and easy berry fruit crisp.

Kathy has so many wonderful resources on her site for cooks. The step-by-step videos are amazing! They include basic techniques such as how to prepare garlic and onions, as well as recipes such as stuffed mushrooms. I love that she has put together a site just for "busy people who never got around to learning the basics of cooking."

Grilled Mustard-Rosemary Chicken

In Seattle, the weather is mild enough to grill year-round (and we do), but when spring approaches we are even more inspired to take our cooking outdoors. This grilled mustard-rosemary chicken has been a staple for us for oh-so-many years. It goes seemingly with every side dish imaginable and is especially wonderful with a bread salad. And if you don't have a grill--no worries--I've also included instructions for broiling the chicken, which we do on occasion as well.

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf) or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...

Lemon-Pepper Potato Salad

Grilling season is upon us in the Pacific Northwest--so it's time to dust off the potato salad recipes! I have a number of favorite potato salads, including this simple, brightly-flavored version. As its title indicates, it features lemon (finely grated zest) and pepper (in the form of pepper-crusted bacon).  Fantastic with grilled beef, lamb, pork, or chicken.

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf) or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...

Pasta with Cauliflower

This is a favorite, comforting pasta dish--every bite of it takes me back to Italy. And though I'm hesitant to emphasize this, it's quite healthy, too. The secret is in finely chopped cauliflower, tomato, and a touch of saffron. Top it all with homemade toasted breadcrumbs for the completely authentic experience.

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf), or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...

Pasta 101

Why talk about how to cook pasta? Well, I think the art of cooking pasta is somewhat overlooked. Much effort goes into the sauce; maybe not so much on the foundation of the dish--the pasta itself. Not that a  whole lot of effort is required: just the right technique.

So I think it's worth spending a few moments to consider the elements of successful pasta-cooking:  water, heat, salt, motion, and time (among a few other things)...

"Foolproof" pie crust roundup

Soon the Pacific Northwest will be resplendent with beautiful local fruits and berries. For me, this means pie-making season. But before that all begins, I wanted to review some "foolpoof" pie crust recipes and demonstrate one of them (an all-butter crust).

All these recipes aim to achieve what can be a tricky proposition: a dough that's easy to handle and that consistently produces a tender, flaky crust. To accomplish this, most rely on an ingredient that inhibits gluten development (which can make a crust tough): vinegar, yogurt or sour cream, alcohol, or cake flour...

Rhubarb fool

In honor of April Fool's Day (and with rhubarb season around the corner) I'm offering up this rhubarb fool. The recipe, adapted from Cook's Illustrated, could hardly be simpler, yet served in some pretty glassware it makes an elegant finale to a meal. 

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf) or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...

Chicken tajine

Olives, lemons, raisins, spices--this chicken tajine is a favorite of ours for Sunday dinners. It's a dish whose flavors improve over a couple of days. The leftovers from Sunday take us into the start of the week with a couple of additional tasty meals.

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf) or I'll show you how to make it step-by-step...

Savory cheese and sesame pastries

Are you thinking about setting out a little appetizer for Easter (or other special) dinner? Consider these savory cheese pastries. The recipe is from my dear Aunt Amy, who was an elegant, gracious lady and a fabulous cook. What's nice is that they provide just a small bite of something--not too much--before a grand meal. And though I'm showing these as an appetizer, they also make a festive garnish for a entree or starter salad.

You can go directly to the printable recipe (pdf) --or, I'll show you how to make these, step-by-step...

Dive into... red pepper-hazelnut dip

This red pepper-hazelnut dip meets all my requirements for the perfect appetizer: quick, easy, delicious. And, by the way, it pairs very nicely with the artichoke and mushroom lasagna. The dip requires only a few simple ingredients and a food processor.

I'll take you through making this recipe, step-by-step...