From the category archives:

Feed Your Family

Simple, Perfect Roast Chicken

by Laura 3 March 2012

Cheesemaker Jodi Ohlsen Reed asked me about myself when I first met her. I was nervous, writing about a local gem in Minnesota, my first such piece, and I didn’t expect to talk about myself. I think I said something about it all being a blur, which is not what I meant to say, or [...]

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Braised Lamb Shanks

by Laura 1 March 2012

My grandma was a letter writer. I have sheaves of her letters, all typed and on thin, pale green paper. They detail the buses she took, and in what weather, to the bank, to Mass, to help with the church rummage sale; the breakfasts and lunches and dinners she ate—toast with butter or peanut butter, [...]

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Quick Chicken Fricassee with Olives and Broken Cherry Tomatoes

by Laura 26 March 2011

This quick chicken fricassee is a perfect lazy night’s cook up. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are rich and ready quickly, and the sauce is three simple ingredients: white wine, briny olives, and the best cherry tomatoes you can find. By the time they simmer down to a pan sauce, the chicken thighs are fall-apart tender [...]

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Lamb Stew

by Laura 17 March 2011

The birds returned to Minnesota two weeks ago, on a day when the temperature was negative one. They are the first harbingers of spring for me, when the world still feels impossibly cold for birds, and it’s hard to imagine little green blades rising through the frozen earth. Now their twitter tweet-tweet-tweet is a morning [...]

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Spinach Lasagne with Wild Boar Sausage, Olivada, Fresh Ricotta & Mozzarella, and Simple Tomato Sauce

by Laura 7 March 2011

When my Dear Husband had surgery a few years ago, we saw a steady stream of homemade lasagne arrive, thoughtful visitor by thoughtful visitor, pan in outstretched arms. It was a very touching parade, and we slowly and happily made our way through every last one. What surprised me was the fact that so many [...]

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Confetti Chili

by Laura 15 February 2011

When I was in college, before college dining halls were paeans to choice, we waited in line to greet the food service ladies as they dished up whatever they had cooked that day. We had dishes like Side of Clyde, Ziti Bake, and Party Rice. Whenever that particular fare was served, my best friend would [...]

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Boneless Short Rib Ragu

by Laura 27 January 2011

This sauce is so simple and so delicious. It has all the unctuous richness of short ribs, but you don’t need to fuss with extracting them—dripping from the pan—to remove bones or shred them. It’s the kind of recipe that, after a little time devoted to browning, is quick to put together and perfumes the [...]

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Beef Brisket

by Laura 20 December 2010

Our Honey Girl is home from college! And since she is a consummate carnivore and lover of all things beef, I made a beef brisket for one of her first dinners home. When she and our Sweet Boy were little, they took a turn cooking with me one night a week and planned menus. After [...]

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Winter Supper: Beef Stew & Farmhouse Rolls

by Laura 12 December 2010

There are a couple of simple keys to making a great beef stew. Buy good beef, brown it really well on all sides, don’t crowd the pan during the process, and don’t move it while it’s browning. If you do that, and mingle it with other best-quality ingredients, you can’t go wrong. This is my [...]

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Fall Supper: Pork Tenderloin with Autumn Sauce, Butternut Squash & Buttercream Potato Gratin, and Dark Magic Gingerbread with Butterscotch Sauce

by Laura 3 November 2010

Thumbnail image for Fall Supper: Pork Tenderloin with Autumn Sauce, Butternut Squash & Buttercream Potato Gratin, and Dark Magic Gingerbread with Butterscotch Sauce

I remember the first day I joined my book group. They had been meeting without additions to the group for about a decade, so I was a bit puzzled about why I had the good luck to be invited. They were smart and well read and covered a wide political and religious spectrum. But most [...]

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