Welcome to Tuesday Recipe  — so called because you can sign up here to have a recipe emailed to your inbox (almost) every Tuesday and because Tuesday Recipe has the same initials I do (you can find out information about me, Tori Ritchie, here too). Sign up in the box at right to join. It's free and it's fun. Here's what's cooking this week:

tuesday march 9, 2010

I’m on a kale kick again. Last year, I couldn’t get enough roasted curly kale with sherry vinaigrette. This year, it’s lacinato kale, the kind with dark green, spear-shaped leaves and super-minerally taste. Some stores label it Tuscan Kale or Dinosaur Kale (can’t quite get my mind around that name). I had it recently in this salad from Il Cane Rosso in the Ferry Building in San Francisco, where they serve the best 3-course, $25 dinner imaginable. I asked the chef for the recipe, then fiddled around with it by swapping celery for celery root. They fiddle around with it too; one time it had chopped shallots, one time sliced red onion. One time there was radicchio to offset the kale, another time there wasn’t. It just depends on what’s in the market and that’s how you should approach it. You can use my mustard vinaigrette instead of the apple dressing if you're in a big hurry, but I encourage you to take the time to make their dressing at least once. It's phenomenal.

tuesday february 23, 2010

The great thing about going to your own book signing is that while you’re there you can look at books by other authors who are coming in to sign. Such was the case at Omnivore Books when I went in to talk about Braises & Stews and ended up seeing this book, Salty Sweets, by Christie Matheson. What a great title! I immediately thought of all the salted caramels I’ve been eating (sure enough, she has a recipe for those), but what really sold me was the photo on the cover of dark chocolate cupcakes with butterscotch icing. I bought the book, I made the cupcakes, we snarfled some down, and I froze a few to serve later. They thawed out beautifully…twice! The icing is more like a thick sauce and would be as good on ice cream as it was on cupcakes, or straight off your finger, which is how I ate most of it.

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tuesday february 9, 2010

I’ve got bacon on the brain because I was in Portland and my friends Lucy and Charlie gave me a hunk of home-cured, home-smoked bacon. That’s the ultimate gift for a cook, if I do say so myself. I brought it home (yes, it got through security) and carved off a few thick pieces, chopped them up, and made pasta all’Amatriciana. If you’ve been a Tuesday Recipe subscriber for a while, you know that this is my trademark pasta. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s beyond delicious. And while the homemade bacon made this the best version I’ve ever cooked, it’s still great with bacon from the butcher (or even a supermarket brand for that matter). But if you can get your hands on slab bacon, here’s another idea: slice off a few pieces, cook them until crisp, then lay them atop crostini spread with burrata cheese and a sliced roma tomato. That combination of rich cheese, crisp bread, and salty bacon puts every other attempt at a BLT to shame.

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Want to hear what people are saying about Tuesday Recipe? Here are just a few of the comments we've received lately:

Just wanted to relish you with compliments...I made your Christmas dinner from Bon Appetit and it was absolutely fantastic. The meat was unbelievable and so were all the other accompaniments. Beacuse we enjoyed that meal so much, I looked up your website and tried the best ever chicken and potatoes tonight with a fresh salad. Well, it couldn't have been more delicious, in fact it was perfection. I just wanted to thank you...my family thanks you too.
Felicia H.

Last night I made the enchiladas and the spinach slaw and both were phenomenal.  Everyone at dinner asked for your website! Thanks so much for such a great service. 
Judy H.

Thought you'd appreciate knowing that I just returned from a 5th grade Mom's night out potluck. I brought Carol's chili-cheese squares and your quinoa salad and in walked the root beer cake that someone else had made. All were hits!
Sally S.

I have been preparing roast chicken and potatoes for many years and frankly, I was in a bit of a rut. But your recipe was so savory, moist and popular that we had very few leftovers.
Margie W.

We had a wonderful al fresco dinner with your recipes, I made your gazpacho, quinoa salad (we had grilled halibut for the main course) and my friend brought your strawberry meringue cake. Everyone loved it! Thanks for your easy yet tasty recipes. My friends and I look forward to them every Tue.
Terri G.
 
I just wanted to acknowledge how much I am enjoying your recipes.  I, too, consider myself "a cook," and come from a large family of women who are handy in a kitchen. Providing delicious food has always been a gift of love for me to give to the people I love. I consider cooking in my kitchen a day of play and the recipes I have received from your site are always  welcome - great taste, easily prepared.  Thank you for sharing your talents.
Pat M.

Your guaranteed dinner party hit, the beer-and onion-braised chicken recipe was indeed a big hit. I served it last night for some friends and they loved it. I did use chicken breasts because one of the guests does not eat thighs. It still turned out tender and juicy. Thanks for your ideas and keep up the good work.
Anita E.