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braised eggs with pancetta over parmesan polenta: in praise of normal
When I saw Paul step out of his gate at the Baltimore airport, he raised his arms and started toward me in a joyful burst of leaping and skipping, arms out, fingers fluttering in the air as we drew...
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indian-spiced pulled pork sandwiches with tamarind “bbq” sauce
This sweet, tangy sandwich stuffed with shredded pork has me reaching with sticky fingers for extra napkins. But each bite, dripping with zingy tamarind sauce, is worth the mess. I first spotted an...
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gluten-free raspberry oat muffins: health aside, welcome to a better muffin
This morning, I bit into a warm, raspberry oat muffin slathered with butter, and tasted a nutty sweetness with tart berries. I didn't once think about the fact that it was also gluten free. That’s how...
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Massaman chicken curry: epiphany of tannins and spice
As a red wine lover also addicted to Thai food, I’m often bummed that I can’t pair lemongrass, kaffir lime, and tamarind flavors with the earthy tannins of red wine. When I recently spotted a Cook’s...
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Oven-baked apple cinnamon pancake with lemon zest: starting the weekend right
Sleeping in for me means getting up after sunrise. A 7 a.m. wake-up is luxurious. 8 a.m. is a triumph. Paul, on the other hand, sleeps until eternity. While he slumbers peacefully into mid-morning,...
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Ropa Vieja: Slow Cooking with Cuba in Mind
I fell in love with ropa vieja, a staple of Cuban cuisine, years after I took a trip to Havana. After tasting the slow-braised chicken and peppers served with sweet fried plantain back in the States,...
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Oaxacan Chicken with Caper Sauce: A piquant taste of Mexico
During my short stint living in central Mexico in the mid-1990s, Oaxaca topped my list of places to visit. Sadly for me, a revolutionary leftist uprising just south of Oaxaca in Chiapas prompted...
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italian braised pork spare ribs: cultivating my inner nonna
If I had an Italian grandma, I imagine that wine-braised spare ribs would be her signature recipe. Her heavy arms would command a large wooden spoon, stirring the succulent ribs as the meat falls off...
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salmon with black lentils and dandelion cream: a culinary 'weed' rises
In my memory, I’m seven and playing in the front yard of our Portland, Oregon, home with my eight-year-old brother. I extend my hand, clutching a dandelion puff, and thrust it in front of him. “Make a...
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enchilada suizas: a belt-busting comfort food classic
When I was growing up in lawn-quilted northeast Portland, Oregon, in the 1980s, going out for Mexican food usually meant a trip outside our middle class neighborhood of two-story bungalows to the more...
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